The Church in Wales has announced investment totalling nearly £10m in four major projects designed to promote growth in church attendance across the nation.
Projects in north east Wales, in Swansea and in Monmouth will be given multi-million-pound grants to develop new initiatives, centres and church communities.
The grants are being made from the Church Growth Fund, in which the Church is investing £100m to support projects in a once-in-a generation opportunity to resource confident and consistent evangelism throughout Wales.
The Church Growth Fund is a development of the Church in Wales’s recent Evangelism Fund programme, which has been successful in helping create fast-growing congregations in several parts of Wales, including in Hope Street in Wrexham and Citizen Church in Cardiff, as well as the innovative Pererin pilgrim trail project in Gwynedd.
Six new Mission Hub Churches in St Asaph diocese
One of the four new projects is for six new ‘Mission Hub Churches’ in the diocese of St Asaph, which has already successfully established four such Hub projects since 2021 in Welshpool, Mold, Penrhyn Bay and Holywell. Each Hub is led by an experienced Mission Hub Priest, supported by an associate priest and a lay minister who focus on outreach. Each hub is created to be a centre of excellence for running and growing a church, with people encouraged to come into their church for a range of worship and other activities.
Thanks to the new investment of £4.6m, six further projects will be established between 2024 and 2030, starting with All Saints’ Church, Newtown; Christchurch, Prestatyn; and St Giles’ Church, Wrexham.
Pioneer Missioners in rural areas
The second project, also in St Asaph diocese, is a scheme in which just over £1m will be invested to create a team of Pioneer Missioners in rural areas, particularly in the Archdeaconry of Montgomery in the south of the diocese, to support mission in church congregations as well as engaging with people where they are, such as in schools and pubs, and through social and rural events.
The Bishop of St Asaph, the Rt Revd Gregory Cameron said: ‘I’m excited to see the Church in Wales backing the good work we’re doing in Saint Asaph to renew and develop our Church life. Churches can be a centre of faith, hope and love in all our communities, and these initiatives underline and cement our commitment to serve the people of north east and mid Wales effectively.’
Major investment in city-centre Swansea church
In another project, totalling £2.8m over five years, St Mary’s Church in Swansea city centre will become the first minster church in Wales next year, helping to create jobs and safeguard the future of the Swansea landmark.
Vicar of St Mary’s, Canon Justin Davies, said: “We are delighted and excited that the Church in Wales has announced significant investment in St Mary’s Church which sits in the heart of the second city of Wales.
“This will enable the employment of new members of staff, both clergy and lay workers, increasing our ability to serve the Swansea city centre community, be they residents, workers, visitors, refugees or the homeless. We will be creating new meeting rooms and offices, young people’s safe spaces and new worship facilities, allowing a wider and more diverse range of worship to take place. We will welcome visitors with a range of activities to explore St Mary’s, the history of Swansea and its people that we hold inside.”
St Mary’s, which was rebuilt in the 1950s after being destroyed during the Nazis’ three-day blitz of the city in World War II, will be designated next year as a minster church – a title given to a large or important church, especially a collegiate or cathedral church, reflecting the importance of St Mary’s to the city.
Schools outreach work in Monmouth diocese
In the fourth of the new projects, the Diocese of Monmouth has secured funding of more than £1m to help grow new worshipping communities by building stronger relationships with schools.
The project will provide a Schools Engagement Pioneer (SEP) for four carefully selected locations – North Monmouthshire, East Cardiff, Islwyn, and Abergavenny – who will build links with church and community schools in the area, inviting school children and their families into the new worshipping community.
The Ven Ian Rees, Archdeacon of Monmouth & Diocesan Director of Ministry & Discipleship, said: “The school engagement pioneers are a really exciting new venture for the diocese and its work with schools, young people and families. Four ministry areas were successful in their application for a pioneer and we’re sure that, working together with those ministry areas, they will help to develop vibrant new worshipping communities and also help to enthuse and energise other congregations in those ministry areas as well.”
The five-year project focusses on relationship-building with primary and secondary school-age pupils, their parents, teachers and the wider school family in a manner which goes beyond school assemblies. It builds on lessons of a pilot project which began last year and is based on extensive research and consultation with Ministry Areas prior to the funding application process. Work to recruit the new pioneers is due to begin this year.
Isabel Thompson, Diocesan Secretary said: “This extra investment for schools and families’ ministry is really exciting news for the diocese. We are looking forward to keeping everyone up to date with news of our new projects, as we watch these new worshipping communities grow.”
Welcoming the new initiatives
The Archbishop of Wales, the Most Revd. Andrew John, said: “The Church Growth Fund represents a transformative step forward in our mission to reach communities across Wales with the love and hope of the Gospel. This significant investment will enable churches to grow, innovate and become vibrant centres of faith. I am excited to witness the gospel in action and the positive impact we will make in our communities because of our significant investment in evangelism.”
Simon Lloyd, the Chief Executive of the Representative Body of the Church in Wales said: “The Representative Body is delighted to make these Church Growth Fund Grants to four innovative and exciting projects in the Dioceses of Monmouth, St Asaph and Swansea and Brecon. All four grants provide additional resource over several years to allow local churches to engage and serve their local communities. I look forward to hearing stories of growth and lives impacted by the love of God and the good news of the Gospel.”
