Rochdale is a pretty tough place in terms of its recent history (child abuse scandals, crime and now George Galloway!). As an example, most of the decade we’ve been here, we’ve had someone in the churches who’s been a risk with respect to one of our children or the other. But it’s also a tough place spiritually. Church-wise in Rochdale is either liberal or at the very charismatic end of things. There is of course a large Muslim south Asian population (mostly Pakistani heritage) as well. We’d like to be a long term faithful gospel-centred church.
Stephen Watkinson started in 2021 just as the second lockdown came into force. They have fluctuated between about 10 and 25 people attending on a Sunday over the few years they have been running. Truthfully, a lot sits on Stephen and his family: Rhiannon his wife who’s also a full-time NHS physio, Ben (16) and Amy (13).
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