Hello! My name is Michael Ives. I am a Home Missionary serving the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Rhode Island and a graduate of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. In this blog, I focus on the history, theory, and contemporary applicability of the parish model for church extension, as well as all topics under the theme of the cure of souls.
The title ‘West Port Experiment’ refers to the efforts of Dr. Thomas Chalmers in the late 1840s who, after leaving the endowments of the establishment in the Disruption of 1843, implemented his cherished parish model of church extension and paternalistic philanthropy in one of the worst slums of industialized Edinburgh. Chalmers’ Territorial Church in the West Port stands as a kind of monument to the adaptability of the old parish plan in a new social, economic, and political context and to the complementarity of Christian vision and practical experimentation.
To read an introduction on Chalmers’ parish theory, feel free to read a paper that I’ve written:
And if you would ever like to write me, please feel free – especially if you have some constructive criticism that could help shape my thinking. Contact me.
