Faith Minister today (4 December 2018)
embarked on his latest national Faith Tour to shine a spotlight
on the central role faith institutions play in building strong,
resilient communities.
The tour – ‘Belief in communities: bridging divides and
strengthening communities’ – will commence with a visit to the
Highway of Holiness Church in Tottenham and will be followed by
monthly flagship visits across the country to engage directly
with faith communities.
This will include meeting volunteers and faith leaders to
understand the key success factors that could be applied
elsewhere.
Minister for Faith said:
Large or small, faith communities are often at the heart of a
local area – the glue that binds our society together.
The length and breadth of this country, faith institutions form
community hubs and support centres, as well as places of
worships.
The Highway of Holiness Church in Tottenham is a shining
example of this – providing support to its community with a
homeless shelter for those most in need.
Many faith-based organisations provide support to their community
above and beyond their day-to-day work. ’s tour will serve to recognise
and promote this, whilst strengthening and extending the positive
impact many faith institutions have as this government continues
to celebrate its faith communities.
This follows the launch of ‘Belief in communities:
bridging divides and strengthening communities’. This report
details ’s tour of 55 places of worship
across 15 towns and cities throughout 2017 to 2018 and calls upon
faith groups to ‘bridge the divide’ by strengthening inter faith
networks.
Case study
The Highway of Holiness Church, Tottenham is a community-oriented
Evangelical Pentecostal church working to support the most
vulnerable in our society. Pastor Alex set up a 24/7 homeless
shelter in 2009.
Predominantly funded through donations from the congregation, the
shelter has helped 900 men in the 7 years that it has been open.
The value of its work has been widely recognised with research
showing that for every £1 invested in Highway House, £5 to £8 is
returned to society.
