The (very brief) story behind Manifold Heights Baptist’s Renewal
In June 2024, I slipped quietly into the back pew of Manifold Heights Baptist Church. Twenty people sat scattered across the hot, stuffy room. The PA system didn’t work, the air held the scent of rising damp, and the building itself felt weary. I had been asked to consider leading this church through transition: do we stay or do we go?
I felt a nudge to say ‘yes’. That’s what I do—step into the unknown and figure it out later. As a leader, my guiding principle is simple: use what’s in the cupboard. See what’s here, honour it, and create from it.
This wasn’t a new church plant— but a choice between revitalising or retiring both the congregation and its facilities. The faithful few who had kept things going weren’t leaders by ambition but by necessity. They were the ones I knew deserved a pastor who would honour their commitment and walk with them toward health.
Now, more than a year later, things look different. The chapel roof is sealed, the PA works, carpets are clean, windows sparkle, gardens flourish, and children laugh in a safe playground. On Sundays, the atmosphere is calm and inviting, a space where new people can arrive and find belonging.
There is much work left to do – but that will come in time. For now, we see brave people walking back into church for the first time in decades, many with special needs, most with very special stories – all who are weary coming to find rest. Our chief aim is simple: reorient our eyes to Jesus and trust the promise that He will build this expression of His church.
Jodi, the kids, and I have come to serve, to steward this place into being a healthy church—a corner presence not just to be seen, but to truly see others. Yet, if there’s one lesson that keeps surfacing, it’s this: discipleship cannot be fast-tracked. Buildings can be repaired relatively quickly, but forming people in Christ is always a slow, daily journey. And that, we think, is work worth doing.
It’s fragile but we’re fine.