4 minute read
Crossing Counties and Finding Community… – Neath
The Reverend Canon Lynda Newman, Neath Ministry Area Leader
Neath has always been a very close-knit community; everyone tends to be known in this small market town. Since the pandemic, our own church community has benefitted from several people from overseas who have found a welcome and a home in St David’s Church in the centre of town. Each person has their own individual needs; some are straightforward, and others more complex, but we hope we have been able to make a difference and to show God’s love and understanding in a practical and appropriate way. Sometimes this has involved us working alongside the registrars, social services, foodbank and with the local schools. Other times it has simply meant the joy of sitting down together over a cup of coffee.
About eight months ago, we were approached by a social worker telling us that a young man had travelled from Iran by himself and wanted to worship as a Christian. We arranged to meet and agreed with the social worker exactly what we would do. His knowledge of English was limited to begin with, (and our Farsi non-existent), but thanks to Google translate we got on well. Each week two members of our church community would meet and sit with him in church. One day he told me that he ‘wanted more Jesus’. He was baptised in the most joyous of services and later Confirmed. At Baptism, he wanted to be known as Tomas after the disciples. Because of his age, Tomas moved to Swansea, and continued to visit us each Sunday by train.
Unfortunately, UK Visas and Immigration, granted me, my wife and one of my daughter’s visas but refused the others, this resulted in my wife shuttling between Lagos and Cardiff. In one of those visits, she visited St Marks, and excitedly came home like the Samarian woman by the well that she has found a church we can worship. Our initial plan was to visit various churches and prayerfully choose the one we would fellowship with, so after much persuasion I visited St Marks as our first ‘church inspection’ and was humbled to experience a church that continuously exceeds our expectations.
A few months later, Amir joined us. He too was from Iran. Amir’s English was good, and he wanted to stay with family members in London. In Iran, he had been unable to publicly proclaim his faith, and now wanted to be baptised and confirmed. Amir regularly keeps in touch and tells us he continues to pray for us. He now worships faithfully in his local church in London and has been studying hard for his GCSEs.
More recently we have been joined by our Nigerian friends Mary and Abraham. Mary is studying for her Master’s degree in International Management. They are being sponsored by their home country, but circumstances have been challenging and they have had to leave their three young children at home. Church is a place of welcome and warmth for them a place to share their joys and sorrows and to gain the support they need – a community into which they fully belong.
Finding a new community is difficult when the language and culture is different, but I hope we have been able to show a true and welcoming heart to everyone who comes through our doors. We are always the richer because of them. Mary summed it up last week when she said, “It is by God’s Grace that we are here.” I believe that we have been truly blessed by the friendships and the faithfulness we have seen in these members of our family.
