I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH
By Colin T. Rogers
£10.00. 120 pages
This is the story of the Upton-upon-Severn Baptist Church, marking its 350th anniversary, and obtainable from the church at Old Street, Upton-upon-Severn, Worcs. WR8 0HN at £10 (plus £1 p&p).This seems expensive for a 120-page paperback, but it is a glossy production and all the proceeds are for the church's building fund.
As the press release says: 'The book provides a rare insight into the continuity of the life and witness of one of the country's earliest non-conformist churches throughout all the religious and social upheavals of three and a half centuries'. In the process, it is also the story of how a once 'baptised church' adopted 'open' membership, how a once 'Particular Baptist' church became a 21st-century charismatic Baptist Union church, and how a church that had once disciplined a member 'for uniting herself in the worship with the Roman Catholic church' now has 'friendly relations' with them in Upton. The reader will decide if this is progress or otherwise.
The founding of the church, probably by Cromwellian soldiers, and its survival, along with others, in times of persecution, is a thrilling story, as is the account of how the Lord has sustained this witness in a small community through many problems of finance and human frailty. Here is encouragement for any struggling church, and as Colin Rogers reminds us in his title, it illustrates the Lord's words: 'I will build my church'.
As someone whose brain goes into meltdown at the sight of historical dates, I found this an easy and interesting read.
