by Liz Hogarth
Moore College, already known as one of the nation’s top theological training centres, has a new role. Each Sunday evening since Easter it has played host to a regular congregation of 70-80 people.
“It is an ideal venue,” according to the Rev Andrew Katay, Senior Associate minister at St Barnabas’, Broadway, and the man responsible for the congregation plant.
Links between Moore College and St Barnabas’ abound. The current Principal, the Rev Dr John Woodhouse, was an asssistant minister at the church, as was the former Principal and current Archbishop, Peter Jensen. “The College and Barneys are on the same team, but we are not trying to do the same thing so there is no problem with toe treading,” said Mr Katay.
The congregation, called simply ‘Barneys: King Street’, meet at 5pm each Sunday in the lecture theatre of the Broughton Knox Centre.
Mr Katay is excited by the possibilities for outreach in an area that is currently experiencing an influx of new residents.
“There is a massive renewal of the inner city in terms of population,” he said. “This challenges us to increase our capacity to reach out. In this respect, two congregations are better than one big one.”
But before outreach can begin in earnest, Mr Katay believes the new congregation has to make itself more visible to the local community.
“Initially we just have to do some very straightforward things to heighten our public profile,” he said. “There are a number of ideas in the pipeline, one of which is to advertise the new congregation at the local Dendy cinema.”
Apart from public profile, he does not think the location of Barneys: King Street in a College setting poses a problem. “I don’t think that’s an issue for people,” he said.
In terms of strategy, the King Street congregation remains very much a part of the overall ministry of St Barnabas’. “It’s a congregation plant, not a church plant,” explained Mr Katay. “It remains an integral part of St Barnabas’ and is not in any sense a new church.”
He explained that leading, and preaching at the service is very much shared between himself and Barneys’ rector, the Rev Ian Powell.
The style, which he described as ‘contemporary classic’ was inspired by the existing 7.15pm St Barnabas’ service from which Barneys: King Street was planted last winter. “We needed to make some space at 7.15pm,” he said. “With a regular congregation of 280, the building was just too full.”
One of the reasons St Barnabas’ welcomes such large numbers on a Sunday night is because of the high number of students it attracts from the nearby universities.
In contrast, those who make up the bulk of the King Street congregation are young professionals who work in the city.
Looking to the future, Mr Katay thinks the challenge for Barneys: King Street will be to reach out and draw in new people.
The congregation has remained stable at around 70 to 80, but no real outreach efforts were made earlier this year due to the move from St Stephen’s, Newtown – where the congregation were given an initial home – to Moore College.
“The big challenge is to draw in people who are not students,” said Mr Katay. “The congregation needs to grow in its own strength and not rely on the 7.15pm congregation.”
