Brief History

1998

Commission
Simon Pettit, who died in January 2005 but in 1998 was then leading Jubilee Church in Cape Town and bringing apostolic oversight to many Newfrontiers churches in Africa, spoke a prophetic message to our Leadership Conference in Brighton UK. ‘If we are going to see a great end-time revival, if we are going to see the masses swept into the church, we must remember the poor. We must.' As he preached about ministry with the poor being an apostolic injunction from Gal 2:10 all who heard knew that God was telling us to be more active in our involvement with the poor.

2000

Act 2000
A millennium initiative to develop models of ‘good practice' in a variety of ministries in the UK. Introductory Guides were created and are still available (see Resources, to the left).

2001

The Act Together Initiative
This had the aim of facilitating churches around the world through advice and networking, and of exposing and mobilising people to effective mission.

2004

Task Team for Strategy with the Poor
Initially led by Simon Pettit this is now led by Steve Oliver who is based in Clarens in South Africa.

A mandate has been developed:
To devise a strategy which will ensure that throughout the Newfrontiers worldwide family of churches the injunction 'to remember the poor' is fulfilled to the best of our ability.

More specifically this means:

• To develop a clearer theology on issues relating to the poor
• To propose ways and means to help apostolic teams to understand and embrace more fully God's heart for the poor and then demonstrate it by

• Integrating ministry to the poor into their Kingdom extension/church planting/reaching new nations initiatives
• Establishing ministry to the poor as an essential foundational feature of every church's life
• Releasing the poor from the evil effects of poverty but also empowering them to participate as co-equal members of the body of Christ in its life, ministry and mission to the nations.
  

• To produce guidelines/principles/values with respect to practical aspects of ministry to the poor with reference to good working models that will help apostolic teams, church leaders and practitioners to engage in a godly and effective way with the poor.