"We have activities in all
three of these areas: ultimately
our vision is to have a fully-
fledged Jesus Army household
in each area. At the moment we
have an active cell group in each
area; we get together on Sundays
at our Jesus Army Centre which
is slap-bang in the middle of
Manchester."
The Manchester Jesus Army
Centre is actually the old Ragged
School Mission, a characterful
(and slightly ragged!) venue,
just round the corner from the
city’s main drag. The building is
owned by a trust of which Chris
is a member. The Jesus Army rent
parts of it, sharing with various
other organisations – including
a little Christian school – though
the lion’s share of the building’s
use is Jesus Army. The main hall
and an office are available to the
Jesus Army all week, the secondary
hall and kitchen, all weekend.
‘Curby’ and his wife and baby
daughter live in the adjoining
house and an mJa brother
(another Chris as it happens)
lives in the flat at the front of the
building.
“Sundays, in particular, are
packed with action,” says Chris.
“We have our morning meeting
– which usually has visitors – and
then we all have lunch together:
sometimes up to 90 people. Our
clothing store is open in the afternoon
and evangelists go out into
town. In the evening, we have a
fellowship meal with testimonies and the gospel.
“Last Sunday morning, we
prayed for a brother’s mother
who was very ill in hospital in
Pakistan. When the family rang
him in the evening, they were
praising God: the mother had
received complete healing.”