Over 300 church leaders and workers gathered at East London Tabernacle on 29 September to hear about the need to reach hard places in the UK.
Delegates heard that whilst evangelicalism had deep and historical working-class roots, many of the country’s deprived areas have since been woefully neglected and movements have failed to invest and to raise up indigenous leaders.
Impassioned pleas
Mez McConnell and Ian Richardson (ministering in Scottish schemes and Middlesbrough estates respectively) gave impassioned pleas for this imbalance to be urgently addressed. Andy Prime (also serving in Scotland) graciously and clearly outlined the challenges to a middle-class worker serving in deprived areas.
John Stevens (FIEC, partnering with Acts 29 / Church in Hard Places for the day) agreed with the gospel need and how ministry in such areas needed to be a priority (though not the only priority) for the British church. Steve Timmis (Acts 29) hosted the day.
No one attending could be in any doubt about the depth of feeling and, in some cases, the hurt that has been caused by neglect and paternalism. However, the very fact that the event was sold out was representative of the desire to see change and many of the delegates represented work already established and starting around the country in many different kinds of areas. Ministry in hard places is certainly back on the agenda and needs to stay there. The challenge will be to see what happens next.
