National Church Buildings Team Visits Local Churches

We recently welcomed Emily Gee, national Director of Cathedrals and Church Buildings, and David Knight, Deputy Director of Church Buildings, to our diocese for a visit focused on the work taking place in parishes across the diocese.

Joined by staff from St John’s House and members of the Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC), they spent the day visiting churches at different stages of developing their buildings for future ministry and community use.

The tour began at St Thomas, Pimhole in Bury, where the group heard about the church’s plans for the future following the arrival of Revd Georgina Stirling, who recently moved from Nelson Street Church in Rochdale.

From there they travelled to St James, Gorton, where plans are being developed to improve accessibility and make more of the building available for local community groups.

At Christ Church, Brunswick, where the visitors were treated to a delicious homemade lunch, the focus was on refurbishment work that is helping to create a more sustainable building for the years ahead.

The final stop was St Martin, Norris Bank, where proposals for an extension would provide additional space for a growing congregation as well as wider community activities.

The visit offered a valuable opportunity to share how the Diocese of Manchester is thinking strategically about the future of its church buildings in support of mission and ministry. By visiting churches in a variety of settings, the Director and Deputy Director were able to see first-hand how parishes are responding to local opportunities and challenges, and how decisions about buildings, resources and mission are being brought together to support sustainable ministry and community engagement across our diocese.