Redeeming Our Communities Case Study 1: Bell Farm

 

 

In the 1990's juvenile crime began to increase significantly on the Bell Farm estate. With a population of four thousand, a group of local young people decided that the area would be “their patch” to dominate. They began harassing shopkeepers, and intimidating local residents. Finally it escalated in to violence; young people prevented cars from driving down certain roads by standing on the roundabouts and jumping out in front of vehicles. They vandalised cars, set them on fire, threw bricks through house and church building windows and even made death threats.

 

The church community tried to resist the oppression; the Local Authority was lobbied, and an Initiative Group aimed to find a response to the situation. But the church congregation began to recognise the spiritual battle occurring in the community, they began to pray.

 

Forty days of prayer and fasting were organised, and in the weeks leading up to this harassment and attacks were as strong as ever, police were frequently called. However, in the middle of the forty days, the attacks against the centre subsided. Tony Pilkington (Pastor of a congregation at Bell Farm) says, “Whereas before we could call the police to the centre several times in one week, in the year following the prayer and fasting we only called them twice.”

 

“After the forty days of prayer and fasting there was a really noticeable change in atmosphere. Whenever we used to return to the estate it was like there was a knot in your stomach, the oppression was almost smothering. There's no longer that feeling now.”

 

As a specific answer to prayer, a Christian beat officer was appointed for the Bell Farm estate! “He became a tremendous support to us, as a church, and to many of us individually,” says Tony, “and this was so clearly a blessing from God. It provided a very important personal link with the local police and the officer was able to support us in so many ways. We were also able to support the police and we began to pray for them.”

 

Prayer alongside action became a vital part of counteracting the intimidation. At one point a small group met every evening for a week to prayer walk around the road where the main gang members lived. On the final evening, four groups stood on the corners surrounding the road and prayed. As they left some young people approached them and asked what they were doing. They shared that they were praying and the young people said: “Will you pray for us?”

 

Bell Farm Christian Centre became recognised by representatives from other agencies from other agencies as having a role to play in responding to the needs of the local community. Tony comments; “Bell Farm Church was the only community building and group functioning on the estate.” It was due to the strong reputation, relationships and respect that the Bell Farm community had built up at all levels, from local people to police officers and council executives.

 

What began as verbal abuse became sustained violence to people and property until ultimately the ring leaders were imprisoned and one family was evicted from the estate. The power of God through prayer has transformed this community.