Belfast bookshop
The Evangelical Bookshop in Belfast has undergone an extensive refurbishment, investing in its future ministry despite the uncertain economic environment for bookshops.
Ever since the 1920s, when evangelical literature was scarce in the UK, the Evangelical Bookshop has circulated Bibles and reformed literature throughout the UK and Ireland.
Despite many changes — and a bomb blast in the 1970s — the trustees remain convinced of the shop’s value in serving the church and in her mission in the world.
So, while some Christian bookshop chains have had to close, leaving believers to find the most popular ‘Christian’ books on the internet, the Evangelical Bookshop door has remained open — and has even been replaced.
Customers have expressed delight with the bright, more spacious shop, the comfortable seating near the children’s books, and the newly constructed room for the second-hand section.
The building conforms to modern standards of access, health and safety and, as a bright, modern shop, is fit to serve the Lord’s people in this decade. There is also a new website planned, which will extend the ministry further.
The trustees are grateful to generous donors who enabled this work to be done, and to the volunteers who shifted more than 200 heavy boxes of books out of and back into the shop, while it was being refurbished.
Manager John Grier said, ‘It’s a great privilege to partner local churches in fulfilling their mission, as we serve individuals, ministers and churches with Christ-honouring books.
‘It’s also marvellous that we have opportunities to witness to so many tourists in central Belfast, through literature in many languages’.
John Grier
