Still good news for the poor?

Denominations are much quicker to close down churches based in poorer areas than those serving the rich. That’s the headline finding a report from the charity Church Action on Poverty, which scrutinised five denominations in Greater Manchester to examine what churches were shut down and where over the past decade. Is this indicative of a loss of faith in ministry to the poor, or just pragmatic economics? Why is British Christianity becoming ever more middle class and have we lost sight of the gospel bias towards the least, the last and the lost?

Our guests this week:

• Philip North, the Bishop of Burnley in the Church of England
• Eunice Attwood, the Methodist’s Church’s church at the margins officer
• Niall Cooper, the chief executive of Church Action on Poverty.