The Church of God in Manchester, UK
The Church of God in Manchester, UK
| |
| Category | Church |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Worship, Preaching the Gospel, Community Service |
| Location | City of Manchester, Greater Manchester, England |
| Belong to | World Mission Society Church of God |
| Website | Church of God Official Website |
| Youtube Channel | Church of God Official YouTube |
The Church of God in Manchester, UK was established in November 2008 in Manchester, Greater Manchester, in the northwest of England. Its official name is World Mission Society Church of God in Manchester, UK.
Sanctuary Overview
- Establishment: October 01, 2008
- Location: City of Manchester, Greater Manchester, England
- Activities: Environmental cleanups, helping neighbors, blood drives, etc.
Features
The United Kingdom is an island nation located in northwestern Europe, comprising Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) and Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. The country is widely known as the birthplace of the English language. The national religion is Anglicanism, a denomination of Protestantism, although many citizens also adhere to Presbyterianism and Roman Catholicism. Denominations that originated in the UK—such as the Baptist Church, Methodist Church, and Salvation Army—also remain active.
Despite its deep Christian roots, church attendance and religious affiliation have steadily declined in recent decades.[1] According to the 2021 Census for England and Wales, the Christian population fell to 46.2%, down from 59.3% in 2011, marking the first time in recorded census history that Christians accounted for less than half of the population.[2]
The Church of God, which is growing worldwide as more people come to keep the truth of the new covenant in God Elohim, is active in Manchester with members who worship joyfully and reverently, devoting themselves wholeheartedly to the gospel.
Manchester, one of the United Kingdom’s three major cities along with Birmingham, ranks second only to London in population and economic scale within its metropolitan area. It is also home to Old Trafford Stadium, the world-famous home of Manchester United F.C., which attracts countless visitors each year.
As part of its global volunteer campaign, the Church of God in Manchester carries out cleanups in streets and parks to create a clean and pleasant environment for residents and visitors.[3][4][5][6][7][8] Simultaneous cleanup campaigns are also organized in other UK cities such as London, Newcastle, Birmingham, and Liverpool, amplifying the impact of their efforts. Members also participate in blood drives, and have delivered appreciation kits to medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with heartfelt messages of gratitude and encouragement.[9][10]
In 2014, when the Oxford region suffered severe flooding, about 100 members from the Manchester Church volunteered in flood recovery efforts. The BBC reported, “An unusually large group of over 100 people came all the way from Manchester to Oxford to help with flood recovery. It is an incredibly astonishing act, almost hard to imagine.”[11]
At the end of each year, members visit elderly care homes, hosting cultural events that include choir performances, group dances, instrumental ensembles, and short plays.[12][13] Residents often respond with emotional gratitude, saying, “I can’t remember the last time I felt so warm inside. The emotions I experienced today are beyond words.” A representative of Newlands Care Home commented, “You are truly people who deliver God’s love, offering sincere service with genuine love.”[14]
Major Awards and Media Coverage
Through years of community service, the Church of God in Manchester achieved a remarkable milestone in 2013, receiving 14 volunteer awards across 10 districts in Greater Manchester—Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale,[15] Stockport, Tameside, Trafford,[16] and Wigan—within a single season.
The Mayor of Tameside, who invited the church members to his office and personally presented the mayoral award to each recipient, remarked: “At a time when antisocial behavior among young people is on the rise, it is extraordinary and commendable that so many young individuals voluntarily give up their time to help underprivileged areas through service. The members of the Church of God are setting a great example for young people by doing the work that our Tameside youth should be doing themselves.”
The Mayor of Wigan remarked: “In all my years as mayor, I have never awarded a church before. But the volunteer work carried out by the Church of God was exactly what our community needed. Every citizen knows how outstanding your efforts are. You absolutely deserve recognition, and I hope our youth follow your example.”[17]
In 2016, the Church of God in the UK (UK Zion) was honored with The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest distinction given to volunteer groups in the United Kingdom. The Church of God General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol was invited to attend the Royal Garden Party hosted by Queen Elizabeth II on May 24, and later received the crystal plaque and certificate at an official award ceremony held in Greater Manchester on July 4. Local media gave significant coverage to both the award and the Church’s volunteer activities.
- “A group of volunteers from the old Trafford-based World Mission Society Church of God (UK ZION) has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. The Group members are well recognised for their work, as well as their vivid yellow t-shirts, engaging costumes and bright smiles. Their work comprises of several projects, such as visiting care homes, clean-up campaigns, graffiti removal, youth festivals, disaster relief and blood drives. – Messenger on June 9, 2016[18][19]
- “A volunteer group which spends many hours cleaning up in Bury has been recognised by the Queen. The World Mission Society Church of God (UK ZION) based in Old Trafford is a group of volunteers who work across Manchester and the surrounding areas helping out.” – Burytimes on June 16, 2016[20]
- “A group of volunteers from the World Mission Society Church of God have been honoured with the Queen’s Award, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. Since 2009, they have visited care homes in Greater Manchester, bringing overwhelming happiness to elderly citizens, visitors and carers. They have also carried out clean-up campaigns, giving the local communities the benefit of a cleaner environment. The group have been issued with certificates of appreciation from their local MP Kate Green and all 10 borough councils of Greater Manchester.” - SalfordOnline on June 16, 2016[21]
- “They aim to spread the ‘mother love’ by making people feel special in the community and have carried out various projects such as visiting care homes, implementing clean-up campaigns and co-ordinating disaster relief. . . . Since 2009, the group has grown and now there are around 250 members from many different backgrounds. They started by doing care home performances, traveling throughout Manchester going to different homes and doing lively energetic shows with professional musicians.” - Mancunian Matters on June 16, 2016[22]
- The World Mission Society Church of God (UK ZION) has been given the prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. . . . The church’s volunteers, who are recognizable by their bright yellow T-shirts, have carried out work in Wigan and Leigh voer the past few years including cleaning up the town centres, tidying Mesnes and Jubilee parks and providing activities for elderly residents at care homes in Norley Hall and Pemberton. - Wigan Today on June 23, 2016[23][24]
See also
External links
References
- ↑ Churches across UK are saved from dereliction by being turned into nightclubs, bars and university digs, Emily Jane Davies, Daily Mail, February 29, 2024
- ↑ Religion, England and Wales: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, November 29, 2022
- ↑ Volunteers came to help clear up Old Trafford at the weekend, News4trafford, June 21, 2021
- ↑ Car bonnet and bed frame among items found dumped in Trafford streets during clean up, Manchester Evening News, April 19, 2021
- ↑ Volunteers gave some love on valentines day cleaning up Old Trafford, News4trafford, February 15, 2021
- ↑ Seven hundred kilos of rubbish are off the streets of Old Trafford - thanks to church volunteers, Messenger, September 10, 2020
- ↑ Volunteers clean up around 700KG of rubbish fly-tipped in Old Trafford, News4trafford, August 31, 2020
- ↑ Clean-up prayers are answered!, Oldham Chronicle, February 3, 2012
- ↑ Sharston ambulance workers receive encouraging donations during pandemic, InYourArea Community, February 18, 2021.
- ↑ World Mission Society Church of God gave Ambulance staff in Trafford gift boxes, News4trafford, December 3, 2020
- ↑ Press, WATV UK ZION
- ↑ Care home performance for the New Year in Salford, World Mission Society Church of God UK, January 15, 2017
- ↑ Volunteers Give Warmth to Laburnum Court Care Home Residents, World Mission Society Church of God UK, March 12, 2017
- ↑ A Mother's Love Spreading to Western Nations, WATV News, December 23, 2012
- ↑ The U.K. Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, WATV UK Zion
- ↑ Certificate of Appreciation - TRAFFORD COUNCIL, World Mission Society Church of God UK, June 22, 2020
- ↑ Thank You, Heavenly Mother!, Shindonga, January 2014
- ↑ Old Trafford's World Mission Society Church of God bestowed with prestigious Queen's voluntary award, Messenger, July 8, 2016
- ↑ Old Trafford volunteers honoured by Queen for their kind-hearted work, Messenger, June 6, 2016
- ↑ Volunteer groups receive Queen's award, Bury Times, June 8, 2016
- ↑ "Local volunteer group win the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services," SalfordOnline.com, June 13, 2016
- ↑ Award from Queen gives 'bolt of extra passion' to volunteer group in Manchester, Mancunian Matters, June 13, 2016
- ↑ World Mission Society Church of God (UK Zion) receives top award, Wigan Today, July 11, 2016
- ↑ Church's top award for voluntary work, Wigan Today, June 23, 2016