Oxford can seem to be a place that meanders along at snail’s pace; dreaming spires, etc.
But dig a little deeper, and you find that Oxford life is hurtling along at a bewildering speed: corners of land morphing overnight into student accommodation, ever-growing pockets of social deprivation, and waves of new arrivals from all over the globe.
So it feels appropriate that God is catapulting one small church in east Oxford forward into not just one but three areas of new life.
Firstly, Magdalen Road Church (MRC) was bursting at the seams on January 26, to celebrate the induction of Dan Steel as the new senior pastor. Dan has been assistant pastor since June 2011, and he’s embarking on senior leadership as MRC is getting bigger and praying about finding a new building to host its growing numbers.
Second, the church’s outgoing pastor – Peter Comont – is off to lead a new church in Oxford city centre. Trinity Church, seeking to be an ordinary church in an extraordinary place, has made a flying start.
Cowley
Thirdly, MRC is planting a missional community in Cowley – former heartland of Morris Motors, and now an area where young families head for (almost) affordable housing, while rubbing shoulders with some of Oxford’s poorest residents. Cowley Church Community is in its early stages, led by elders Tim Guest and Andy Moore, and is finding God’s overwhelming grace amidst the chaos and community of the planting process.
