Only God could do it! 

Grantham Wash was inducted to the pastorate of Hampton Wick Baptist Church on 23 November.
 
That doesn’t sound strange until you realise that HWBC has just eight members and a congregation of about 15, and our new minister was a youth pastor in an enormous church, preaching to hundreds each week, in California…  Now only God could do that!

 
Two groups of people, miles apart, came together. This young man, Grantham, came to Kingston some years ago with other young people to experience mission in another country. 
 
Strangely, their organisation debrief was held at our church. It was during this time that Grantham received his call to ministry not realising then that he was actually visiting the church that he would later lead.
 
The church in Hampton Wick had been praying for some years for people to come over and help them.
 
The previous minister, having been a missionary overseas, wondered why people received a call to work in a foreign country but never heard a call to work with a small church just down the road. A paper was circulated called ‘A call to mission’ but there was no response.
 
Over the years HWBC had been told four times to close down as it appeared to be totally unviable, but one regular preacher described us as ‘a small church with a beating heart’. So we pressed on, praying for help, expecting it to come from one of the local churches. 
 
But no-one seemed to be listening! All we were asking for was someone with a mission heart and who felt called to serve with us. Gradually Grantham realised that his call was to the Kingston area, and we were put in touch with him.
 
Grantham flew over from California to preach with a view, along with another friend who was also going to be moving to London with his work, and his senior pastor. This was just the beginning of an amazing partnership. The church in California confirmed his call and are supporting us in many ways.
 
Only God could have done this and we are so excited to see what He will do in the days ahead.  Yes, God can do the impossible!

Grantham arrived on Friday 25 October and on the Sunday he baptised four people - one from England, one from the Middle East, one from Ghana, and one from Zimbabwe. A truly international event!

Sandra Kimber is secretary of Hampton Wick Baptist Church