Wandering along the Georgian granite-paved streets of Truro to the cathedral one is gripped by a sense of its ancient past.
Truro is Britain’s most southerly city, in a county which once enjoyed tremendous revival at the time of John Wesley. It is reckoned that as much as half of the population of Cornwall were at one time true believers. However, while Wesley evangelised the rest of the county, for many years he ignored what was then the significant stannary town of Truro. Why? Because it was already very well-served by the revivalist Anglican minister Samuel Walker, through whom phenomenal gospel work was done in and around the town.
Vibrant Christian presence
Two and half centuries later, the city of Truro may be a far cry from such exceptional times of revival, yet it now enjoys a vibrant Christian presence, in what has until recently been regarded as a spiritually barren county.
When I was growing up in Truro in the 1980s there was a general lack of evangelical Christianity, with some exceptions: in particular, the sizeable parish church at Kea, a few miles out of town. In 1998 some believers in Truro responded to what they saw as the city's comparatively bleak spiritual state, and planted Truro Evangelical Church (TEC), an FIEC church. Moving into this century, there was a virtual explosion of other churches being planted, all of which are broadly evangelical. Denominational churches have also been blessed recently with enthusiastic ministers keen to see people turn to Christ and the city won for him.
Ten other churches
The situation now is enormously different from that of my childhood. Truro has become a bustling city, tripling in population during the working day, with the County Hall and the development of Truro College and Treliske hospital. Thousands more houses are set to be built soon. But most notably, and perhaps unusually for a small city, there are no fewer than ten churches, in addition to TEC, where Christ is loved and worshipped.
There are Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, New Frontiers, Vineyard, Pentecostal and several other independent congregations, all with their different emphases. Most of these churches are seeking to reach out to the community in different ways and to see people saved. Some of them, like TEC, are small, and their influence is understandably less. But good work is being done and people are slowly trickling into the kingdom.
Returning home
After 23 years away from the county, I returned to Truro at the start of this year, called to become the third pastor of TEC. The situation I find within the city is one of encouragement. A highlight for me so far has been to join in prayer regularly with several Truro pastors who are from very different backgrounds, yet with one united heart, mind and purpose: to see unbelievers converted and Christ glorified.
Encouragement
TEC itself is also now being blessed with a wonderful spirit of encouragement. Sadly, despite godly, faithful ministry and outreach attempts, the active membership had declined to just 13 when I was called. However, the congregation enjoyed a unity, mutual love and warmth of fellowship that was tangible. The day my wife Sarah and I became members, in March, Geraint Richards and his family also joined the church. Geraint, much-loved as a preacher at TEC, was soon afterwards appointed as an elder.
March also saw the significant appointment of two capable and committed deacons. April added another godly and keen lady to the membership, and June opened joyfully with the baptism of a young lady who had grown up in the church. So much of this blessing has been God reaping a harvest from the concerted efforts and prayers of TEC’s last pastor, Peter Ninnis, and interim moderator (and founding pastor), John Rosser, to whom much thanks to God must be given for their labours.
Looking to God
The future of TEC remains very uncertain, yet we are looking to God, and trusting him. We lack the manpower of the other larger churches and are less well-known. But we desire to reach out faithfully with the good news, to see people brought into God's kingdom and built up into mature disciples through in-depth Bible exposition.
Our initial plans at TEC are to address a specific evangelistic void in Truro, with door-to-door visiting and a weekly tract table in the town centre, aiming to engage people in conversation and tell them the way of salvation. We long to see TEC grow, becoming a vibrant centre for the gospel, but we know that God's kingdom in Truro is far greater than just our church. A city of around 25,000 inhabitants, with thousands more soon to be added, has plenty of room for several evangelising churches. We pray for God's blessing and growth for each one. At a rough estimate, there might be around a 1,000 believers in Truro at present. But perhaps, in God's grace, Truro may yet become similar to its earlier days of revival; we can dream, and pray. Will you join us in such prayer?
