0:00:02 > 0:00:06This week on Songs Of Praise I'm in my home city of Birmingham,
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and as part of the BBC's "Black and British" season,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12I'll be discovering how one black Christian couple from the Midlands
0:00:12 > 0:00:17ended up launching a whole new Christian denomination.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20And we hear about the challenges they faced in the early days.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26When I arrived in this country, we were not welcome.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Nevertheless, there was no place in me to have any hatred.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33We hear how a charity funded by Children In Need
0:00:33 > 0:00:36supported a bereaved family.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39I like St Giles. They help me.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41They helped my daddy as well.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45And it's Stir-up Sunday and I'm going to be stirring up
0:00:45 > 0:00:47a Christmas pudding with a star baker.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Benjamina, you are Star Baker.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05This week we'll be enjoying hymns old and new from across the country.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Leicester, Cheltenham, Southampton and here in Birmingham.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And we'll be paying a special tribute to songwriter Leonard Cohen
0:01:13 > 0:01:16with the help of Alexandra Burke.
0:01:16 > 0:01:23# Hallelujah. #
0:01:27 > 0:01:31But it's in Leicester we start, with an uplifting Gospel hymn.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Following the postwar invitation from the government,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Caribbean families began to settle in Britain.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Many, including the Lyseight family who arrived in 1951,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34found some of the white British congregations
0:04:34 > 0:04:36were less than welcoming.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41We discovered some were saying they had been to other places
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and they were not welcome.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49Nevertheless, this did not allow us to have any animosity
0:04:49 > 0:04:51against the folks.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54So there was no place in me to have any hatred
0:04:54 > 0:04:59because the Lord was leading us through all these situations.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05Rose's husband, Oliver, took matters into his own hands
0:05:05 > 0:05:08and in Wolverhampton he founded the UK branch
0:05:08 > 0:05:12of the American New Testament Church of God,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15inviting newly arrived families to join.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18He did the preaching and I did the singing.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Between 1953 to 1956 the church grew.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I mean, grew immensely.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34The congregation Oliver founded over 60 years ago
0:05:34 > 0:05:38is still thriving today and is known as Harvest Temple.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42It's one of a network of 130 churches across the country
0:05:42 > 0:05:44with over 30,000 members.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50How do you feel now about the fact that the denomination
0:05:50 > 0:05:52is all over the country?
0:05:52 > 0:05:58When I look back and see now the expansion,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02the growth of this organisation,
0:06:02 > 0:06:07I am really amazed and this allows me to know how great God is.
0:06:08 > 0:06:13When Oliver died in 2006, the funeral attracted huge crowds
0:06:13 > 0:06:15eager to celebrate the life of a man
0:06:15 > 0:06:19who had brought a new Christian denomination to the UK.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23When we arrived I just realised how important my husband was.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27It was so beautifully done.
0:06:27 > 0:06:33# You are my hope
0:06:33 > 0:06:37# Hope like no other. #
0:06:40 > 0:06:43What do you think Oliver would think about the growth
0:06:43 > 0:06:45and the development of the church?
0:06:45 > 0:06:46Oh.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49He would fall off his chair!
0:06:51 > 0:06:53We are blessed.
0:06:53 > 0:06:59And honestly speaking, I am enjoying it to the fullness of my life
0:06:59 > 0:07:03and I give God all the praise and all the glory.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Friday was another spectacular night for BBC Children In Need
0:09:38 > 0:09:42and it's still not too late to play your part in the fundraising.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45But before I tell you how,
0:09:45 > 0:09:47let's meet a young family who received help.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52# I go before you always. #
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Father of three Mike Stanley was a successful singer-songwriter
0:09:56 > 0:09:58and appeared on Songs Of Praise.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04In December 2010 he was looking forward to spending Christmas
0:10:04 > 0:10:08with his wife and three young sons when suddenly he was taken ill.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13He was rushed into hospital. We didn't have any warning.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17There were no symptoms and we were told he had bowel cancer.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22I had three small boys at home.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I needed to try and look after them
0:10:24 > 0:10:28but I needed to try and look after Mike in hospital as well.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32It just felt like everything had come crashing down around us.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Mike was told his cancer was terminal and the family
0:10:37 > 0:10:40were referred to St Giles Hospice,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43who didn't just offer care for Mike.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46With the help of a grant from Children In Need,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49the hospice offers expert support and counselling to children
0:10:49 > 0:10:52and young people facing up to the loss of a loved one.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Without St Giles' support I don't know where I'd be.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00They helped us all through Mike's illness.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03They helped us during the last few days of Mike's life.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Mike passed away on the 6th of June 2013.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14It was so calm. It was really peaceful.
0:11:14 > 0:11:15Erm...
0:11:15 > 0:11:16Sorry.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22It was particularly difficult for Luke.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- That's a massive heart. - Who's in the middle?
0:11:25 > 0:11:27- Daddy.- Who's that?- Me.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Leaving a notebook for Luke to record his feelings in,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32with a note from Dad at the front,
0:11:32 > 0:11:35was one of the suggestions from the hospice team.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38This is your very own book to write down your thoughts
0:11:38 > 0:11:41and do your own drawings and describe your own feelings.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45I needed help with explaining things to the boys
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and they were really, really helpful.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51They gave me a lot of support in what to say.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Activities to do with them to help explain it more.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Mike did a memory box for each of us.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03He had things in there that Luke can now look at and remember his daddy.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06What was the song that he sang?
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Remember he wrote it for you, called My Child.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14# My child You are a gift from God. #
0:12:14 > 0:12:18My worry was that the support would end and it didn't.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21In fact, it grew even stronger.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25They offered a counsellor for me
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and the boys have got a counsellor who they just love.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31What does that remind you of with Daddy?
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- He liked to go to the beach. - He liked to go to the beach.
0:12:36 > 0:12:42I like St Giles. They helped me and they helped my daddy as well.
0:12:43 > 0:12:49So for Luke, I will continue to be as good a mum and dad that I can be.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52"Luke's memories of Daddy," and I've got a guitar and piano
0:12:52 > 0:12:54because he liked those instruments.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57With the help of St Giles, they've given me
0:12:57 > 0:13:01the courage and strength to know that I can still be
0:13:01 > 0:13:05a good mum and bring up my three boys as best I can.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09If you want to help children like Luke,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12you can find out how to donate at...
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Staying with that theme of Children In Need,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51you can still help us raise funds because the winning designs
0:15:51 > 0:15:53of our Christmas card competition are now on sale.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57All the details are on our website...
0:15:59 > 0:16:02And of course, proceeds go to Children In Need.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10Our next performance is a tribute to Leonard Cohen,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14who died last week, and whose most famous song, Hallelujah,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17was inspired by a story from the Bible.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22Alexandra Burke sang it for us at the Songs Of Praise Big Sing.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30# I heard there was a secret chord
0:16:30 > 0:16:34# That David played and it pleased the Lord
0:16:34 > 0:16:40# But you don't really care for music, do you?
0:16:42 > 0:16:46# Well, it goes like this - the fourth, the fifth
0:16:46 > 0:16:50# The minor fall and the major lift
0:16:50 > 0:16:56# The baffled king composing Hallelujah
0:16:56 > 0:16:59# Hallelujah
0:17:00 > 0:17:03# Hallelujah
0:17:04 > 0:17:07# Hallelujah
0:17:08 > 0:17:15# Hallelujah
0:17:21 > 0:17:25# Your faith was strong but you needed proof
0:17:25 > 0:17:29# You saw her bathing on the roof
0:17:29 > 0:17:37# Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya
0:17:37 > 0:17:41# She tied you to her kitchen chair
0:17:41 > 0:17:45# She broke your throne and she cut your hair
0:17:45 > 0:17:52# And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
0:17:52 > 0:17:55# Hallelujah
0:17:56 > 0:17:59# Hallelujah
0:18:00 > 0:18:03# Hallelujah
0:18:04 > 0:18:12# Hallelujah
0:18:26 > 0:18:29# Maybe there's a God above
0:18:29 > 0:18:34# But all I've ever learned from love
0:18:34 > 0:18:40# Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya
0:18:41 > 0:18:45# And it's not a cry that you hear at night
0:18:45 > 0:18:49# It's not somebody who's seen the light
0:18:49 > 0:18:57# It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
0:18:57 > 0:19:00# Oh-oh-oh
0:19:00 > 0:19:03# Hallelujah
0:19:05 > 0:19:08# Hallelujah
0:19:09 > 0:19:14# Hallelujah
0:19:15 > 0:19:18# Hallelujah
0:19:19 > 0:19:23# Oh-oh-oh
0:19:23 > 0:19:26# Hallelujah
0:19:26 > 0:19:34# Hallelujah
0:19:38 > 0:19:41# Hallelujah
0:19:42 > 0:19:50# Hallelujah. #
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Thank you. CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:20:01 > 0:20:03I know we've mentioned Christmas already,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05and it's still five weeks away,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08but the church calendar experts amongst you
0:20:08 > 0:20:10might know why today is a good day
0:20:10 > 0:20:13for Kate Bottley to do a spot of baking.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17It's Stir-up Sunday.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20These two are linked, and I've enlisted the help of a Star Baker
0:20:20 > 0:20:22to help me with my Christmas pudding.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- Hello!- Hi! - THEY LAUGH
0:20:27 > 0:20:29- Shall we do this?- Come on in. - Thanks, Benjamina.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32I have a nice job, I get to award Star Baker,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36and Paul and Mary have decided Benjamina, you are Star Baker.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Benjamina, I am so excited.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43I can't tell you what a massive Bake Off fan I am.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- Was it everything you hoped it would be?- It was crazy.- Yeah?
0:20:46 > 0:20:48You don't know what to expect.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51I mean, it was intense at times, don't get me wrong.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53It was really stressful, really exhausting.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55But it was such an amazing opportunity.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Breathe.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59It'll be all right.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01In the middle of all that nerves,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03in the middle of all that high-adrenaline stuff,
0:21:03 > 0:21:05what about your faith? How did that help?
0:21:05 > 0:21:08It really helped me to just keep calm.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10You're in the middle of it, it's not going right, you're like,
0:21:10 > 0:21:14- "Oh, my gosh!"- Yeah.- But that's when you can just say, "Lord, help me."
0:21:14 > 0:21:16- People were praying for you like crazy?- Oh, gosh.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- Church family were on it.- Fantastic. - So, you know, all the prayer.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23- So today is Stir-up Sunday.- Yeah. - What are we making today?
0:21:23 > 0:21:27- We are making a Christmas pudding. - Course we are!- Christmas pudding.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29- So we're going to start with our dry ingredients.- OK.- Yeah?
0:21:29 > 0:21:32So we've got some flour and we've got some suet and our breadcrumbs...
0:21:32 > 0:21:33- Can I start doing this? - Oh, mix, mix away.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- KATE GASPS - I can't believe I'm baking
0:21:35 > 0:21:37with someone from Bake Off!
0:21:37 > 0:21:40There's a special prayer in The Book Of Common Prayer
0:21:40 > 0:21:43which we say on this Sunday, that starts with the phrase...
0:21:44 > 0:21:47..and, in Victorian times, this prayer became...
0:21:47 > 0:21:49The traditional Sunday when you heard this prayer in church,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51you'd go straight from church, straight home
0:21:51 > 0:21:53and make your Christmas pudding.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54Thank you.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58I definitely just didn't lick my finger.
0:21:58 > 0:21:59THEY LAUGH
0:21:59 > 0:22:01So tell me about your church family.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- Oh, they are amazing. - They must love you.
0:22:04 > 0:22:05- SHE LAUGHS - I love them!
0:22:05 > 0:22:07And do you bake for church?
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Um, a little bit, little bit, yeah.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11Between you and me, we're unstoppable.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Your baking, my theology - we've got this, we've got this.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Amazing. Great team.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17There's a massive thing missing, though,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19and it's that huge bowl of dried fruit.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22- Dried fruit, which has been soaking in orange liqueur all night.- Has it?
0:22:22 > 0:22:26- All night.- Let me just try one of those raisins.- So, yeah, I hope so.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28'Tradition says that members of the family
0:22:28 > 0:22:30'would stir the pudding mixture from east to west
0:22:30 > 0:22:33'to remember the wise men that visited Jesus.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36'So Benjamina's called in her sister and her mum.'
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Well, I've always wanted to do this.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Here's one you made earlier!
0:22:40 > 0:22:42THEY LAUGH
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- Benjamina, that looks absolutely beautiful.- Oh, thank you.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47It's so gorgeous.
0:22:47 > 0:22:48I've got MY spoon.
0:22:48 > 0:22:49THEY LAUGH
0:22:49 > 0:22:52- Do you want to grab one and all dig in?- There we go.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55And it's not too late for you to have a go
0:22:55 > 0:22:57at making your own Christmas putting.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59If you go to the Songs Of Praise website,
0:22:59 > 0:23:01you can find Benjamina's recipe there.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02But now...
0:23:02 > 0:23:04the proof of the pudding's in the eating.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- So let's dig in. - Let's dig in.- Dig in.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Oh, it's really nice.
0:23:12 > 0:23:13- Mmm!- Really good.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58We heard earlier how the first black British church
0:25:58 > 0:26:00got off the ground in Wolverhampton.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Well, the story comes bang up-to-date here
0:26:02 > 0:26:04at Birmingham City Church.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08# At the mention of your greatness
0:26:08 > 0:26:11# In your name I will bow down... #
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Birmingham City Church started in the 1920s
0:26:14 > 0:26:18with a predominantly white congregation.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Now it's home to members representing 60 nationalities.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29We would say that our type of worship is active worship.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32It's done sincerely, it's done thoughtfully,
0:26:32 > 0:26:34but actually it is exuberant.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38So there's lots of actions and it seems outward in our service,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42but it comes from a deep inner conviction that,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45if we're going to live this, let's live it from a sincere heart.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48We're here to honour him first.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52Mark first found faith through the black church denomination
0:26:52 > 0:26:55we heard about earlier, the New Testament Church of God.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58They put foundations in my life.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02They gave me a framework of how to minister,
0:27:02 > 0:27:04they gave me a framework of how to welcome.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06Anyway, it's great to have you here.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10And I think that's carried through all my ministry, in that, now,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13we feel like we should welcome everybody to our church,
0:27:13 > 0:27:15no matter what race, creed they are.
0:27:16 > 0:27:21Over 50 years ago, that same welcome was extended to the Storrod family,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23the first black family to join.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28I can genuinely say we weren't categorised by our colour,
0:27:28 > 0:27:29we were just loved.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33And that love was colourless. It was just love.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35And that same love has threaded its way through
0:27:35 > 0:27:38to this generation and my generation, too.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41The diversity that we have here
0:27:41 > 0:27:43was something that the church envisaged back then.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46They said they wanted this church to be a multicultural church,
0:27:46 > 0:27:49a church where everyone can come and it embraces all things.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51I think we're really mirroring that now.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54So what does it feel like to be part of the church that is so diverse?
0:27:54 > 0:27:55Oh, it's awesome.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59It's family, and that's what God wants us to be, a family.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Cos he is our heavenly Father,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04and he wants us to be a family and to love one another.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07It's not a formula, it has to be a desire for unity,
0:28:07 > 0:28:11a desire for all things God and that's what you see here.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15And it works and it's awesome. So all are welcome.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Let's sing together - Lord, You Are Good.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:30:56 > 0:30:58It's almost time to go.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02Next week, Connie Fisher marks the start of the season of Advent
0:31:02 > 0:31:05with a life-changing story of giving and receiving.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09We'll hear how one man donated a kidney
0:31:09 > 0:31:12to save the life of someone at his church.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16And there's a brand-new Christmas song from Matt Redman.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19# How far... #
0:31:19 > 0:31:23This week, we've heard of growing churches and changed lives,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25and that's the theme of our final song.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29It was recorded in Southampton Central Hall.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37CHEERING AND APPLAUSE