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Cambridge (UK) Methodist Circuit | |
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Northstowe The Vision of The Methodist Church
Northstowe will eventually be a new town, built on a green-field site, of some 20-25,000 people. Although the timetable for building has been thrown into total confusion by the credit crunch and its ramifications, it will happen.
Northstowe will be built in the fields between Oakington and Longstanton, to the north of Cambridge. At present, there is the Oakington Immigration Removal Centre at the ex-RAF station at the centre of the site.
The main contractor is Gallagher.
The main planning application has gone in, and the amendments are due around Christmas 2008.
A new and revolutionary public transport system that will link Northstowe to Cambridge along the route of the old railway. It is already half constructed.
Oversight of the Christian initiative lies with the Cambridgeshire Ecumenical Council (CEC), the intermediate body relating to Churches Together in England.
The planning application envisages three community hubs in Northstowe. The second, Hub 2, is designated to be managed on behalf of the entire community by the faith community. As no faith community other than the Christians have declared an interest, this responsibility devolves onto the CEC. Hub2 will be triggered when a given number of houses have been completed. Hub2 will be the primary focus of ecumenical Christian activity in Northstowe.
Northstowe is too large for one centre of Christian worship and mission to be sufficient. Accordingly, each denomination is encouraged to develop its own mission in parallel with Hub2.
It means that from September 2009, Cambridge Methodist Circuit will designate an ordained minister (a ‘Pioneer Minister’) to work exclusively on new initiatives in and around Northstowe, and to be on site even before the first house is started. This minister will also work in the neighbouring villages of Oakington and Cottenham.
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