St. Mark’s, New Ferry, of which I am Vicar, is in an Urban Priority Area. Anglicans will know what that means; for the rest it’s the ‘Inner City’.
Now I guess that for 95% of you reading this article the Inner City is an area you occasionally drive through, perhaps a bit faster than normal. And the idea of gospel work in such an area is not something you particularly wish to entertain. Well I can’t help writing an article like this without an eye on recruitment. That is to persuade you to consider Gospel work in areas lower down the socio-economic ladder. So what do I do in the ‘Inner City’? The same as anyone else who is persuaded that God’s Word lies at the very heart of church life. I study the Bible, prepare sermons and Bible Studies, train leaders, and do evangelism (using Christianity Explained and Explored). And the great thing is, in the goodness of God, we are seeing people turning to Christ, and growing in Christ.
There are frustrations, but many advantages when I compare myself to friends working in more affluent areas. The people I work with have time. They are not physically and mentally exhausted from a long commute. They have fewer ‘agendas’ on the go, than people might elsewhere, and make fewer demands on me. The kids have little to do, which gives us a great advantage in building up youth and children’s work. There is not much nominalism, for going to church is not the ‘done thing’. And people don’t move away, so we are able to take a long-term view with folk. Perhaps the extraordinary breakdown of relationships in our area is one of the hardest things we encounter And, yes, the litter, bordered up shops, and noise around midnight generated from the 15 pubs/clubs within half a mile of my front door does irritate.
Is New Ferry ‘strategic’? Not at all, except for the fact that there are 7000 people here, the overwhelming majority of who are living under God’s wrath, in need of the rescue which comes through the Gospel. It’s got to be a good place to be.
Hugo Charteris (St Mark’s, New Ferry)