Four churches planted and another in the works

Since 2007, Reach South has planted four churches in the south of England, and now another is planned to launch in Chichester this summer.

Reach South, a collection of Fellowship of Independent Evangelical (FIEC) churches, is committed to reaching Hampshire and its surrounding counties with the gospel by strengthening, equipping and planting evangelical churches in the region.

Last year, Chichester was identified as the next site for a church plant due to the growth of the area. A city of 30,000, Chichester is a hub in West Sussex with 110,000 people living within a ten-minute drive of the centre, said Chris Fry, who is leading Hope Church Chichester, the new church plant. “It’s quite a key city,” said Fry, noting Chichester’s university of 6,000 students and the increase of housing developments springing up in the area.