West Bromwich Network Church
Encyclopedia
West Bromwich Network Church is a new Christian
church that was planted
in January 2007 by Rev. Evan Cockshaw, working on behalf of the Church of England
's Lichfield
Diocese, in partnership with West Bromwich & District YMCA
and the Walter Stanley Trust. The role of West Bromwich Network Church (WBNC) is to create new forms of church for the 20-30s generation across the deanery of West Bromwich
. It has no pre-defined criteria, other than to reach out to a generation unconnected to Christian faith. West Bromwich is the UK's 13th most deprived borough.
is the name of the controversial joint Church of England
And Methodist venture whose aim is to produce "a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church." The presumption is therefore that the "form of church" is the problem, rather than the substance (see "Critique" below). West Bromwich Network Church is one of the foremost examples of this project. The Diocese of Lichfield advertised nationally for a new Pioneer Leader and committed to a seven year funding programme for the experimental work of West Bromwich Network Church. West Bromwich Network Church is one of four Pioneer Leader posts created by Lichfield Diocese since 2004. The full title of these posts is generally "Pioneer Leader for new missional communities." The other three posts are in Stoke (Rev. Gordon Crowther), Telford (Mark Berry), and Wolverhampton (Rev. Richard Moy). These four posts have been commissioned to explore new ways of being church in four different contexts over a sustained period, in order that sustainable communities of faith might be developed in each place, and so other churches can learn from their experiences. The BBC has recently produced a programme called "The Most Godless Town in Britain" featuring the work of Mark Berry. The Archdeacon of Walsall, Bob Jackson, author of "Hope for the Church" and "The Road to Growth" is the senior member of the management group directly overseeing the work of West Bromwich Network Church.
model for its structures: it has developed a network of small groups meeting in homes, work places and social gathering points in which people share their faith and their lives together. It also is influenced by a book called The Purpose Driven Church
by Rick Warren
, and the "Seeker Friendly" approach of Bill Hybels
and Willow Creek Community Church
. A further influence is Rob Bell
and Mars Hill Bible Church
.
, a gifted leader can often make the difference between success and failure; the success of an enterprise like this may not really tell the Lichfield Diocese anything, except that it has at least one effective minister. The claimed usefulness of such a project as a model is therefore threatened, as it is necessary for a model to focus in particular and precise ways. The nature of a Fresh Expressions project like this may be more about form than substance, and clarification of the key spiritual features in spiritual formation can be weak. Cockshaw makes the common mistake of believing that he has a "blank sheet of paper" in planting a new church, which can give full reign to unacknowledged paradigms. Attention should focus on the weakness of what is expressed, rather than the "freshness" of its expression. Greater methodological insight will assist its effectiveness as helpful pioneering work, enabling some useful learning to emerge from West Bromwich and the Network Church.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
church that was planted
Church planting
Church planting is a process that results in a new Christian church being established. It should be distinguished from church development, where a new service, new worship centre or fresh expression is created that is integrated into an already established congregation...
in January 2007 by Rev. Evan Cockshaw, working on behalf of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
's Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
Diocese, in partnership with West Bromwich & District YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
and the Walter Stanley Trust. The role of West Bromwich Network Church (WBNC) is to create new forms of church for the 20-30s generation across the deanery of West Bromwich
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
. It has no pre-defined criteria, other than to reach out to a generation unconnected to Christian faith. West Bromwich is the UK's 13th most deprived borough.
A Fresh Expression
Fresh ExpressionsFresh expressions
Fresh expressions are any of a number of new church groups that have developed within the Church of England since 1990. These believe that 21st century British society is very different from the society when most British churches were formed and that traditional expressions of church have become...
is the name of the controversial joint Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
And Methodist venture whose aim is to produce "a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of people who are not yet members of any church." The presumption is therefore that the "form of church" is the problem, rather than the substance (see "Critique" below). West Bromwich Network Church is one of the foremost examples of this project. The Diocese of Lichfield advertised nationally for a new Pioneer Leader and committed to a seven year funding programme for the experimental work of West Bromwich Network Church. West Bromwich Network Church is one of four Pioneer Leader posts created by Lichfield Diocese since 2004. The full title of these posts is generally "Pioneer Leader for new missional communities." The other three posts are in Stoke (Rev. Gordon Crowther), Telford (Mark Berry), and Wolverhampton (Rev. Richard Moy). These four posts have been commissioned to explore new ways of being church in four different contexts over a sustained period, in order that sustainable communities of faith might be developed in each place, and so other churches can learn from their experiences. The BBC has recently produced a programme called "The Most Godless Town in Britain" featuring the work of Mark Berry. The Archdeacon of Walsall, Bob Jackson, author of "Hope for the Church" and "The Road to Growth" is the senior member of the management group directly overseeing the work of West Bromwich Network Church.
Influences
A number of influences can be discerned. WBNC uses a cell churchCell church
A cell church is a Christian church structure centering on the regular gathering of cell groups. Small group ministries are often called cell groups, but may also be called home groups, home friendship groups, home care groups, house fellowships, or life groups.A church with cell groups is not...
model for its structures: it has developed a network of small groups meeting in homes, work places and social gathering points in which people share their faith and their lives together. It also is influenced by a book called The Purpose Driven Church
The Purpose Driven Church
The Purpose Driven Church is a book written by Rick Warren, founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, USA. It was first published in 1995...
by Rick Warren
Rick Warren
Richard Duane "Rick" Warren is an American evangelical Christian minister and author. He is the founder and senior pastor of Saddleback Church, an evangelical megachurch located in Lake Forest, California, currently the eighth-largest church in the United States...
, and the "Seeker Friendly" approach of Bill Hybels
Bill Hybels
William Hybels is the founding and senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, one of the most attended churches in North America, with an average attendance of nearly 24,000 as of 2011...
and Willow Creek Community Church
Willow Creek Community Church
Willow Creek Community Church is a non-denominational, multi-generational Evangelical Christian megachurch located in the Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Illinois. It was founded on October 12, 1975 by Bill Hybels, who is currently the senior pastor...
. A further influence is Rob Bell
Rob Bell
Robert Holmes "Rob" Bell Jr. is an American author and pastor. He is the founder of Mars Hill Bible Church located in Grandville, Michigan and is also the featured speaker in a series of spiritual short films called NOOMA.-Education and ministry:Bell is the son of Judge Robert Holmes Bell, who was...
and Mars Hill Bible Church
Mars Hill Bible Church
Mars Hill Bible Church is an American non-denominational Christian megachurch located in Grandville, Michigan. The teaching pastor is Rob Bell.-History:...
.
Critique
Fresh Expressions like this have yet to respond to a number of methodological critiques. It is unlikely that the cultural location of the church signified by organisational aspects and reference points is the only reason for church decline, even in a context like West Bromwich. The church like any other organisation, is a complex environment with many relevant factors. According to leadership theoryLeadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
, a gifted leader can often make the difference between success and failure; the success of an enterprise like this may not really tell the Lichfield Diocese anything, except that it has at least one effective minister. The claimed usefulness of such a project as a model is therefore threatened, as it is necessary for a model to focus in particular and precise ways. The nature of a Fresh Expressions project like this may be more about form than substance, and clarification of the key spiritual features in spiritual formation can be weak. Cockshaw makes the common mistake of believing that he has a "blank sheet of paper" in planting a new church, which can give full reign to unacknowledged paradigms. Attention should focus on the weakness of what is expressed, rather than the "freshness" of its expression. Greater methodological insight will assist its effectiveness as helpful pioneering work, enabling some useful learning to emerge from West Bromwich and the Network Church.
Further reading
- Mission-Shaped Church, Archbishops’ Council (Church House Publishing, 2004)
- Going for Growth!: A Strategic Framework for the Diocese of Lichfield (Lichfield Diocese, 2005) – available at http://intranet.lichfield.anglican.org
- The Road to Growth, Bob Jackson (Church House Publishing, 2005)
- The Shaping of Things to Come, Mike Frost and Alan Hirsch (2004)