Supporting Council Estate Churches & Gospel Workers

Medhurst Ministries exists to take the gospel to the forgotten places of the UK. We do this by supporting council estate churches, & strengthening gospel ministry in hard places across the country. Working alongside church leaders serving in deprived communities, we offer training, encouragement, and long-term partnership so that gospel churches can flourish where they are most needed.

Training & Supporting Council Estate Churches

Most council estates in the UK lack churches and a meaningful Christian presence. Yet these communities are precious to Christ. Hence, we believe that strong, gospel-centred churches are key to lasting change, and that they need focused support.
 
supporting council estate churches

Pastors

supporting council estate churches

Church Members

Family Retreats

Resources for Gospel Ministry in Working-Class Communities

One of the aims of Medhurst Ministries is to help equip local churches, Christians, and leaders with contextualised theological resources, training, and practical tools. Consequently, we developed the In Context Website, shaped by and for those living and ministering on council estates.
supporting churches on council estates

Podcast

supporting churches on council estates

Blog

in context video council estate ministry medhurst ministries

Video

Help Make a Difference

Can you help Medhurst Ministries make a difference by supporting our ministry?

Follow the links below if you feel you can support us through prayer, financial giving or joining us on the ground?

pray for council estates

PRAY

Encourage us by asking God to build His church in the UK council estates.

Give Financially to Council estate Ministry

GIVE

Help us by giving financially so the lost can have access to gospel churches.

COME

Join us on the ground for a visit or to serve on a council estate.

Why We’re Called Medhurst Ministries

Thomas Medhurst was a working-class rope maker who came to faith under the preaching of Charles Haddon Spurgeon in 1855. Soon after his conversion, Medhurst began preaching the gospel in some of the poorest communities of Victorian London.

Although his preaching bore fruit, he faced opposition from members of his church. Some believed Medhurst would bring disgrace to the gospel, as he was uneducated and working-class.
 

Despite this opposition, Spurgeon recognised Medhurst’s calling and ensured he received training, care, and theological formation. That decision led to the founding of the Pastors’ College, which went on to train hundreds of working-class preachers to reach working-class communities.

Therefore, we chose Medhurst’s name because his story captures our conviction: God calls ordinary people to proclaim an extraordinary gospel. And the church must be willing to recognise, train, and release them.

 

Why Medhurst? C. H. Spurgeon & Council Estate Ministry in the UK
Thomas Medhurst

The Importance of Council Estate Ministry

supporting council estate churches

Across the UK, many council estates have little meaningful access to the gospel. This is not because people are uninterested. Rather, there are few churches and Christians rooted in these communities.

Even where believers are present, estate ministry is rarely recognised as cross-cultural. Sharing the gospel faithfully requires deep understanding of working-class life, culture, and daily realities.

Over time, many churches have withdrawn from these areas. Meanwhile, social mobility has drawn Christians away. As a result, there is now a shortage of workers who combine theological depth with lived estate experience.