Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your ministry?

My name is Dave and I have been in full time ministry for the past five years. When I retired from my secular job, I wanted to do something for the kingdom so took part in the ‘prepared for service’ training course with the FIEC. During this time, I was an assistant pastor for a church in Reading, but once I finished the course, my wife and I felt called to Oldham, ready to see where the Lord would use us.

Tell us a bit about your church:

In 2017 a commercial property in the centre of Shaw became available and we realized it would be a brilliant opportunity for the gospel. We knew we wouldn’t be able to get a mortgage in the church’s name as we were still starting out, so my wife and I purchased the building as part of our business, intending to use it for the church which was beginning to grow. Up until this point a small group of people had been meeting in our home, and we knew having a building would allow us to do more ministry in our community. God graciously helped us to purchase the building, which we then rented back to the church to pay the mortgage. It took us a year to renovate, but we opened our doors in April 2019.

Since then, we have been meeting regularly and God has grown our congregation. We have seen people come to Christ, and now have about 60 people joining us every Sunday. We’ve launched two midweek life groups, a coffee morning, and have a ministry which helps to provide food to those living in need. We were able to connect with the local Asda, and they now help us with food so that we can help people in the community who are struggling with homelessness or the cost of living. We go out into the streets of Shaw every fortnight to share the gospel, and last year we had one lady who took a leaflet from us, became a Christian and has now been baptized!

What excites you about your ministry now?

We are currently in the early stages of starting our own coffee and book shop. The coffee shop could be a more consistent way of engaging with those who are receiving support from the church and is a way of introducing them to Jesus. We want our church building to be a familiar hub in the community, where people can come to feel welcomed and supported.

Because of the pandemic we haven’t been able to use the space to its full potential, so we are now excited to do more regular outreach activities. Our building is right in the middle of town which means we do have people who just wander in because they saw the sign for a church. We want to maximise this location for the gospel and feel in a place to start doing this more fully.

What difference does owning this building make for the church?

It wasn’t until we came across Kingdom Bank a few years after purchasing the building that we realized there was a realistic opportunity for the church to own the building. Financially, the church extending the mortgage term and us not having to pay tax on the rental income means there are considerable savings that can be made. This makes a significant difference, so we are now praying as a church about how to best use this extra money for the gospel.

We have a strong sense that the building being owned by the church is important. The congregation now have a sense of ownership, and it feels like a real step in the church being established. It provides us with a sense of security, and we feel that our people will be encouraged, as it shows the journey God has brought us on. We didn’t think that the church would be in the position to own a building so quickly. It also means that there aren’t any restrictions on how the building can be used, so we have more freedom to reach more people.

How was your experience of working with Kingdom Bank?

We wouldn’t be where we are without the help of the Kingdom Bank team. The opportunity to have godly men and women working with us, who are committed to seeing God’s kingdom being built spiritually and physically in the UK is a tremendous help.

On a practical level, we found Kirsty really helpful in meeting our needs and expectations. We were encouraged by Andrew coming to visit to meet us and see the building. Everyone we’ve spoken with has been friendly and helpful. It’s great to know that there is a financial institution that is built on Christian principles, and we would encourage everyone to work with Kingdom Bank.