Gather is the name of a church unity movement in the UK led by my friend, Roger Sutton. He recently said, “We have just entered the post secular age.” God has quietly been bringing Christians together in unity in the UK over the last 10 years and until Roger began to look for these leadership groups in cities, each one thought they were unique.
Roger was sent out by the Evangelical Alliance to look and see what God was doing in cities throughout Great Britain. So far, in every city he has explored, he has found a church unity movement praying for and serving the people of their city. (3 minute video of Roger Sutton further down in article.)

The Sunset of Secular Welfare & the Rise of Church Unity

The people of God in unity serving the people of each town or city comes as the sun sets on much of the secular welfare system in the UK. Due to the financial crisis of the last 5 years, the British government has instituted austerity measures which drastically cut back government services. However, central to the mission of the church throughout history is compassion for the poor. In many cities, the church is coming to the aid of those in need.
It’s a story that has flown under the radar. Good news doesn’t sell in age of our market-driven media. Yet, it is very good news that the churches in towns and cities are coming together and that their sense of mission is being rekindled as a result.
Roger spoke at our City Advance 2013 in New York City at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, Oct. 9. I caught 3 minutes of his talk on my iPhone video. It’s here so you can hear from him yourself.