The Bishop of London has started a crowdfunding campaign to pay for the church’s mission in deprived communities in London’s East End.

East London Advertiser: Key to the door... Missionaries Michelle and Steve Addison get Bishop of London's blessing [photos: Joe Miles]Key to the door... Missionaries Michelle and Steve Addison get Bishop of London's blessing [photos: Joe Miles] (Image: � Joe D Miles - ImageCapture |www.joedmiles.com | +447956 314 366 |)

The Rt Rev Richard Chartres launched the second London Missional Housing Bond at St Peter’s in Bethnal Green, seeking £2 million social investment for low-cost rented housing for missionary workers.

The thanksgiving event also celebrated the first Missional Housing Bond, which raised £400,000 last year from the public, churches and trusts which paid to buy the first missionary property in Bethnal Green, now home to Steve and Michelle Addison (pictured).

The Bishop of Stepney, The Rt Rev Adrian Newman, said later: “Accommodation costs can create difficulties in more challenging areas. But this project is creative thinking that has shown the Church going from strength-to-strength in east London.”

The London Missional Housing Bond is a social investment which grew out of a rising need to meet housing costs in deprived parishes. The project seeks to raise social investment to buy properties in London to rent out to key mission workers at below-market costs.