MERCHANT CITY CHURCH PLANT FOCUS ON MISSION

A church plant in the Merchant City area of Glasgow is embracing the historic motto of the city: ‘Lord let Glasgow flourish by the preaching of your Word and the praising of thy name.’

Rev Neil Longwe and Rev David Trimble share a vision of building a church that engages Glasgow’s culture, reaching out to those in search of spiritual renewal in this dynamic city. They both have a heart for the city and its people.

Neil, who is married to Jillian and is dad to Naomi and Israel, said: ‘After studying in Glasgow, I began my career as a building surveyor in the Merchant City area, working for a subsidiary of Glasgow City Council, one of the city’s major employers. My work brought me into contact with countless historic buildings, many of which were former churches now repurposed as pubs, theatres, or residences. These transformations reflect the city’s changing spiritual landscape, and I carry a deep hope to see Glasgow’s people reached with the gospel.’

David, who is married to Ashton and dad to Eden, shares a similar journey: ‘My ministry training at Christ Church Glasgow gave me insight into church planting and the distinct challenges of starting a new church here. I developed a love for Glasgow and a vision for more missional churches in Scotland’s largest city. The city’s vibrant culture needs a church rooted in and responsive to its unique character while reaching out to a culture that has strayed from Jesus.’

The pair are living and working as missionaries while building a core team. They have ten passionate members focusing on core team development, including evangelism training and studying Tim Keller’s Center Church, while worshipping with their ‘mother church’, Christ Church Glasgow. Given Glasgow’s drug crisis, they are exploring partnerships with mercy ministries to bring hope to those struggling with addiction.

As way of getting to know people, Neil and David have desks in a shared workspace, “The Social Hub”, where they work alongside startups, students, artists, and creatives. The area has a large student population, including many international students, and they are engaging with Christian campus workers.

There is great need for people to hear the gospel in the city. Glasgow is the biggest city in Scotland and, according to the 2022 census, it is home to 620,700 people. Glasgow has many gospel churches; however, with a population this size and this dense, there is still an urgent need for more churches and missional communities where the gospel will be proclaimed.

Glasgow is an international city and so there is an international mission. The pair say that they would love to see a church in the Merchant City that reflects the international makeup of the city and seeks to serve people of every culture and background.

According to recent findings from the 2023 Glasgow Churches Research survey by St Silas and Harper Memorial, Glasgow has 144 “broadly evangelical” churches across the city. On an average Sunday, there are around 13,264 worshippers in these churches. This represents 2% of the population of Glasgow (this is reflective of the national average of evangelicals).

According to International Mission Board (IMB) if a country has less than 2% evangelical Christians it is deemed unreached. It is striking to see that Glasgow — and Scotland as a whole — is now teetering on the edge of being deemed unreached. Starting a church plant in the Merchant City area is an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with those in that community.

Neil and David concluded: ‘Our vision is a Christcentred Church that exists for the glory of God, the flourishing of Glasgow and reaching all nations. Our hope is for a city centre church that reflects this great truth and reaches out with the gospel of salvation to all the diverse peoples and communities in Glasgow. And, with God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit, we hope that we might be able to establish a sustainable contemporary confessional church in the heart of Glasgow’s Merchant city with a regular attendance of over 300 by 2029.’

For updates about the church plant and plans see the Free Church website www.freechurch.org •