CAMPSBOURNE BAPTIST CHURCH PROFILE
HISTORY OF CAMPSBOURNE
The history of Campsbourne Baptist Church is well documented in an excellent profile by Marrion Merricks and does not need to be revised and or repeated. So too is her analysis of church membership which is an accurate reflection of what is currently taking place.
KEY CHALLENGES
This paper is to set out my views and the qualities that we should expect to find in some prospective candidates. I share and agree with Ms Merrick's analysis of the key challenges that we as a Membership and Community face. The Peckham Rye Baptist Tabernacle in Rye Lane Peckham SE15, celebrates its “two hundredth anniversary, this year -1818 to 2018” is the caption outside the church .This is my vision for the Campsbourne as we combine our spiritual fellowship and prayers to forge a path that those we leave behind will join together with those who are yet to come, will celebrate the anniversary of the church in five hundred years’ time. The church will need to re-establish its profile in the modern setting of data challenged era,where face book and social media is a prominent form of communication. An example of this occurred recently while I waited at a bus stop in Middle Lane for a W3 to Finsbury Park.
The local Map enclosed within the bus stop, identified and earmarked Rudolph Steiner School which is within Campsbourne church, but totally excluded the Campsbourne Church as a place of worship. This same map included the Methodist Church in Middle Lane. I took down details to contact Transport for London to ensure that the next map should include the Campsbourne Church. This will also be a task for the Deacons. Promoting the church profile is one key challenge.
The other challenge among many, will be selecting someone who will have knowledge and understanding of the challenges that the area face. This person should be a motivator, as well as a diplomat that will engage the middle class who are settling into the area as much as the people who live on the St.Mary's, Lightfoot and Campsbourne Social Housing. One of the strong positive contributions that Rev Jones made to the Campsbourne was his out-reach work in building the Community. I was already attending another church, but he insisted that I attend and when I did I found that the Lord was within this church. I felt blessed. I am here to build with you .
But we need the right person!
This leads naturally to the type of Minister that is needed. Before I proceed to the next paragraph I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to a number of people that I have spoken to and whose ideas I have incorporated in the passage that follows below.
I would like to thank Ms Shantel Williams- Reid, Ms Angela Louis, Dawn Carter and Mr Aboyomi Oladije for the discussions I have had with them over time, for their prayers and support,for their loyalty and steadfast belief in God and unshakeable faith in the midst of uncertainty gloom and despondency. I remind them “ rejoice in the Lord always”
PERSONNEL AND TYPE OF MINISTER REQUIRED IN THIS PARTICULAR COMMUNITY .
“Many are called, but few are chosen”. This is the task that we will soon face with God's guidance. I have given this much thought and have also discussed this topic with family and friends in order to establish if I was focusing on the required and essential attributes that will guide me in assessing the profile of a minister for Campsbourne church.
Without being obsequious, or, fawning favour with our present Moderator, the Rev Charles Mugenyi, I would like to thank him for being our Moderator and state that he is the model that I would base our search for the new minister .
The type of minister must be deep, deep and enveloped in the scriptures, he or she must be able to preach the word of God, moreover, must also transpose those words into deeds.
We must remember, God, is a God of action!
It is through those deeds our church will be known in the community, our numbers will not only grow, but people will stay. A minister must be kind and considerate and must have a relationship with God, to be able to listen to him, hear him and follow his direction. Such a minister must be a shepherd like Jesus was, caring for the congregation, understanding and able to encourage someone in the faith. The minister must be someone who is able to unite a set of people who are all from different race, classes and background but have one thing in common- their faith, belief and love of God the father, the almighty creator of heaven and of earth. The minister must be able to initiate spiritual development and support and build character development, especially in the young people within the church. The minister must be able to address “ sin” in herself, or, himself, as well as sin in the congregation. The minister must be able to acknowledge his, or her, limitations and seek advice and help when required from the leadership of the church. Mental health well-being and fatigue and stress, particularly overwhelms professionals, when so much is expected of a minister he or she must cry out and request help when the burden and care of office can become too much.
A minister who has the wisdom to look at the needs of our particular community (substance abuse, knife crime, poverty, loneliness, homelessness, evil cults, feeding like parasites within our communities and hindering God's work, feelings of anxiety, self-hate and inferiority).
A minister must be able to ask himself/herself – What would Jesus do?
A minister must have the insight to find a practical way of addressing the need within our community, be it a drop-in centre, a food bank, a youth club,a creche, a centre for the homeless.
The church is merely a representation of the people that it serves- And it must represent the needs of the people!
Without the people there is no church!
This is not a chicken and egg situation!
Remember the son of God came into the world to save sinners and put the word of God into practice.
He ministered, he fed the hungry, befriended people who were rejected (prostitutes, tax collectors, the poor and mentally ill). He had time for widows and orphans and those who grieved and he loved children - “Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not from entering the kingdom of heaven”.
Campsbourne has no Sunday school. The minister must make this a priority! The church must make this a priority.
CONCLUSION
Finally, we are special and we have a very special task that we must conclude at the Campsbourne. It is no accident that we are here, it is no accident that we have met. It is God almighty who has placed us here, it is not an accident that the Moderator is here, it is God who has placed him here.
In II Peter Chapter 2 verse 7, it tells you that God rescued Lot - “ if this is so then God knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgement “.
We are living in very difficult times when we are forced to embrace some of the very filthy lives of lawless people that God rescue Lot from, the church will need to lead by example and compassion and a Minister that will be tactful and respectful of differences in a modern world with the taint of exclusion and discrimination. Our minister will be guided by God.
In conclusion,I turn to the gospel of Philippians Chapter 4 vs 5 – 8 :
“ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near (always remember that !) . Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by “prayer and petition”, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.
And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your mind in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent
or praiseworthy - think about such things “
If we follow this advice, remembering that God is always near us and in our anxieties, we pray and offer supplications and petition and make our requests to God, He will guide us around the core values of things that we should dwell and focus on that are pure, lovely and admirable.