About Us
Who We Are
We exist to see the spiritual, social, economic and ecological transformation of the Black Country.
Listening to God
We believe we need to corporately listen to the voice of God as He speaks to the Body of Christ in our region. We do not claim to have the monopoly on the mind of Christ but believe that God has created a relational foundational network that spans decades into which He has spoken time and again and will do in the future. We believe part of our role is to continue to listen to God and obey His word. We value the prophetic in its broadest sense as it brings challenge and energises us towards a different future.
Working together
We believe that where God’s people live in unity they enjoy His blessing and life. Love Black Country exists to encourage this quality of unity by facilitating a network that spans denominations, backgrounds, age-groups, ethnicity and gender. We believe by leading collaboratively and harnessing collective effort we are better placed to reach the people living in our region with the Gospel.
Pursuing transformation
We believe that the heart of God for our region is transformation in its widest sense. We long to see a move of God that impacts and transforms the spiritual, social, economic and ecological well-being of our region. We believe transformation is about more than individual congregations prospering. It is also about neighbourhoods and cities whose values and institutions have been overrun by the grace of God. A society and culture so impacted by the Kingdom of God that we see homelessness decline, addictions broken, crime-rates drop, unemployment fall, communities prosper, families nurtured, children thrive, young people fulfilling their potential, old-people honoured and cared for, loneliness eradicated, broken-hearts healed and kingdom values passed on to a future generation.
what we believe
Love Black Country are members of the Evangelical Alliance and as such, align to their Basis of Faith which can be found here.
Our History
The following video, produced a number of years ago now, helps to provide you with a brief glimpse of our history and the heartbeat that gets us up in the morning to continue teaming with our fellow “oxen” and keep ploughing…
Our Team
Staff Team
Love Black Country is proud to be investing in people and releasing them to serve the Body of Christ in our region.
Linsey Wildsmith
Communications Manager
Linsey first joined Love Black Country when it was known as The Net, back in 2000, helping to pioneer the youth network Bridge Builders, the local youth mission Revolution and the 020 events aimed at those in their 20s-30s. After spending 10 years as a Media and Comms lecturer, Linsey joined Love Black Country in January 2015. She is responsible for helping to communicate what God is doing across the Love Black Country network. Linsey is married to Matt and they have two boys. She loves good coffee, running and baking goodies with her boys.
Ben Harris
Love Sandwell Next Gen Champion
Ben is from West Bromwich and works part-time with Love Sandwell to network between Christian children's and youth workers in Sandwell. His role involves building relational links between those with a heart for the next generation in churches across the borough of Sandwell and facilitating space to dream and plan for the future of the next generation in the borough. Ben is also a school teacher and a talented artist who enjoys painting, watching Netflix and eating vanilla ice-cream. You can find out more about the "Next Gen Bens" here.
Deb Chamberlain
Next Gen Champion
Deb joined Love Black Country in September 2018 as our Next Gen Champion. A primary school teacher for many years, Deb left her career to become Children’s Pastor for Arise Church, Kingswinford in 2011. During that time, she built a network of relationships with other children’s workers in the Dudley borough before sensing the call of God to join the Love Black Country team to develop and broaden a network of youth and children’s workers across the Black Country. Deb is married to Adam and they have three children. She loves watching films with her family and drinking coffee with friends.
Ben Butterfield
Love Walsall Next Gen Champion
Ben is from Walsall and works part-time as our Love Walsall Next Gen Champion. Ben is a youth worker and a school teacher and is passionate about seeing young Christian live with purpose and hope. Ben helps to network between Christian children's and youth workers across the borough of Walsall and also heads up Love Walsall Big Youth. Ben enjoys kebabs, Viennetta and spending time with his family and friends. You can find out more about the "Next Gen Bens" here.
Dave Hadley
Communications Support
Dave works part-time with Love Black Country, supporting our digital communications. A technical whizz, he helps to create digital media within the network. Dave is married to Lynda and they have one son. He loves travelling, Dungeons and Dragons and takeaway pizza.
Core Team
Our Core Team oversees the network and is made up of Church, Third Sector and Business Leaders from across the region.
Deb Chamberlain
Arise Church, Kingswinford
Paul Chamberlain
Arise Church, Kingswinford
John Cook
Amblecote Christian Centre, Stourbridge
Kevin Davis
Church at Junction 10, Walsall
Tim Fellows
Amblecote Christian Centre, Stourbridge
Jon Grant
Bethel Church, Oldbury
Matt Nott
Kings Community Church, Oldbury
Ian Poole
Bushbury Parish Church, Wolverhampton
Tim Summersby
Walsall Community Church, Walsall
Linsey Wildsmith
Springs Church, Gornal