Faith in the City
A Call for Action by Church and Nation
In 1985 the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Commission on Urban Priority Areas published a report “Faith in the City”. It began a public debate about what “the church” and “politicians” can do to better the lot of “the poor”. Long-standing problems of inner-city deprivation needed to be addressed. In the abscence of any Royal Commission which might propose political incentives, the Archbishop’s Commission took up the cause of the poor, the powerless, the deprived.
The Report made 61 Recommendations: 38 of them to the Church of England, and 23 to the Government and Nation. The Church of England was asked to identify its “urban priority area” parishes, according to Department of the Environment indicators relating to 1981 census data. The six indicators are: levels of unemployment, overcrowding, households lacking basic amenities, pensioners living alone, ethnic origin, and single parent households.
It was to pay attention to clergy staffing levels; to adequate training programmes for ordained and lay leaders; to liturgical needs; to styles of work with children and young people; to the use of its buildings. It was to look at its work in industrial mission, social services, social responsibility, church schools and education.
The Recommendations to Government and Nation were specific — taking in the Rate Support Grant, the Urban Programme, levels of overtime working, Community Programmes, Supplementary Benefit, Child Benefit, the taxation system, ethnic records and housing availability and allocation, homelessness, “care in the community”, Law Centres and law enforcement.
Response to the Report was strong. Many accused the Church of straying outside its brief. For such people “faith” was to be interpreted as an individual matter of personal belief and practice, unrelated to wider social, organisational or political matters. Other critics felt that a “middle-class” church, stuck in traditional structures, would not be able to move to implement its recommendations. There was criticism that the Report did not sufficiently spell out the underlying theological statements about creation and incarnation, and their relationship to the Kingdom of God, to citizenship, and to community.
In spite of all the detailed map work that went into identifying UPA parishes; in spite of the many new initiatives taken by Diocesan councils and local committees; the likelihood is that people will describe “Faith in the City” in only one way: “The Church Urban Fund”. For it is Recommendation 25 that has demanded people’s energies, touched their pockets, and fired their imagination: “A Church Urban Fund should be established to strengthen the Church’s presence and promote the Christian witness in the urban priority areas.”
In 1988 a fund-raising programme began, looking to gather 18 million pounds to support projects in UPA parishes. Coffee morinings, concerts, covenants, sponsored everythings, took off in earnest. Tee-shirts, mugs, balloons, yes, even a cookery book, added impetus. The local church did, as it had always done, what it could to help the poor … and it began to see how times have changed. No longer just a few rich benefactors being charitable to the deserving poor …
At present there are around 300 projects across the country which involve the people on the spot working to improve their situation. In York Diocese 10 projects have so far been allocated CUF funds; and two other projects receive grants from the Diocesan CUF fund.
In Hull: “Doorstep” is gradually increasing its housing stock, so that some homeless young people (16yrs+) can find shelter, and learn housekeeping skills which will help them cope when they move on to other accomodation. “The Warren” is an open-door centre for young people, with a range of activities and counselling available. “CASE Training Services” equips learning-disabled young people (15–18) with work-related skills. At St. Michael’s, Orchard Park, Hull, a youth worker’s salary is paid. Similar provision is made for a post in the Marfleet area.
In Middlesborough: “Impasse” provides workshops for unemployed people. “Grove Hill Churches Community Care” offers company, a lunch-club, summer holidays, for lonely elderly people. “Redcar Respond” arranges forums for consideration of community concerns. “Langbaurgh Women’s Refuge” provdes shelter and help for women and children who experience violence at home. There are plans for a crime prevention project among young people.
The fact of CUF projects has not only provided encouragement for those who benefit from them. It has encouraged additional support from some local authorities, voluntary organisations, grant-making trusts; and from industry and commerce. The focus on UPA parishes has led to links being formed with parishes or Deaneries in other areas, resulting in a growth of mutual understanding.
Awkward and difficult questions still remain: projects are funded for between three and five years — what happens to them after that? Is the Church doing work which the Government should be doing? Once a parish has reached its “CUF” total, will it forget about UPAs? Have parishes which simply wrote a cheque for whatever was asked ever discovered where the money was going, and why?
Already there has been a follow-up report, “Living Faith in the City”, recounting progress. Hard on its heels has come “Faith in the Countryside”, produced by another Archbishop’s Commission. Already explorations are in hand to share insights.
Writing in the Church Urban Fund Report, the Archbishop of Canterbury, as Chairman of the Church Urban Fund writes:
“The Church Urban Fund has linked together churches in places like Somerset and Southwark. They have discovered how much they have to give to each other. Those with little material strength have often spiritual riches of cheerfulness and neighbourliness.
Decisions affecting life in urban areas are often taken by people who live in commuter suburbs or in country villages. I have been encouraged by the way in which the Church in those areas has responded to the appeal. I have seen that comfortable Britain is not heartless.
If we are to be one nation, we must share each others’ burdens.”