The vision
Our vision is to reach more effectively those many areas and communities around the nation where the gospel is unlikely to be heard.
To this end we seek to invest in the training and raising up of men and women from such areas as gospel workers, recognising that, in practice, they are the least likely to be able to access or afford such training. We believe that local churches and mission organisations in such areas are key to providing the context where character and competence might be tested and practical skills might be developed to raise gospel workers for coming generations.
Local Churches and Mission Partners
Our focus is therefore to work with local churches and Mission Partners as the conduit through which effective and vigorous training can be provided.
Whilst our primary focus is on helping individual local churches we have also developed investment in what we term ‘Mission Partners’, city mission and other church planting organisations who are able to facilitate groups of trainees through their own training programmes. Here are just a few stories of churches and Mission partners that we have provided grants to:
Local Churches
Noddfa Baptist Church, Abersychan
Situated in one of the many post-industrial valley areas of South Wales, where unemployment, social depravation and addictions are high.
From a handful of faithful elderly Christians in 2014, Noddfa Church has grown to a congregation of 150 people. In the last five years 80 people have been baptised, among whom are a significant number of young men who have come to Christ from a background of addictions and prison.
Thanks to funding from The Sychar Gospel Fund, the church has been enabled to invest in the full time training of 4 of these young men for gospel ministry. In addition to practical ministry skills and a focus on the development of a godly character, the church started the Valleys School of Theology in 2023, to provide a theological and Biblical training for these young men and others from surrounding churches.
Alex is one of the four young men who is benefitting from the Valleys School of Theology (VST). Whilst training at VST he is building a Christian Community in Trevethin, a nearby locality.
All Nations Church Barkingside, London
Four years ago 6 local churches adjoining Barkingside, an area of high Asian non-Christian population, got together to plant a new church, All Nations, under the leadership of Rickey Raja.
Other churches
Harper Church Glasgow
La Iglesia Evangelica, InterLondres, Oscar Jimenez
Newlands Church Hull
Stockwell Baptist Church London
Mission Partners
London City Mission Pioneers Programme
Enables men and women from churches in deprived areas of London to be given a 2-year full time training. Many go on to work with London churches or become LCM missionaries. The Sychar Gospel Fund has helped support 12 students to be trained as LCM Pioneers in the past two years. Rob Prendergast, Training Director for LCM explains: “We identify diamonds in the rough, Christians who would never be able to access training. The Pioneers Programme gives tools and confidence to communicate the gospel in culturally appropriate ways. A life transformed within a community is a powerful witness and unleashes the God-given potential of Christians to share their faith effectively and with confidence”.
The Ragged School of Theology, 20Schemes, Scotland
Ministers to the Schemes (council estates) in Scotland’s poorest communities where there are little or no gospel-centred local Churches. 20Schemes desire to see Scotland’s housing schemes transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ through the planting of gospel-preaching churches being led by a new generation of indigenous church leaders.
The Ragged School of Theology (RST) seeks to make ministry training more accessible to ordinary, everyday Christians and the training model suits the gifts and abilities of people who love to learn practically and actively compared to most ministry training that is academic and suits those who’ve been to university. Courses are delivered at Niddrie Community Church in Edinburgh, through a blend of small discussion groups and include a ministry placement in a local church.
The Sychar Gospel Fund has helped support 14 students and interns to take part in the RST programme.
Other mission partners
Medhurst Ministries
Christian Prison
Christs Theological College (CTC)
The Message Trust