Oasis Church in Birmingham bought their church building with the help of a £200,000 loan from us.
Richard Bowpitt, Communication and Events Manager for the church, shared their story with us.
Can you tell us about the history of the church?
Oasis Church was founded in 1999 with a vision to 'Love God and Love People' by becoming a place of peace and restoration for the city of Birmingham. Having met in a range of venues over its life (including local schools, Edgbaston Cricket Ground, and the Midlands Art Centre (MAC)), the church moved into the former Methodist Church Building on South Street, Harborne, in late 2017.
A 155-year-old Grade II listed space with an incredible depth of history and character, the building had been purchased in the early 2000’s by a couple of private landlords who were aiming to turn it into apartments. Unable to secure permission for this, the building fell into disuse and disrepair…until Oasis came along! The church secured a five-year lease, allowing them to begin a project of restoration to make the majority of the building usable again, and at the end of that period the church started negotiations to purchase the building and make it a permanent home.
How did Stewardship help the church?
Raising the funds to purchase the building, especially with the UK coming out of the economic complexity of the COVID pandemic, was no mean feat! Amazingly God provided a huge amount through the generosity of the church community (raising around half the total amount needed), with the rest being made up with a mortgage from Stewardship and a grant from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. With this finance in place the church wsd able to complete the purchase in September 2024.
The fantastic team at Stewardship was a real blessing throughout the process – working with us to support our application, liaising with the various stakeholders, bringing encouragement and clarity, and ultimately enabling the church to purchase the building.
What has owning the building allowed you to do as a ministry?
Even though it has only been a couple of months, owning the building has been a complete game-changer for the church. It has enabled us to recruit a full-time Community Hub Manager to oversee the development and expansion of our community provision – meaning that there are now regular events and gathering which serve the community every single day of the week. It has also enabled Oasis Church to begin to plan for the future, with work now underway on a more comprehensive project of renovation and restoration to carefully bring the entire building back into use.
Can you share with us any stories of how God has been at work in the church?
- One recent visitor to the Oasis Stay & Play said “It just feels different to the other play groups I go to…there’s a peace here.”
- At the optional Bible Study after the weekly English Conversation Class, a husband and wife who were in different groups both decided on the same day to follow Jesus!
- Someone having a tough time who dropped in to the weekly Café and was able to talk with one of the Oasis team said “I’ve been waiting to have a conversation like this with someone for years. Now I finally feel seen.”
- A lady who joins the Sunday Service online each week while undergoing chemotherapy fed back: “Thank you for continuing to share these services online – they are a lifeline for me.”
What is your vision for the future of the church?
The goal is that the church building can be restored to being a place at the very heart of community life once again. Nearly every week it seems like people drop in with stories of how they used to come to a kids group at the building, or their children got married there, or they attended a community group in the church hall. It’s clear that for over 150 years, this building has been a place of significant impact for generations of local people; providing welcome, comfort, support and encouragement across their lives. It’s our privilege as Oasis Church to take on that mantle and continue the legacy of so many who have gone before.
Images provided courtesy of Oasis Church, Birmingham. Main image: aerial view of Oasis Church Top: the church building pre-restoration Bottom: the church building beautifully restored today.
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Natasha Wood
Natasha joined the Church and Charity Lending Team in 2018 as a Relationship Manager helping churches and charities see God’s vision come to fruition.
Natasha lives near Milton Keynes with her husband and 3 children who keep her busy with their many different sporting clubs, whilst trying to find time to walk the family dog.
Natasha supports her local church and community and is passionate about sport. She firmly believes that sport helps to break down barriers, build communities and is good for people’s physical and mental health.
