WE LEARNT FROM THE POOR
The Jesus Fellowship is a church of the poor. Jesus Fellowship apostolic leader, Kelly Bartholomew, describes how principles of justice, equality and simplicity have been woven into the church.

MY OWN personal moment of truth about poverty came when I took my mum and dad to my old church. They found it so difficult that the leaders drove off in their big cars while their congregation was left queuing in the rain waiting for a bus. I couldn't argue with what they said and soon after I found this church and moved to be part of it.

The Jesus Fellowship is a church for the poor. If we weren't, we'd soon lose our rootedness in Jesus and His affinity with everyday people. Our doors must stay open to all, otherwise we'd quickly become those who live in ivory towers. Sadly, today, most people's view of "church" is that it's made up of rich people gathering to observe some sort of ritual - so they dismiss it as irrelevant.

Our ministry to the poor began as soon as the Holy Spirit birthed our church in 1969. The first requirement of anything apostolic - whether it's a person or a church - is to "hold the truth as taught." Whether you first hear it from a man, or in your own heart or direct from God, through the prophetic word you see the kingdom and then you have to live it out - with determination.

The prophetic word about poverty found an echo within us in those early days. Generosity and sharing started as soon as the Holy Spirit came to us.

The first step that the Holy Spirit showed us was that we ourselves needed to become "poor". In those early days we were a small Baptist congregation in a village chapel in Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire. We heard the Holy Spirit telling us clearly: "Before you go out to seek souls you need to 'build the Body'". For the first few years the prophetic call was all about getting rid of our individualistic self-righteousness so that we could do that.

The Holy Spirit taught us that the uniqueness of being God's people is that it eclipses all the natural culture of ambition, status, race or class divisions. Among the early characters who joined us were some - mainly hippies and drug-users - who made us realise that they were more "scriptural" than we were! The 60s hippie movement caught something of rebellion against materialism. We, as a church, wanted true love and justice - so their simple, sharing lifestyle echoed with us. They exposed the self-righteousness and self-sufficiency within the rest of us mainly middle-class churchgoers. We learnt from the poor the dangers of the conveyor-belt of status and wealth which is so false. Even though when they first arrived they were into Krishna or whatever they showed a level of sharing among themselves that challenged us. When we saw their genuineness as they found Jesus we were convicted. They were completely out front about their new faith.

We were people who loved each other and loved the church so we started to get to grips with becoming of one heart. One of the first things was to face up to the class distinctions among us. We all went away together for a church retreat and it got very practical. Those who wore kaftans swapped them with people who wore suits and vice versa. That brought home to us how much we live in an "image". The Holy Spirit also began showing us the power that belongings held over us; how in society everyone wanted a better car, a better home - and lived for that. We saw the folly of it all - it's all so meaningless.

So, as a church, bit by bit, as God showed us how to do it, we became "the poor".

Professional people sold all and put the proceeds into the collection. One architect with a practice and a big house - he sold the lot. It wasn't just given "to the church" in some abstract sort of way: it was given to each other. It was a very levelling experience. We couldn't wait to get rid of stuff because possessions created such barriers between us. I was self-employed, had a nice house, a car and three building plots which I sold off. I never found it difficult.

I think we've done what the Holy Spirit told us to do. The insistence on justice was essential for our core values. I believe if we'd fudged that issue God wouldn't have blessed us as He has. Acts 2 is inclusive: "All were together and had everything in common". We knew that to be in, we all needed to be in - no half measures. I think we've maintained that integrity. New Creation Christian Community is central to that.

And today? Well, in Jesus' day the family would have been the main source of security so I guess when He talked about "the poor" He'd have been talking about those who lived outside a secure family - like widows and orphans, lepers, beggars.

In the 21st century, my definition of "poverty", based on my experience, is that it means those who have no opportunity to escape the inevitable degradation of powerlessness. You can't just say, today, "the poor" are people who haven't had a nuclear family. That's too sweeping. It's more likely to be, for instance, people who've been brought up in that environment where everyone around them has been on the dole. If you're talking about issues that have led to people being "the poor" in the UK in the 21st century then you'd have to say that the "Nanny State" has a lot to answer for. The values of the "old poor" who looked out for each other are becoming harder to find because, today, "someone else" - the State - will do it.

So people expect to take and not to pay any price. Part of our ministry to the poor is to turn this mindset around. We've got gangs around us who've never seen the need to work, but when they've come among us and worked with us they've found they've enjoyed work as something that's very different from how they've seen "work" before. Gradually we've seen the "taking, consuming" attitude becomes a "contributing" attitude.

To put it another way: one of the most rewarding aspects about the gospel is that with it we carry God's power so that "the losers" become winners. "Takers" become "givers".

The early Salvation Army would bring some of the poorest and most afflicted people into such powerful conversion that two years later they were church leaders! We're dealing with a different culture - the drug culture and the lack of industry culture and the resultant lack of self-respect - but we find the same transformation taking place.

Because, as God's people, we disentangled ourselves from the values of the material world and all its falseness it's meant that the poor find a place with us. Because our poverty is voluntary and intentional it carries credibility among the poor. I guess we're easy to relate to because of our simplicity which means our basic standards don't present an ostentatious barrier. They find genuineness among us. It's come from a prophetic sight of the falseness, the transience, of wealth, status and fashion. I often think we're more basic than them in a sense - some "poor" kids we know can't cope with our simple, wholesome meals: they'll stop at the shop and get Pot Noodles before coming to lunch with us!

Our first generation paid a big price. That's brought us so far - nearly 40 years. And it's my joy to see the next generation is just as generally convinced of the need for social justice as we were. We'll continue to be a church of the poor.

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