Reflecting on the rapid and significant changes in our church over the past few years, it may feel quite overwhelming. However, some of these changes were unforeseen, with many of God’s works coming suddenly, not through our deliberate planning. I believe that the disciples in the early church, praying in the upper room before the Holy Spirit descended, could never have imagined the church growing by 3,000 people. Similarly, at Manchester Alliance Church, we did not plan for the continuous influx of believers; it happened so quickly that our pastors and leaders had little time to deliberate. Yet, both the early church and Manchester Alliance Church needed to respond to the needs of believers gathering to worship, which is not only a need but also our responsibility as believers.
Over the years, Manchester Alliance Church has diligently responded to the believers guided by the Lord who wished to stay with us for worship, learning, and serving in ministry. We have expanded our space to make them establish a stable church life in the UK. In addition to opening worship services at different times, we have also established church plants in different regions to accommodate worshippers who can gather at different times and locations.
If we focus on the Manchester Alliance Centre, we notice that the current usage of church premises is overwhelming. Before the pandemic, only two or three fellowships used the space on Saturdays, so there was less rush. However, now both Saturdays and Sundays are packed with back-to-back meetings, with the entire church premises, including the main hall and other rooms, being used by different groups. The frequent and saturated usage not only accelerates the wear and tear of the church facilities but also hinders the healthy development of ministries. Why do I say this? It is not an expansionist mindset driving us to seek larger spaces to accommodate more people. Rather, I have heard members express hesitation in bringing new friends to church due to overcrowding, with children’s or teenagers’ meetings needing to queue for a place, resulting in not bringing them at all.
Personally, I do not mind new friends being taken to other evangelical churches, but the issue is that if this situation continues, the enthusiasm of believers to invite new friends or bring non-believers to church for evangelism will be stifled due to the lack of space. Additionally, the church has no space for other groups to use, nor rooms to hold classes or training. Some youths and parents are willing to wait a year to join the youth fellowship, but a year’s wait is too long for a young person’s growth. We urgently need to find more space and necessary serving people to meet these needs.
Recently, pastors and leaders have been searching for rentable spaces near the church, but neighbouring churches have already rented out to other groups, commercial landlords are unwilling to rent to churches, or the rent is prohibitively high. During this search, pastors and deacons discussed that rather than renting, it would be better to purchase a place for long-term use, which could support the Church Centre by moving some activities to another location and meanwhile, we can prepare to serve the community in the future.
Currently, the council has identified a potential location and hopes to share our vision with everyone at the general meeting, seeking to confirm if God moves our voting members to support this plan. The cost of purchasing a place is huge, requiring faith pledges from brothers and sisters, mortgage applications to banks, and appeals for support from overseas churches. Additionally, we need everyone to pray together, asking God to guide us in making appropriate decisions and to protect the entire plan. Even if this location is not God’s will, we must continue to pray for the church, anticipating that when another opportunity arises, we can recognise it as God showing us His way.
Rev. Chiu