BBC film church which has become an open door to all nations

A Barnsley church will feature in a BBC documentary during Holy week that examines the changing face of Christianity in Britain.

St George's church in the town centre is one of a number of churches chosen by the BBC for its programme: The Battle for Christianity which will be transmitted next Tuesday (March 22) at 10.45pm on BBC 1.

Vicar, David Munby, said St George's had been chosen as one of those, largely because 20 years ago he had a vision to build a House of Prayer for all Nations in Barnsley.

"That vision has been fulfilled in remarkable ways in the last ten years. Around 40% of our congregation are now from other nations- and about 40% of our PCC. We have many Africans in our leadership and in the last 16 months have baptised around 60 adult Iranians, as well as those from other nations.

"Our Evangelism Coordinator is an Iranian called Sadegh Dabiri and he and I will both be featured on the programme," he said.

A House of Prayer for all Nations came in a vision to the Revd David Munby one day while he was in prayer.

It was 1994 and David was on sabbatical in Iowa exploring the spiritual aspects of church growth and the place of prayer in spiritual breakthrough. At first he interpreted the words as a call to prayer meaning that individual Christians, individual homes and even the congregation themselves would become a house of prayer.

And then they started to come. Not in great swathes but noticeably people from “all nations’ began to find their way to St George’s church in the town centre of Barnsley - refugees, asylum seekers, migrant workers, or others who simply felt dispossessed, alien, alone. And he explained, the vision began to take on more meaning as a vision of care for people from all nations.

Said David: “We have been proclaiming for 20 years by banners inside and outside church that we are supposed to be ‘A House of Prayer for All Nations’ and in recent years we truly have become a church for all nations.”

The banners were produced by two young local artists who came to the church to get married a few years ago. They serve as a constant reminder of both the vision and the prophecy.

David is now the chairman of Barnsley City of Sanctuary.