Worshipping to a new beat 

How a north London Baptist church is connecting with its neighbourhood's links to the creative arts

Heath Street Baptist Church in Hampstead, London, looks forward to hosting the concert ‘Found in Translation’, on 21 October.

Found in Translation is a unique concert celebrating the global diversity of sacred music. Presented by Zimbabwean vocalist and mbira virtuoso John Pfumojena and American pianist Delvyn Case, the concert features brand-new arrangements of hymns, gospel songs, and spirituals that draw on African, classical, folk, and popular genres.

Recently presented at Canterbury Cathedral, Methodist Central Hall, Exeter College (Oxford), and the London School of Theology, 'this one-of-a-kind event will demonstrate the extraordinary power of sacred music to bring joy and hope to all,' states the church on its website.

Hosting such concerts is not new to the congregation at Heath Street. With regular events including poetry and music, the building is often filled with creativity.

This heart for connecting with the arts began around a decade ago, when the church began to explore a more contextual mission approach. The church realised there was an opportunity to embrace the 'bohemian attitude' of traditional stereotypes in Hampstead - from Billy Idol and Dame Agatha Christie to John Keats, many in the creative arts have found themselves a home there.

“Part of the call we are trying to respond to," explains Ewan King, minister of Heath Street Baptist Church, "is to stand up for the eccentric creativity that has been part of the DNA of the area.”

With a passion for music, the church started, and continues to host a variety of musical events from many genres, such as Found in Translation, for which entry is free.

Other activities include Sacred Harp Singing, an old a cappella hymn-singing tradition from the American South, as well as Old Time Nursery, which introduces old melodies and traditional stories accompanied by a variety of instruments such as banjo, guitar, and accordion.  

The love of creativity and passion towards supporting artists doesn't just stay in the concerts. It has developed into being a core aspect of Sunday morning worship, and the importance of music throughout the week has only grown for the congregation.

Ewan explained that some weeks worship on Sunday mornings can look more traditional, with hymns accompanied by an organ; however, other weeks can feature singers trained in Lebanon leading the congregation in ancient Christian chants.  

The celebration of cultures and music allows the church to "play with worship", according to Ewan, and has given them a wider understanding of who God is. It is also in keeping with the history of the church.

"From our foundation in 1861 to the present day, our desire has been to see strangers transformed into a community, and neighbours working together to transform the world," the Heath Street website states. "Our community is founded on our common desire to love God, serve our neighbourhood, and follow Jesus Christ.

"The church stands halfway between Hampstead High Street and the famous Heath. Like the Heath, our church stands as a place of beauty, tranquillity and reality in the heart of busy London."

For Heath Street Baptist Church, embracing the tradition of creativity in Hampstead is leading the congregation to learn to worship with a new beat that reflects the cultures on its doorstep.