Medhurst Ministries is a collaborative of local churches working in council estates and hard places across the United Kingdom.
Medhurst Ministries is a network of churches and exists to take the gospel to the forgotten places of the United Kingdom. The board of Medhurst Ministries consists of experienced pastors and gospel workers who are ministering to communities in areas of deprivation with a vision to see at least 50 local churches that serve in areas of economic and spiritual poverty planted, revitalised and supported through the provision of training, grants, mentoring and resources.
It takes its name from Thomas Medhurst, the first student of Charles Spurgeon. Medhurst was a working-class convert of the ministry of Charles Spurgeon. Almost immediately after his conversion Medhurst took to the streets to preach the gospel. Sadly, rather than encouraging the largely middle-class members of Spurgeon’s church, the sight of this recently converted, uneducated, working-class man caused great concern and anger.
1888 – W T Medhurst right front. C H Spurgeon front centre left
The church members told Spurgeon that he must stop the preaching of Medhurst as his uneducated preaching would disgrace the gospel. Spurgeon spoke with Medhurst about the concerns of the church, to which Medhurst responded, “If you want to stop me preaching, you will have to chop my head off!” On hearing this Spurgeon, decided that it would be better to train Medhurst than to chop his head off, and Spurgeons Bible College was born.
Medhurst ministries want to emulate the work of Spurgeon by supporting gospel work to and with those who, like Thomas Medhurst, are often overlooked, undervalued, and forgotten by the church.