Leading a church through a time of change is full of complexities, and sometimes leaders can feel like they don’t know where to turn for advice and support.
The story of the Newland Christian Trust is one which testifies to the goodness of God and Christian partnership through fundamental shifts in structure and governance. ECS worked closely with the charity to enable it to move into a new season of ministry on a firm legal footing.
The Newland Christian Trust was set up in 2003 to enable the congregation of St John’s Newland in Hull (part of the Church of England) to buy property and manage their financial assets. In 2020, the decision was taken to set up a new church, Christ Church Newland, which was to be Anglican but not part of the Church of England.
Stepping out of the structure of the CofE brought many questions of accountability, governance and oversight. It was at this point of the church’s life that ECS were able to provide impactful advice, working with the Newland Christian Trust to create a legal framework for the new church and a basis for future expansion. The church has since planted and developed a network of churches, known as the Christ Church Network Hull.
We spoke to Viv Whitton, one of the trustees of the charity, who told us that while the Anglican Mission in England provided pastoral oversight, the church needed to put a legal framework in place to ensure good governance and oversight of network congregations whilst maintaining independence.
“Having someone who understands the same language as the church was a huge help…”
Our Head of Charities, Caroline Eade, worked with the charity in developing a church framework, a church handbook, and negotiating with the Charity Commission to update the charity’s trust document. It was a complicated process for Viv and the other trustees, “we had to get the accountability right as a protection for the future.” This required a deep understanding of the legal complexities involved, as well as caring for the heart of the churches ministry.
“Having someone who understands the same language as the church was a huge help”, Viv recalls. One of the main challenges was a difficult property transfer following merger with a local church which was in decline – thankfully now revitalised! This needed Christ-centred expertise and a lawyer who really knew what they were doing and: “Caroline guided us through that process.”
More important however, Viv stressed, was the creation of a sound legal foundation and leadership structure which fostered growth and could accommodate evangelical Christians from different church backgrounds both now and into the future.
