“It’s going to be fabulous!”

A letter from Doug Baker serving in Northern Ireland

March 2016

“It’s going to be fabulous!”  That’s the reply I got when I asked Jean what the remodeled church building she had referred to three times as “hopefully coming soon” was going to be like.

As part of a joint retreat in February the current Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) serving in both Belfast and Glasgow were visiting several Church of Scotland parishes in what are known as Priority Areas.  These are the 75 most economically and socially disadvantages areas in Scotland according to various government indices.

Over a decade ago the Church of Scotland took a position that “the needs of the church in the Priority Areas should be a priority for the whole church, not just for the church in the Priority Areas.”  As a result extra personnel and additional program funds have been earmarked for work in them.  The PC(USA) YAV Program has responded to a request to come alongside and support the vision of the Church of Scotland Priority Areas Ministry.  This is the first year we have had YAVs based in Glasgow, and each of the four is assigned to work with the local church and various community outreach projects in one of the Priority Areas.

Jean, pictured in the middle, comes alive as she describes the vision she has for a remodelled and refurbished church building in Possilpark

When we met Jean we were visiting the church in Possilpark, where she is now an active lay leader.  She told us a bit of her life story: how she had been faced with drug addiction afflicting her two younger children; how she had despaired of coping with the poverty and drug-related crime impacting her daily; how she had found a supportive community in the local church when she reached out to it for help; and how she had found purpose in setting up a support group for grandparents and others who find themselves caring for grandchildren, nieces, nephews or even unrelated children when their parents end up in prison, rehabilitation units, on the streets, or dead as a result of drug addiction.  Her face and voice revealed the pain she had experienced and still does.  She spoke positively about how the church community had helped her and how she had discovered her own faith and committed herself to Christ as a result.  However, each time she mentioned the local church positively, she quickly said, “I mean the people—the building is dreadful.”  And then her countenance briefly fell dramatically before she perked up again and said “But we have a vision for what we can do with it.”

That is why I made a point of asking Jean what the vision is and how the building would be different in the future.  You can see from the photograph just how she brightened up!  She described the entrance changed to the side most pedestrians naturally walk past.  She spoke about a café taking shape in a space that is currently underutilized.  She detailed ways that other space in this 1950s building will be freshened up to create a 21st century atmosphere of welcome and renewal to people in the district who so desperately need it.  And with each comment her shoulders lifted and her smile broadened.

Poverty manifests itself in many ways:  Unemployment, poor housing, a lack of proper nutrition, and many other tangible indicators.  Poverty is also often manifested by a lack of vision, imagination and especially hope.  Jean’s life is unquestionably marked by all of the physical indicators of poverty.  However, she is certainly not poor in spirit!  She is wealthy in vision and determination.

While we were there one of the YAVs asked the Church of Scotland minister who has headed up work in the Priority Areas for 15 years what advice he would give them, coming in from the outside and wanting to make a difference in such settings.  His face immediately beamed as well and he said, “Find a Jean, who is local, can tell you what is needed, and is already engaged in some initiative.  Then support and encourage her with the added energy and skills you can bring.”

That is exactly how PC(USA) World Mission operates.  We work in partnership with local churches around the globe that know the needs of their community, have a vision for how to address them, and invite us to come alongside and assist them in achieving it.

YAV Amanda points to the fence she hopes to turn into a more porous boundary between neighboring church and school

The imagination and vision of one of our YAVs based in Glasgow also struck me when we visited her placement site in Carnwadric.  When we held our first joint retreat in Belfast back in October I led a Bible study on Ephesians 2.  I drove home the point that since Christ broke down the “dividing wall of hostility” between those of different backgrounds, as his disciples we are called to do the same across whatever divisions we find where we are placed.

During our visit Amanda eagerly pointed out to me that only a few yards away from the Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) church where she is based is a Roman Catholic school.  They are separated by a large fence.  Just what you would expect around schools today.  However, soon after she arrived Amanda learned that there was also an invisible fence of mistrust separating them.  In the past the principal had turned down any suggestions of potential collaboration between the two.  What is interesting is that Amanda, though serving through the PC(USA) Young Adult Program, is actually a practicing Roman Catholic herself.  Hoping this might help her to build a bridge, Amanda recently approached the school and is now doing some one-to-one remedial work with pupils and also acting as a classroom support worker a few hours each week.  Her vision is to build upon this, link with the religious education and pastoral support teams in the school during her remaining months there, and pave the way for future collaboration between the church and the school.

Exactly when Jean’s vision for a remodeled church in Possilpark will be completed or how much the invisible fence between the Presbyterian church and Catholic school in Carnwadric will be lowered by Amanda is yet to be seen.  What I do know is that in the midst of poverty both are applying the richness of their imagination, which is a gift from God they have chosen to use for others.

I give thanks for the prayer and financial support of so many of you who read these letters.   Thank you for being partners in our ministry.  I ask you to continue your support so that we in turn can continue to support Amanda, Jean and others pursuing visions born out of their faith in Jesus Christ.

Faithfully yours,
Doug Baker