A community of Christians who love heavy metal music will launch on 2nd February in Kent, aiming to show metal heads the similarities between the genre and the gospel. 

Fire and Blood church will start as a meet and greet event and aims to ultimately make fans of heavy metal feel welcome in church and give them a service that is different to a standard Church of England service. 

Rob Byrne, founder of Fire and Blood, was inspired by a similar church in Chesterfield and told Premier: "We've got the go ahead from a local rock venue called Tap n Tin, which is over in Chatham, and we are ready to launch on February 2nd with a with a metal party.

"After just rocking out really we will aim to develop groups that meet regularly on a weekly or a monthly basis."

Byrne admitted that the meetings wouldn't be for everyone but that he thinks it is imperative for the Church to adapt, especially musically, in order to reach people who feel alienated by the church. 

He explained where he sees the overlap between the Christian faith and metal music: "We are using heavy metal to really say that we're kindred spirits, as Christians and heavy metal fans, because there's a huge emphasis in Christianity on non-conformity, we're meant to be in the world but not of the world and a lot of the things in heavy metal are about not conforming to what's expected of you and it's about frustrations with the world and I think there's actually a lot of similarity that doesn't get talked about within Christianity and heavy metal."

Mr Byrne asked for prayer for those who feel their music taste and Christianity and irreconcilable and that the church can meet regularly, grow and save souls for Christ.

He said changing people's lives eternally was the ultimate aim: "Being a Christian, that's true rebellion - that's rebellion against the status quo of the world."