KNN - the news network of the International Churhes of Christ - asked the London church for some information on the UK church for use in a new article. The article would aim to cover issues such as: what happened in the past year; the present situation; and the vision for the future.
To accomplish this London put out a request for a short resume from some of the churches - Leicester being one of them. To cover any comments regarding Birmingham it was thought wise to send a statement, whether it was to be used or not, so that the picture was as accurate as possible. The statement was as follows:
The first few months of 2003 brought about a breakdown of the structure of the church here in Birmingham. Trust was lost and repressed frustrations were aired leading to the departure of many disciples. It became obvious that the church had become very man focused with an authoritarian air about it. To give the church time to heal we had to focus a lot on God and give people space to build their faith.
We now have an overseeing group of shepherds together with committees for specific functions. This structure is aimed at encouraging as many people as possible to have an input whilst maintaining direction for the church. We do not keep a strict count of members but currently have 100-150 people, none of whom are paid. We are setting up a Trust for the churches in Birmingham, Leicester and Coventry to be called The Midlands Churches of Christ. Wolverhampton were keen to move more quickly than Birmingham and have set up on their own, however we still meet together on a regular basis and retain our friendships.
The new year will bring discussion on how to succeed in one-another-discipling, spreading the word and participating in our community to show everyone God's love. We hope that our links to all the former ICC churches will strengthen in true friendship and not be hindered by business decisions.