St Paul's Church, Withnell

I briefly visited St Paul’s Church at Withnell this spring. I was told it attracted a good crowd which immediately informs me it is not liberal in its theology. Sure enough, its website states:

We are a friendly evangelical church in Withnell, near Chorley in Lancashire.  As those seeking to love and follow Jesus Christ, we welcome people from all walks of life and wherever you are from. We believe that in the Bible God speaks a message of hope and forgiveness that is life-giving and life-changing.

I could find little online information about the building, and it was kept locked, sadly. The Church of England’s generic website which lists its churches claims it is 'Victorian/Pre-War' which I found a bit vague. Judging by its peculiar, geometric tower, and tall, rounded arches, I would approximate it to 1830, though better informed readers will doubtless enjoy offering correction.

It evidently has a gallery (which the later Victorians tended to remove) from which a fire escape is provided against the north wall, out of one of the tall, rounded windows. Although I have seen uglier examples, it does spoil the symmetry somewhat. Yet a great comfort it must provide to those users of the gallery that they may depart quickly in the event of emergency.

In one respect, every Bible-preaching church is a fire escape, offering sanctuary to those who know of their sins’ inevitable condemnation and the hell to which they shall one day be consigned. Jude writes in 1:23

And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

Yet we primarily point people to heaven, or rather, to Christ who makes heaven heavenly. Samuel Rutherford said:

“O my Lord Jesus Christ, if I could be in heaven without thee, it would be a hell; and if I could be in hell, and have thee still, it would be a heaven to me, for thou art all the heaven I want.”

Whether we focus our mission on diverting people from hell, or lifting them to heaven, may we always point to the Lord Jesus Christ, who saves us from the former and prepares for us the latter.