Redeemer Church was planted in 2017 from Cornerstone Church, Nottingham. Starting with 80 members, their congregation has grown to 350 attendees on a Sunday. The need to leave rented accommodation for a permanent home
– one the church would own – soon became apparent.
Finding a Permanent Home
In January 2018, Senior Pastor Pete Brown learned the local town hall was due to be sold by the council. He sent a speculative email about the church’s potential use of the building to serve the local community and to prevent its demolition. To his surprise the council were sympathetic to the church’s vision but, when news broke on social media, local opposition quickly followed.
Fierce Public Backlash
The announcement sparked hostility on local Facebook groups and drew negative coverage from radio and TV stations. One Facebook group with 50,000 members became a hub for inflammatory posts opposing the church’s bid.
Church members faced direct verbal attacks, being labelled as ‘bigots’ for
their faith. Pete recalls, “We had to be careful with our engagement with the public because words would get twisted. Any interaction risked fuelling the fire.” Despite warnings from professionals that the sale wouldn’t go through due to the backlash, the council remained supportive. Redeemer Church presented their plans for:
• free language classes for non-English speakers,
• a warm welcome space for the elderly,
• a toddler group serving over 100 families, and
• regular community events and facility hire for local groups.
Their commitment to community service swayed the final vote in their favour. The council approved the sale just months before a new administration took office which, Pete believed, opposed the church’s purchase.
“We are grateful that people choose to invest the resources God has given them for eternal purposes.”
“We were the bigots and we’re really sorry.”
Some of the loudest critics, a couple who had accused the church of bigotry, attended a community fun day hosted by Redeemer. By the end of the event, they approached a church member and admitted, “We got it wrong. We were the bigots. We’re really sorry.” They have since attended church events and services.
The role of Kingdom Bank
Pete comments, “When the time came to refinance our high street mortgage, we found Kingdom Bank to be the best option due to:
1. Affordable rates – the savings on repayments allowed us to hire additional ministry workers. This has been transformational for our gospel impact
2. Understanding the Church – unlike high street banks, Kingdom Bank grasped the nuances of our church finances and giving patterns.” Pete continues, “With a secular bank I shan’t name, I sat in a meeting where they didn’t understand our church at all. Their paperwork made no sense for us. But with Kingdom Bank, everything clicked.”
“If you save with Kingdom Bank- Thank You”
“We are grateful that people choose to invest the resources God has given them for eternal purposes. If they weren’t saving with Kingdom Bank, we wouldn’t be able to do the work we’re doing or employ more gospel workers. Our ability to save on financial repayments allows us to do more for the Kingdom. If you save with Kingdom Bank – thank you.”
The power of having a permanent home
Redeemer Church’s journey highlights the significance of secure church building ownership. Pete adds: “Stability fosters credibility within the community. A building provides a home for outreach, worship, and service. Churches with physical roots can engage more effectively in long term gospel mission. Church isn’t just bricks and mortar, but just like a family needs a home, a building enables more expansive work with security of tenure.”
Support churches like Redeemer with your savings
When you save with Kingdom Bank, you’re not just preparing for the future, you’re helping churches like Redeemer Church expand their gospel impact. Your savings enable us to provide affordable, tailored financial solutions to ministries, helping them grow and serve more effectively.
Begin your savings journey with us today to support ministries like this one.
