Every day for the next month, I am going to be posting profiles I have written about local churches for the Grace Baptist Partnership Month of Prayer and Giving. Please read, pray, and give as able for this important ministry. Day 11: Grays.
Through your prayers and giving, you are our partners in proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that we would continue to do so with all boldness and without hindrance!
The plan at the beginning of 2011 was to see Salisbury Road Baptist Church - in Grays, Essex - revitalised. Sadly, members and attendees of the existing church left after the first Sunday, never to return, leaving no existing church to be revitalised. But there was still an empty space in which to replant a church - Grace Baptist Church Grays! This effort was supported on the ground by Barry King (who served as locum pastor), Ryan King, and Daniel Shwe, with prayerful sending support from their churches in Wood Green and North Watford. Bruce and Kate Massop later moved to Grays with their son Micah to take up the work.
That was 10 years ago. In that time, the leadership of the church has grown. They have seen people converted, baptised, and added to the church, and other believers have joined them. There is an increasing spritual depth and maturity. The church is not only growing up, but going out, doing evangelism in their community and supporting church planting and revitalisation elsewhere. As the the replant was getting established, Kevin Felix-Hollington and his family came to Grays for a period of training and ministry experience alongside Bruce. As Kevin was coming to the conclusion of that time, Barry King had again been sent out from Wood Green to serve as locum pastor at Halling. Kevin would take up the work there, where he was later joined by Artur Piotrowski who is now leading the church replanting effort in Ryarsh. Truly, the work of partnership in and from Grays illustrates what a multigenerational church planting and revitalisation ministry can look like.
Bruce is a man of action who leads and loves the local church well, but is also attentive to needs elsewhere. For example, when he noticed that Grace Baptist Church Bexleyheath didn’t have a sign, the church at Grays raised and sent a financial gift. Bruce has been a catalyst for formalising and drawing up terms of reference for a monthly group of pastors reading and discussing portions of Scripture together. And we cannot neglect to mention the vital work Kate does to support churches as GBP administrator, particularly with regard to financial administration, and as secretary to the GBP trustees.
The church at Grays has blessed others, not least through Bruce and Kate, and God has blessed them. Bruce’s words about the Lord, from a sermon preached on Hebrews 12:25-29, sum up the past decade at Grays: “He is a seismic God. Wonderful changes can happen through the power of God.”
Pray that God would continue to build a local church in Grays that loves the Lord Jesus and is committed to faithful worship and witness.
Pray that God would strengthen Bruce and Kate Massop, sustain the church, and grant them humility as they face the challenges of 2021.
Pray for the provision of financial support for much needed building work, and skilled craftsmen to do the job well.
You can make a gift to Grace Baptist Partnership and the ongoing work of leadership training, church planting and revitalisation, using this link: Donate | Grace Baptist Partnership.
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