Counties Evangelist Martin Korchinsky shares how setting up an AA group at his church provided an opportunity to share God’s love, culminating in a joyful wedding celebration.

Martin & Angie Korchinsky

Martin is the pastor of Brinnington Community Church, which is based on a housing estate in Stockport. He preaches and runs youth clubs, drop-ins, and a food bank, plus Neighbourhood Chaplains and various mission weeks in the local area. Martin is married to Angie with three grown-up children and two foster children and was introduced to Counties from the Church Planting Initiative.

The wedding of Michelle and Kev at Brinnington Commmunity Church

MARTIN’S STORY

What a blessing we had recently at Brinnington Community Church, in Stockport, when I was asked to conduct the wedding of a couple who attend and help to run the weekly AA meeting in our building.

Three years ago we helped Michelle set up the meeting on Wednesday evenings, rent-free, because of the great need we perceived in the community and town, at large, to help alcoholics in their recovery.

During Covid, many groups had stopped meeting and it was well documented that consumption of alcohol had skyrocketed during the same period.

The understanding was that if the group took off - as we suspected it would - they could donate from the collection. Our confidence was well placed, as over 40 people were in attendance within a few weeks!

Over the years, I have had many opportunities to give pastoral support and spiritual guidance to various members of the fellowship and Michelle and her partner Kev have recently joined the church on Sundays.

Michelle and Kev told me of their desire to put their relationship right before God and the world by being married and asked if I would do them the honour of conducting a Christian wedding service for them.

Of course I said yes!

They also said they would only have a few close friends in attendance and possibly some family members. 

Long term alcoholism tends to destroy families and other relationships which can take a very long time to heal, even after sobriety is finally achieved. They estimated ten.

God had other plans though. Church volunteers worked hard to deck out the church - word spread quickly around AA fellowships and in the end the service was a wonderful, joyous occasion with about 70 guests in attendance - including long estranged family members!

The couple were thrilled, the Gospel was preached, and the whole event had a redemptive feel about it. The bride’s best friend, who gave her away on the day, was an older lady who looked out over the well dressed and completely sober congregation, with a tear in her eye and told me: "I saw most of these people when they were at their worst, some literally in the gutter, and some lower than that trying to reach the gutter. Look at them all now - I am so proud of them.”

Myself and other members of the church were lavished with thanks for such a lovely service and told: "I never knew church could be like this! There's a good feeling here I've never had before. What is it?”

Well as you can imagine that started a whole new conversation!