Small churches: encouragements and challenges 

Notes from a recent Baptist Union Smaller Church online gathering (22 September), which featured representatives from several Associations
 

Small Church enabler Hilary Taylor opened the meeting in scripture, reading Luke 12: 31-32.
 
But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.
 
She highlighted the words ‘little flock’.
 
‘I love this phrase,’ she said. ‘The Father has given the Kingdom to us, the small. We can be effective in our small numbers with our big hearts and our passion for Jesus. God provides for his flock, which makes me feel secure. We all know how small can be effective.
 
 

News from the Associations

 
Southern Counties Baptist Association (SCBA)
 
Jim Thomas is the recently appointed Regional Minister for mission in SCBA, as well as a pastor of a small church (Immanuel Baptist Church, Southsea). He said the ability to be agile was an advantage small churches have. For example, if they wanted to, they could offer warm spaces in the cost of living crisis, or have more time for midweek activities.

The weakness is if a handful of people aren’t around – this increases the pressure for others. He said Immanuel has been discouraged by lack of funds, but the building is now being rented again.
 
 
Heart of England Baptist Association (HEBA)
 
Membership on the whole is on its way down, noted Regional Minister Neil Le Tissier, which means the number of small churches as measured by membership is increasing. Fifty per cent of churches in HEBA are now classed as small – up from 43 per cent. It has catalysed the Association’s thinking on small churches.
 
Neil said if small churches can afford a minister, it’s likely to be on a part-time basis. The changes in the ministerial settlement also mean that small churches are the most likely to get stuck: one HEBA church with a ministerial vacancy hasn’t had a single response in 12 months.
 
Neil said he sees some ‘lovely, vibrant church communities’. Those which are strong often have newly retired people who have committed to leading their church. He also noted small churches’ agility and ability to respond creatively.
 
HEBA has also found people not returned to the voluntary roles post Covid, particularly treasurers. A couple of years ago HEBA took on an accountant, who can do the work for churches at minimal cost. ‘That’s gone down really well,’ noted Neil.
 
 
London Baptists (LB)
 
Fran Bellingham is the Team Leader of the Small Church Connexion. At least a third of the churches in London are small, she said, and there is a mixed picture. At the recent Small Church Connexion meeting, she noticed how ministers are ‘absolutely shattered. Really tired. Just running to keep still.’
 
Income is an issue, and this has been affected by the economic downturn. Although churches’ buildings are available to let, people can’t afford to hire them in London. Some churches have closed after Covid; but others are doing new things.
 
Bromley Common Baptist Church has started a drop-in café, to provide a safe space for its community. So far both neighbours and people from the street are making use of the cafe. Interestingly, no one comes from the church itself. ‘When you have an elderly congregation, they often feel like they can’t do it anymore,’ said Fran.  
 
Elsewhere, Cricklewood Baptist Church has had five baptisms.
 
 
Central Baptist Association (CBA)
 
CBA was represented by Mary Moody, one of its new Regional Ministers. She’s beginning to receive invitations to small churches.

Mary noted that she had been pastoring a small church, and her stepping down leaves them without a minister after 16 years.

The Association is struggling to find enough moderators in the region, and it’s the small churches who are fending for themselves, Mary said. Maybe a pool of small church moderators is needed?
 
 
South West Baptist Association (SWBA)
 
The South West Baptist Association covers a vast area, said David Evans and ‘we are fairly encouraged.’ He reported that Regional Minister Carl Smethurst thinks small churches are coming out of the pandemic better, 'because people want community'. When people attend larger churches they want a standard of performance, which they can get online.
 
David is the pastor of two small churches in Plymouth, Ford Baptist Church and Morice Baptist Church, both of which have grown. Of the six small churches in Plymouth, three have seen growth, two are steady and one has lost people.
 
A number of small churches are saying large churches should lend their surplus people – but large churches are struggling for volunteers!
 
There is a hunger to relate – but distance is an issue. ‘Can we in Plymouth relate to a church in north Devon?’ asked David.
 
 
Yorkshire Baptist Association (YBA)
 
The picture isn’t great if you look at the stats, said Kezia Robinson, a YBA Regional Minister: 70-80 per cent of the Association’s church are small (‘We are an Association of small churches’); 80 per cent of its churches are in steady decline; and some haven’t seen a baptism in 10 or 20 years.
 
The Association has done lots of things trying to enable its churches, and structure its team accordingly. One relatively recent addition to the team is Alex Harris, who has specific responsibilities for pioneering ministry and church planting. Alex's role is to catalyse being healthy churches, working together to see new mission ventures and new churches birthed.
 
The Association is trying to work with churches who will be active planters, and has identified six across the region. It is talking to colleges to identify leaders, pioneers and planters. Kezia noted that several ministers who have traditionally been pastor/ teachers are wanting to change to plant congregations, but are uncertain how to. 
 
YBA partners with LICC to offer learning hubs for its churches, and enable them to implement an every member, whole discipleship model. It is seeking to develop an internship programme, and one of its six priorities is around helping churches improve their spiritual health.
 
 
Northern Baptist Association (NBA)
 
Hayley Young, Transitional Strategic Leader (Regional Minister) at NBA, began by telling several stories. Whitley Lodge Baptist Church had been looking for a minister for more than a year in the new system. They were encouraged to keep praying and on Saturday she led the induction of Micky Munroe, previously minister of Guiseley Baptist Church in Leeds, as its minister.  
 
Berwick Baptist Church has a growing connection with the traveller community, and has released its minister to serve them. Winton Baptist Church in Cumbria was a church of 12 when Covid hit; but it’s now more than 50. ‘That’s just God,’ said Hayley. ‘They’re just looking at how they serve their community.’
 
The Association is thinking about how it trains leaders, and is looking at a course in January on Baptist basics.
 
One of the biggest challenges is cost of living. A number of NBA’s small churches are providing services such as foodbanks and baby banks, but they might not be able to afford to continue due to rising energy bills. Some are looking at repurposing their buildings, for example, to become AirBnBs.
 
 
South Wales Baptist Association (SWaBA)
 
Moira Kleissner represented SWaBA. Like a number in the meeting, she is new to this role and is in the process of finding out information. Some churches are doing really good stuff, she said, others are struggling. Some are in very isolated areas: one has become a community hub, and 'this is something we’d like to see more of'.
 
‘There are some things I’m finding encouraging,’ continued Moira, ‘But lots of churches in the process of dying, and I need to look at why that is. I’m trying to act as an encourager and get people to think about what church is.’
 
 
Eastern Baptist Association (EBA)
 
Elizabeth Stoner reported that 98 of the 170 churches in the EBA are small. Echoing the thoughts of others, she said there is a sense smaller churches have coped better with the disruptions of the pandemic, as they find it easier to be creative and change tack. A lot went back earlier because there was less of an issue with distancing. Out of those 98, a third don’t have a minister, many of these won’t ever, as people are unlikely to join.
 
Some have been creative, but that’s the minority: lots have gone back to what they were doing before.
 
She spoke about her own church (Light of Life in Ormesby in Norfolk) which is now doing something different – meeting every other week, one of which is a traditional service, the other a community meal. A podcast is created for one of the weeks when the church doesn’t meet physically; the final week is a sabbath. ‘We are morphing into a missional community,’ said Elizabeth.  
 
The lack of volunteers is an issue. Even when there are younger people, they’re working full time and struggle to devote the time and energy to volunteer. This reality is one of the reasons her church is practising sabbath.
 
 
Webnet

Regional minister Alasdair Longwill said several things Neil shared about HEBA would be true for Webnet.
 
Many of the Association’s churches are at 75 per cent of what they were pre-lockdown: this is the current reality.
 
There are the obvious challenges of rising costs of living and keeping warm; several churches have been contacted by councils to provide a warm space in the week. That could be a way of churches connecting with their community, said Alasdair.
 
Webnet has produced a new Home Mission video, working with Fuelcast, focusing on The Cairn in Knowle West, Bristol. As well as telling the story of The Cairn, the film features a series of reflective questions for others.
 
Alasdair said a church without a manse makes the calling of a minister ‘much more difficult’. There is an example in Cheltenham, where the rents are very high. WebNet has tried to come alongside this church.
 
One possibility is of two churches coming together, with one providing a stipend, the other a building. This could be duplicated if it works out.
 
Alasdair also highlighted Re-imagine, WebNet’s missional learning community for leaders. In an 18-month journey, Re-imagine helps leaders explore how they can live as God’s people; looking at culture, discipleship, and the mission of God.
 
 
South Eastern Baptist Association (SEBA) 
 
Regional Minister Team Leader Joth Hunt started his role in the Association on 1 July. An audit is going to be carried out to see what churches need. The Association is looking at the whole area of Home Mission, so it can offer a much bigger package of support alongside the grants. This could be a missional journey, the offer to join a missional community, similar to Webnet.
 
Joth said some churches are facing closure, but three small SEBA churches want to merge with others.
 
 
 

Small churches and welcoming the stranger

The second part of the session saw a presentation from Public Issues Enabler Steve Tinning on how small churches could get involved in helping refugees and asylum seekers. He drew on the lessons learned at Leigh Road Baptist Church, Essex, where he used to be a minister, which welcomed and housed a family from Syria.
 
Steve said there are many ways churches come into contact with refugees, and he wanted to highlight ways they could get involved.
 
One is Homes for Ukraine – a scheme for anyone who has a spare room. So far 85000 Ukrainians have come on this scheme. Hosts receive £350 a month.
 
The Baptist Union has partnered with Citizens UK to be part of a matching process. There’s a weekly meeting for hosts to support each other.
 
A good number of Baptists have signed up to this, and other schemes, said Steve. But more hosts are needed – especially those with more than one room.
 
The second thing is community sponsorship, a refugee resettlement programme with local people at its heart. 
 
Steve said church would work with other interested partners, meaning responsibility of integration is in the hands of those working together.
 
Those entering community sponsorship have to raise a minimum of £9000.
 
‘The brilliant thing about this is the refugees can come from anywhere around the world – bespoke to the community,’ said Steve. ‘Small churches can partner with others.’
 
He added, ‘I want to debunk the myth that smaller churches can’t get involved – their agility, close knit community means they can give a warm and genuine welcome to refugees.
 
‘The best kind of community a refugee can gain is a loving one, and a church can embody that.
Community sponsorship is a brilliant tool for small churches. The community sponsorship where I am involves a church, a mosque and university.
 
‘It’s by far the most successful scheme for integration. When someone arrives, they have 12 people immediately committed to them. ‘
 
 

Small Church Hubs

 
The final part of the meeting saw Hilary Taylor introduce the idea of Small Church Hubs - this is envisaging a centre in each county or local area to bring the smaller churches together for training, events, celebrations and resourcing.
 
The idea is about collaboration, she said, and generating more support between the churches. In some areas this is happening, but there are gaps in many more.
 
She floated the idea at the 2022 Baptist Assembly, and in this article. As a result, she received several expressions of interest, and a Zoom meeting took place on 15 September.
 
Some churches want to be hubs, others want to join a hub and some want to just host. 
 
The hubs booked so far:
1st October     King’s Baptist Church, Stotfold
15th October Waltham Abbey Baptist Church
29th October Blaby Baptist Church
5th November  Eastern Avenue Baptist Church
 
For more see: https://www.baptist.org.uk/Groups/379308/Small_Church_Hubs.aspx
 

Image | Jonny Swales | Unsplash

 

In our Union of around 2000 churches, approximately 1000 have under 40 people. The Baptists Together website has an area devoted to Smaller Churches - access it here.