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A Very Present Help
Added: (Thu May 05 2005)
When the going gets tough, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) gets going. And when niggling problems take the joy out of life and simply won’t go away, this down-to-earth Pentecostal church is still on hand to help.
A recent example of the heart-rending cases that are helped by the church’s pastors and volunteers concerned a South African lady. ‘B’, as we’ll call her, was struggling to cope with problems related to unsatisfactory employment, accommodation, health and immigration earlier this year.
‘B’ was alone and in hospital with no family in the UK to give her emotional and practical support at the time she was befriended by UCKG. A volunteer lovingly filled the gap and was on hand to help her cope when she was diagnosed as being HIV positive.
Bishop Cardoso, who heads UCKG in Britain, personally directed enquiries with immigration and the NHS to try to ascertain if ‘B’ could stay in the UK and benefit from better healthcare than might be available to her back home. ‘B’ was supported through prayer and practical help for several months until she eventually felt stronger and decided to return to her family.
This case exemplifies the whole ethos of UCKG, which opens its arms to those who are sorely tried and helps them towards happy and fulfilled lives. The church was formed in Brazil in 1977 and is now actively in some 90 countries. It reached the UK in 1995 and has gone from strength to strength, providing support and spreading the Christian faith.
London and the regions
UCKG’s acquired the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park as its headquarters in 1996. Its branch churches and ‘special works’ are spread right across London and out to Luton, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Manchester. The property department headed by Pastor Paul Hill is very actively seeking disused buildings suitable for conversion into new churches. Subject to planning consents it will open four additional churches in the UK this year.
‘Special works’ are new churches in the making. Operating from hired premises, they are open for shorter hours and do not offer quite such a wide range of services as a fully fledged UCKG church.
UCKG keeps its churches open seven days a week and holds four services every day. Bishop Renato Cardoso says: ”Our mission is to help people discover their potential, live life to the full, here as well as hereafter, and to connect to God directly, so we are available 24/7. Anyone seeking prayer, support or just a kindly word can pop in at any time and immediately get the help they need.”
The problems that people bring to UCKG often respond to practical help, as with those who are disadvantaged in the jobs market for a variety of reasons. UCKG runs its main training centre at Finsbury Park, and additional facilities at Croydon and Kilburn. These centres help people struggling with problems linked to poor English, a lack of formal education or skills, or simply needing advice on preparing a CV and handling interviews.
Training and work
Training centre manager Mrs Kim Powell said: “Entering a college can be daunting for anyone who has been out of education for a number of years, especially if they didn’t do well at school in the first place. By coming to one of our training centres, there is a chance to catch up on basic skills and gain nationally recognised qualifications in a supportive environment.”
The church works closely with local Job Centres. Not only can trainees can meet with employment experts in the familiar environment of the training centre, they also have ready access to training centre personnel. Ambitious students can even get advice on setting up in business for themselves.
At the spiritual level UCKG serves its local communities through focused church services that seeking God’s help with particular challenges through prayer. There is also one to one counselling and support, a 24-hour telephone helpline, managed by church member Mrs Julie Tedeschi in association with the church’s pastors and assistant pastors, youth and seniors groups and more.
Whatever the problem…
Pastors and trained volunteers expect to deal with a wide range of issues with a mix of prayer and common sense. Family matters, the problems of growing up in a highly material society, relationships, loneliness and other problems associated with old age or family break-ups, through to money matters and spiritual problems are all included.
As Bishop Renato Cardoso explains: “We aim to address the needs of body, soul and spirit which UCKG defines as the human trinity. We believe that finding the balance between them and meeting each need is the secret of a happy life and we also believe people are entitled to be happy although the reality is often otherwise.
“Our faith is that if the Lord Jesus Christ has already suffered for us and borne all our burdens, why then should we suffer? We encourage people to rise up against misery, sin, pain, failures, and suffering. We have seen how the work of the Holy Spirit within the church restores lives.
“In our churches thousands of people testify about their healings, financial blessings, family reconciliation and transformation of character. Seeing people changing their lives for the better and committing themselves to God makes our work very rewarding,” he concluded.
ENDS