Oldham Bethel Church is currently on the lookout for a ministry trainee to join us in September. You can view our advert here or find out more at the North West Partnership or FIEC websites. If you’re in the G. Manchester area, we’d be open to discussing a home-based commuter setup.
I was minded of Ernest Shackleton’s well-known ‘Men Wanted’ advert. Like Shackleton, we invite you on a hazardous journey for small wages in the bitter cold. Yes, it’s self-funded and Oldham is usually freezing!
Unlike Shackleton’s advert, however, you are highly unlikely not to return safely. In fact, we are certain you will gain invaluable ministry experience and learn new skills that you will be able to take into any future ministry role. You will learn what it means to minister in a local church context and how to engage with Muslim people from different backgrounds whilst gaining an insight into reaching people from deprived communities.
The Bethel Church context is a unique prospect. Our building is sited in the midst of a predominantly Asian area of the town yet remains close to some largely white working class estates. We are a multicultural church with a significant work amongst Iranian asylum seekers. We have people meeting with us from the UK, Caribbean, Africa, Middle East and Asia. You will learn how to minister to people from different cultural backgrounds and gain real insight into how the gospel truly unites such a diverse group of people.
Though labeled ‘most deprived town in England’, Oldham is currently undergoing a period of regeneration. It is linked up to the Metrolink tram system and has recently seen its Grade II listed Town Hall converted into a new complex – maintaining many of the original features of the building – with a cinema and adjoining restaurants and cafes. Though close to the Manchester conurbation, which is near enough for convenience, on the East of Oldham lies countryside and moorland. There are also a number of country parks. Just a few hundred yards from the church building lies the award winning Alexandra Park – a beautiful Victorian Park adjacent to local woodland. Coupled to all of that, the average cost of living in Oldham is around half the national average. It is very much a town where a little goes a long way.
Most significantly, you would be joining a mission that is seeing real fruit. We are a church experiencing conversions and baptisms regularly. We are making inroads into the local communities. We are publicly and openly sharing the gospel in the town and the Lord is clearly at work. If that is the sort of opportunity that excites you, then please take a look at our advert and get in touch.
For my money, it’s a much better deal than Shackleton’s.