Over the last few years Stewards Company Limited, a charity that Church Growth Trust (CGT) has worked closely with in the past, has given up the responsibility for holding church properties in the UK. They did not feel that they had the expertise to actively manage the properties and help the occupying churches. For this reason, they have transferred a number of the properties and trusteeships to CGT and the Western Counties and South Wales Evangelization Trust. CGT has been gifted or appointed as sole trustee for properties in Stockton-on-Tees, Edgware, Margate and High Wycombe and we have been working with the occupying churches to help them manage repairs and improvements. This has included re-roofing one building, rearranging the guttering, replacing the flat roof and improving the disability access to another and reviewing a major building project with one of the others.
The last but not least of the properties to be transferred to CGT is Malvern Gospel Hall. This is a small gospel hall that is currently occupied by Beacon Elim Malvern Church and their tenancy is being renewed. CGT’s architect Jonny Heaney has already carried out a condition survey and drawn up some sketch plans to show how the worship area can be enlarged and other improvements made.
One of the church’s pastors, Dan Bennett, comments “Although we have always had a good relationship with Stewards Company, we are already seeing the benefit of having CGT involved with the property. We see it as a dynamic relationship and one that will help to open up what God is doing in the future.”
Giles Arnold, CGT’s Chief Executive says, “We are delighted to be able to help Stewards Company with taking on a number of their properties and, as with all of our beneficially owned and sole trusteeship properties, we are proactively working with the occupying church to help them keep the property in good condition, compliant with legislation and suitable for modern church use. We also want to celebrate and give thanks to the Lord that rather exceptionally it only took a month from Stewards Company making the decision to gift the property to Church Growth Trust for the property to be transferred. I am also grateful to Stewards Company, our solicitors Ellis-Fermor & Negus and our great staff team for enabling this to happen so quickly.”
