Would you accept a call to pastor a church of six or seven people?
That is what David Wilson did back in 2015. High Road Baptist Church in Finchley had reached a low ebb and, when David was inducted in February 2016, his mission was to ‘re-establish’ the church.
David is a native of Michigan in the USA, and had spent a few years serving alongside a Grace Baptist church in Chesham before the move into London.
David drew his focus from the four ‘P’s of Mark Dever and Paul Alexander’s book The Deliberate Church: preaching, praying, personal discipleship and patience. He preached his way through Mark’s Gospel, and drew up a church constitution, doctrinal statement, and church covenant. The first couple of years were tough, and they didn’t see their first baptism until 2018.
In reaching the community it became obvious that unchurched families were busy on Sunday mornings. They took the bold step of moving the Sunday morning service to 3pm, so they could be more involved in the community in the morning. For a few months this seemed a braver move than they had thought, but then their Carol Service was full and two families started coming along.
Loneliness is a problem in Finchley, as it is in much of London, and being a church family meets a significant need for many, whether young adults or single parents with children. Over 18 months, seven people have been baptised, and the church now has a membership of 18. This includes a Muslim-background family, while a number of Jewish people have been present at baptismal services. David says: ‘The first time I sung In Christ Alone in front of a practising Jew was a powerful moment. It made the words of the song more weighty.’
The church has a different purpose for each meeting. Sunday worship puts preaching the gospel front and centre, with ‘scriptural conversation’ by using discussion questions to apply the message. The weekly prayer meeting is for prayer, not another preach, and a lot of time has been invested in discipleship Bible studies.
By early 2020 there were enough children to restart a monthly children’s club, only for it to be closed by lockdown! The church has used lockdown to disciple the group, but having a building in a prominent position means they have opened for private prayer. This gives people a free view inside the building, with music playing and booklets to take away. To help them pray, people can use a card with the Lord’s Prayer and Paul’s prayers from Ephesians 3 and Philippians 1. To the church’s surprise, people have come along and are earnest about praying.
David says: ‘These last few years have seen good days and difficult days, there were and are growing pains, but I am so thankful that each week I am able to worship, pray and fellowship with a group of people who the Lord has brought together. The Lord is answering our prayers by providing us with a community of people who love each other, care for each other, and see each other as family, and we are continuing our journey in Christ together.’
