Handsworth Contextual Theology Project

Mission and Ministry must be rooted and lived out in context. All candidates training for ordained ministry have the opportunity to spend a term in a house close to the Soho Road in Handsworth, Birmingham as their major Placement.  Handsworth is an inner city, multi-faith and multicultural part of Birmingham and an excellent context for reflection on mission and ministry. The house is the Vicarage of St Michael’s Church, Handsworth and the vicar of the Parish, the Rev’d Dr Rowena Pailing, is the local Link tutor for the Project working. The project is an ecumenical one which involves Anglican parishes in Handsworth and the churches of the Methodist Asbury Circuit. The Superintendent of the Asbury Circuit, the Rev’d Helen Jobling is involved in supervision of Placements.  

The house is spacious; there are three good sized bedrooms for students, a large kitchen and dining room, sitting room and a top floor prayer room/Chapel. There are shops and many other facilities within a short walking distance of the house.

The area of Soho Road, Handsworth is the location for many worship centres for major world faiths such as Sikhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism as well as Churches from many different traditions particularly those of a black majority or black led congregations. Groups of international mission students use the house as a base for exploring Birmingham as a context for mission and ministry.