My Church
A photographic portrait of Christian expression in Manchester and Salford
‘Religion on the Decline’, ‘Congregations Dwindle’, ‘Death of Christianity’… Recent news headlines paint a bleak picture of Christianity in our country today. However this picture isn’t one I experience as a Christian myself; the faith I see in Manchester and Salford is vibrant, fresh and growing. Communities of faith are emerging in all sorts of unexpected places: coffee shops, council estates, prisons, schools and pubs, as the Christian gospel is met with genuine interest.
This project aims to highlight some of the spectrum of this broad church in Manchester and Salford. I intentionally went searching for some of the most interesting expressions of church and found people of extraordinary faith, living heartfelt and selfless lives.
It’s presented from my viewpoint as a personal account of the wider church I belong to, drawing together different traditions and styles with the hope of demonstrating their commonality.
My church is in the bars. Christ Central: the ‘Comedy Store church’.
Under the arches on Deansgate Locks is the Comedy Store – on Friday and Saturday nights a packed venue for hearing some of the best comedians on the circuit, on Sunday mornings it switches gear to host Christ Central Church. Whilst many of our traditional denominations die out and their buildings are repurposed into bars and flats, at the same time I see less traditional forms of church flourishing and borrowing space back from the entertainment world.
My church is upfront. Gather worship evening, Foundation Coffee House.
Gather is a monthly worship night, started by a few guys in Manchester as a way of bringing worship out of the confines of the church environment and situating it right in the centre of secular society. Nathan explains: ‘We’re looking to create worship settings in everyday places. We want it to be seen as a normal thing, not a weird thing.’ Worship is simply the act of loving God and giving yourself to him. It is a fundamental part of what it means to be a Christian and yet I often feel a disconnect with society’s understanding and acceptance of it.
My church is on a night out. Street Pastors, Manchester City Centre.
The messy side of a night out: lost friends, being sick on the side of the street, drunken fights. Sometimes all that’s needed is a kindly, sober presence to help someone get home or defuse a tense argument. Joining the night revellers on the streets of Manchester are a group of Christians, some well into their seventies, kitted out with hi-vis and backpacks. These are Street Pastors who help make the city centre safer. They make friends with the doormen, enjoy conversations with many who stop to chat, and – their trademark offering – hand out flip-flops to those who’ve lost a heel.
My church is ancient. Angie, the Labyrinth.
Labyrinths are ancient, pre-Christian even (they could be as old as 4,500–5,000 years), and are found on every continent. The Celtic Christians repurposed them, for prayer and meditation. Whereas mazes are designed to confuse and get you lost, labyrinths offer a single route to the centre and always get you out again. For Angie Tunstall, a Baptist minister, she finds walking the labyrinth provides a valuable experience for people looking to connect to spirituality, even outside of a religious structure. She had always loved doing them herself, so eventually created a labyrinth in her backyard in Eccles.
My church is persecuted. Encounter 247: the ‘Curry Mile church’
Visitors pray for the local new believers at the weekly Saturday night church on the Curry Mile, Rusholme. This vibrant area is full of Middle Eastern and Asian cultures and cuisines, dessert shops, shisha bars and Islamic clothes shops. Nestled away at no. 247 is a bookshop where new Christians are meeting together. Many are asylum seekers and know what it means to be persecuted, sometimes isolated from their community after converting to Christianity. During the service, their pastor, Lucho, encouraged them to ‘bless those who persecute you’ (Luke 6:28) – an unnatural and challenging response to suffering.
My church is on the estates. Langworthy Community Church, Salford.
‘Messy, chaotic, centred around food and Jesus, and involving drunkenness and swearing,’ says pastor, Chris Lane, of his church. The Bible’s pretty clear about prioritising the poor but most of the UK church is situated in comfortable, middle-class areas. Going against the grain, Chris moved into Langworthy whilst gang violence was at an all-time high. Gradually trust was built within the local community, and many responded positively to the gospel. It’s a very active church with children’s breakfast groups, food parcels for asylum seekers, free counselling, exercise classes and prayer spaces in schools.
My church is homeless. Embassy Bus.
An ex-tour bus, previously used for A-list celebrities, is now providing much-needed rest for people experiencing homelessness. With a Christian faith-based focus, the Embassy Bus is a creative response to the homelessness crisis. More than 300 people sleep rough in Manchester and more temporary emergency accommodation is needed to help people who want to move into stable accommodation through the interim weeks it can takes to get that sorted. Sid Williams, the founder, is very clear that without God interrupting his life, he wouldn’t be doing any of this: ‘He gave me a heart for it’.
My church is able. Emma, L’Arche Community.
L’Arche (meaning ‘The Ark’ in French) was begun by Jean Vanier in France in 1964 as a faith-based community made up of people with and without learning disabilities. Often adults with learning disabilities are sidelined and kept apart from society but Vanier recognised that everyone can benefit from being in community together. Emma has three jobs and is passionate about her faith. She loves the Taizé prayer evenings and going to church with her family every Sunday. She says, ‘I like to follow Jesus every day, because Jesus died on the cross for us. I like worshipping and singing.’
My church is unceasing. Manchester House of Prayer (MHOP).
Christians believe God responds to our prayer, which is essentially just a conversation. Like any relationship, it is nurtured with time and commitment that fosters intimacy. Michael and Becci Ball run MHOP, and devote hours at a time to praying for God’s will and blessing for the city. In 2019 they will be building a permanent centre where Christians from across the city will be able to join round-the-clock, night and day continual prayer. Michael explains: ‘The primary thing that we’re about is the worth of Jesus. I think Jesus is worthy of extravagant worship, of our affection and our time.’
My church is celebrating. Adelaide and Kathryn, St James and Emmanuel.
Getting married with the blessing of their church family was really important to Adelaide and Kathryn. Although the Church of England and national legislation prevents their vicar, Nick Bundock, from officiating a same-sex wedding, he was keen to offer a service of celebration. The church make a point about being visibly inclusive and helping people reconcile their faith and sexuality. They are home to a number of LGBT+ people who feel they are able to be fully themselves. Adelaide says, ‘Being visible is something we choose to be, but also, we can’t help but be.’