The Commentary

Back from the dead

The little Grace Baptist church in Watford, North West of London, had closed some time ago. However, driven by concern for God’s glory a Christian worker was stirred to seek to reopen it.

There was a promising initial meeting in the old chapel on Easter Sunday this year, with 22 people, including many well-wishers, present. But the following Sunday showed the cold reality of the situation. The preacher was the only one there for the morning service.

What did he do? Some people might think he was nuts, but he sang, prayed, gave a Bible reading and preached his message in the empty building. As he came out afterwards and started locking up he saw a woman standing out front. She asked what he had been doing in the chapel? He told her, ‘I was worshipping God’. She replied, ‘But you were all on your own!’ She then went on to tell him that if he didn’t give up she would join him next Sunday. He didn’t! She did!

3000% growth

The woman, from Cameroon, later shared her story. She had arrived in Watford, had seen the chapel and been disappointed that it was no longer in use. However, she had turned her disappointment into prayer. She had prayed each day that it would be opened again; hence her visit on the Sunday after Easter. Six months later she is still worshipping there and the congregation has begun to grow.

Another Christian worker and his wife have moved into the area to try to take the work forward. Three people have been baptised, two of whom are new Christians. On the first Sunday of November there were 33 people in the congregation, and interestingly 30 of them live close enough to have walked to church. Among the 33 attendees were people of 11 separate nationalities. One person who used to be part of the chapel in previous years and has now returned commented: ‘In the old days we would have thought it was wonderful if 11 people attended, now we have people from 11 different countries!’

Obviously it is early days and there is still much work to be done and prayer required. But the church that had died has been raised back to life. That initial meeting taking place on Easter Sunday seems to have been most appropriate. The apostle Paul reminds us that we are ‘not [to] rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead’ (2 Corinthians 1.9). Hallelujah!

Promising signs

And as the news from that little church encourages our faith, so there seem to be small but promising signs elsewhere. We recently took an autumn break and Ann and I happened to be in Bournemouth for one Sunday and had contact with three different churches. In the morning, we attended a church, which has recently taken on more workers, and the congregation has visibly grown since we were last there. People are coming to Christ.

In the afternoon a Baptist Union congregation, which does not have its own premises, baptised three people in the sea. These were young women from difficult family backgrounds. ‘The church is our family now’, was their message. In the evening we worshipped at another, larger church which had just finished a week of mission and again seemed to be in a much stronger condition than when we last dropped in.

This is clearly just a minute snapshot sample of present church experience. But where Christians are taking initiatives and having the courage to reach out with the gospel God seems to be honouring their efforts.

Back from the dead

Back from the dead

3000% growth

Promising signs

John Benton

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