12 churches started in Birmingham

More than 12 churches have either started since 2020 or are set to start in Britain’s second largest city, the ‘Birmingham Collective’ reports.

The group was set up in 2010 (then called 2020 Birmingham) and comprises leaders from the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches (FIEC), Newfrontiers and Acts 29. With many churches closing over the next few years, the group says it is only scratching the surface, while Birmingham’s population is growing rapidly.

At its launch, 2020 Birmingham had a vision of 20 new churches through planting or replanting by 2020. This vision was realised.

Further prayer and conversations led to a growing dream: what if by 2030, there were another 30 churches planted? That would mean 50 new churches in the city. What if each of those 50 churches had it in their DNA to go on and plant again? That would be 100 new churches. 2020 Birmingham became the Birmingham Collective.

Then the pandemic came, and hit small churches hard. Some of the church plants did not survive. However, the Birmingham Collective saw God building His church: most of the church plants came through the pandemic, a few saw growth, and new churches were planted during the crisis.

Those included the multi-cultural Hope Community Church, east Birmingham, and a revitalisation work at West Smethwick Congregational Church.

The Birmingham Collective is now developing a seed fund to help church plants get off the ground, and is also offering one-to-one coaching for church planters.