A City of God

A theme that runs throughout the Bible is the concept of the “City of God.” Found from Genesis to Revelation, it is a set of ideas that affirms the goodness of the original created order and of God’s covenant to renew and restore what was fallen, both in matter and mankind in and through His Son, Jesus Christ. This biblical concept has driven some Christians throughout history to labor for the redemption of city and citizen. One of those was the early 19th century Scottish minister, Thomas Chalmers.

A polymath, Chalmers’ interests and expertise ranged from astronomy, chemistry, and mathematics to political and social theory. Entering the ministry of the Church of Scotland in 1803, he experienced an evangelical conversion in 1810. In 1815 he accepted a call to the Tron church in central Glasgow. Following a series of midweek sermons on Astronomy and Christian faith, his reputation was on the ascent. Wherever he preached in London and Edinburgh he drew large crowds. While his popularity soared, he felt the weight of civic responsibilities and a growing concern that his middle-class congregation was not touching urban poverty. When the Glasgow City Council erected the new parish of St John’s (with about 12,000 in population), he was able to secure permission to experiment in this newest (and poorest) parish with the relief and uplift of the poor within its bounds.

St John’s was divided into “proportions,” or districts. Chalmers sought to make a visit with each person in the parish within the first couple of years to make assessment of the situation and needs. With his elders, deacons and Sunday School teachers, systematic home visits were made. From their assessment of the needs of the parish, schools and vocational training institutes were established (with the poor paying at least something for their tuition and books). In order to keep poor-relief within the funds available from church offerings, the deacons were careful with the aid they distributed. Similar to the German Elberfeld system, neighborhood volunteer helpers and the church deacons investigated each case and sought out first resources from families, friends, and neighbors of those applying. Once those means were exhausted had need of supplement, would help from the parish be considered. Chalmers sought to inculcate a conscience for mercy ministry on the part of his parishioners, rich and poor. He taught that all should give something. For eighteen years the parish poor were sustained by the assistance of the families, friends, neighborhoods, and church of the parish of St. John’s.

Such ministry is still ongoing today around the world. One such example is Peru Mission (perumission.org). Seeking to put down deep roots into the communities where God has placed them, the workers of the mission preach to, catechize, and assume the pastoral care of all the people who live in a given neighborhood. The mission regards it as an integral and very practical effort that supports and advances the other aspects of their ministry. Teaching a congregation to have a conscience for mercy ministry, and how to implement this wisely and usefully, is not always easy, but it is made a major priority. The mission’s diaconal ministry includes relief, medical clinics, Christian schools, and strategic economic development, all within the context of a local parish.

While the “St. John’s experiment” was not a success in all regards, it did bring to the people of the city of Glasgow and around the world an understanding that the the best means of taking care of the poor was not a blind government handout, but a community- and neighborhood-based, personal relationship of caring.