A NEW drive to reach out to more people across the whole of the Redditch area has been launched by the Anglican Church.
Headed up by Rev Canon Paul Lawlor, vicar of St Stephen’s, it is being backed by £1.7million over six years from the Church of England.
Over the same period it is also hoped Redditch’s historic landmark town centre church will also be transformed.
And at a special ceremony at St John’s Church in Greenlands last Sunday (July 14) Rev Lawlor was commissioned as Area Dean for Redditch and Bromsgrove with special responsibility for the ‘Redditch Mission Area’.
The aim he said was for the mission area’s 12 Anglican churches, which includes Alvechurch, Tardebigge, Beoley and beyond – as well as Redditch – to work together on major projects while still giving them the freedom to maintain their own projects.
This, he said, should free up members to work more within their communities.
Examples of this include the Redditch Christmas Toy Appeal which has seen all 12 churches in the area contributing in whatever way they can.
Rev Lawlor said: “We’ve actually been working on this since 2021, and working to make it happen along the way.
“It’s hoped we can free people from some of the administration things they get caught up in to look beyond their immediate church.”
He admitted he was both excited and scared but said he could forsee a more informal church, a more contemporary and attractive church, but one that would still be a church.
He said: “Can we persuade more people to work in their communities and how can we be part of that journey to get God in every part of our lives?”
He added that the bulk of the grant from the Church of England would be spent on people, not buildings, and efforts to complete the transformation of St Stephen’s – including making it carbon neutral – would require more funds.
The town centre church will welcome Rev Fraser Oates, curate at All Saints in Worcester, from mid-September as the Rev Lawlor takes up his new role.
