‘Every now and then I come across something in the kingdom of God that inspires, excites and blesses me.
The content and context of the Govan Free Church fits right into that category’.
Rev. Garry Brotherson.
Govan Church Plant
Govan is rarely out of the news. Have a look at any tabloid covering this part of Glasgow and its guaranteed to be reporting or highlighting : crime, addiction, murder, suicide, the deployment of riot police and a culture of anti-social behaviour. Sadly much of this is true and when set in the context of Govan as an area of continual multiple deprivation it creates the impression that nothing good is happening in this famous old Glasgow housing scheme.
What the media don’t report is the presence, power and influence of the Kingdom of God here in our community. Lives are being transformed and people are talking about this in our streets and homes.
The Rev Norman Mackay started the Govan church plant in 2013 taking inspiration from the parable Jesus told of the mustard seed. “The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” Matthew 13:31-32
Rev Mackay “The truth he was unpacking on this occasion was about the Kingdom of God having small and seemingly insignificant beginnings, yet progressively experiencing incredible expansion and growth.
I guess you could call it ‘the mustard seed conspiracy’. It is hard to imagine a church planting work with smaller beginnings that our own here in Govan, Glasgow. One family - no committed resources to speak of - in a housing scheme of multiple deprivations overrun with drugs, crime and trauma.”
10 years on since the church planting proposal was endorsed by the church, the fellowship is continuing to impact the people of Govan.
The vision to plant a new church in Govan originated in 2013. Today our church is thriving and deeply rooted in the Govan community.
‘Every now and then I come across something in the kingdom of God that inspires, excites and blesses me.
The content and context of the Govan Free Church fits right into that category’.
So what is it that causes me to give God praise for this work?
Location
As someone from a Glasgow housing scheme, and no stranger to the challenges of surviving one, I just love the fact that this church plant is rooted in Govan. Govan is rarely out of the news. The deployment of riot police locking the area down, murders, drug dealing and multiple deprivations create the impression of a housing scheme that is simply a no-go war zone.
I know Govan, and a lot of the families from Govan, and my heart rejoices in what is happening through this church planting venture.
Rev Gary Brotherson
Congregation
Walk into the worship services, the cafe, the church office or any other activity connected to this work and you meet the locals with deep roots in the area. the ethos of the church is that of a spiritual family, where exactly the sort of people who were drawn to Jesus are welcome. A gentle, caring community, and a safe place to be, are something so incredibly new to lots of folk here. To see people who have spent years addicted to drugs, and at times served long stretches in prison, gathering around the word of God, bonding and praying together, is truly awesome.
Cross Bearing
In terms of the christian life, the cross stands to represent a sacrificial service, or a willingness to pay a price for the advancement of the gospel. Govan Free Church has not come into being by any other mean. All that has happened here can be explained solely in terms of long, demanding hours in local streets and homes, building up relationships, understanding people’s pain, sharing their lives and establishing levels of trust. This is what earns us the right to share the Good news with people. The incarnation is the model for this ministry, and the cross is the cost.
Rev. Garry Brotherson
Rev. Donnie G. MacDonald (Free Church Moderator)
‘What a privilege it was to join with the congregation in Govan for worship on Sunday morning. I always enjoy checking the updates on their Facebook page and reading about the people and the work going on there, but it was brilliant to actually meet everyone in person and to see it first hand.
I immediately felt at home with the warmth of welcome I received, I felt I was among friends, more than that, I knew I was with brothers and sisters in Christ as we sang praise, and prayed and listened to the Word preached so effectively. I met real people with a real love for Jesus and could have spent the whole day just chatting with them all. It’s a fantastic congregation that really does demonstrate what it means to be a church family as they look out for each other and look after each other.
Norman and the congregation are working hard, there are big challenges to face, but it was so exciting to see the transforming power of the Gospel in the lives of so many, and the impact they are having in the community’.