Grants of £27 million by the Church of England aim to create 100 new churches in coastal areas, market towns, and outer unban housing estates.
“The Church is always called to reach out, meet God’s people and share with them the life changing faith of Jesus Christ,” said the Rt. Rev. Trevor Willmott, Bishop of Dover, who carries out daily operations of the Diocese of Canterbury. “Today that’s what the Church of England is saying. We’re putting our money where our mouth is.”
The project will support efforts in Canterbury to launch nine new worshiping communities. The template will be an existing community called Ignite in Margate, Kent. Worshiping communities will be planted in cafés and will work in areas of social deprivation.
Archbishop Justin Welby said the plans are a “wonderful example” of how churches are seeking to be faithful to God and to serve their communities.
“The Church of England exists to share the good news of Jesus through our words and our actions,” Welby said. “Across the country, churches are bursting with life which in part is shown through how they love and serve their communities. I’m especially pleased about these grants because they demonstrate our commitment to following Jesus to the places of greatest need in our society.”
John Martin
Matthew Townsend is a Halifax-based freelance journalist and volunteer advocate for survivors of sexual misconduct in Anglican settings. He served as editor of the Anglican Journal from 2019 to 2021 and communications missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Quebec from 2019 to 2022. He and his wife recently entered catechism class in the Orthodox Church in America.
