Baptists believe that, under God, the government of the local church is best done by church members meeting together in a spirit of prayer and friendship to discuss and agree on what God wants them to do. In a Baptist Church every member is encouraged to be involved and use their gifts.
The Church Meeting appoints the minister and a group of deacons to take responsibility for day-to-day spiritual and practical leadership of the church.
Get to know your Leaders and Deacons!
Minister
Following the calling of Tim to join the RAF as part of their Ministry teams we currently are without a minister and will be starting the search for a new person to fill this role. As members of the Baptist Union our vacancy will be made known to trained Baptist Ministers exploring the possibility of moving on in their ministry.
Services will continue as normal led by members of our church or visiting preachers. All church activities and ministries will continue as normal and our pastoral care and visiting teams will continue to be available.
Michelle Gore – Church Administrator
Michelle’s main duties are to provide administrative support to the Leadership Team. She is also responsible for agendas and minutes of church meetings, communication among church groups, chapelyard administration and the hire of the church premises. She is delighted to be able to serve the Church family in this way.
Michelle is also involved in Sunday School and Youth.
You can contact her by telephone on 07989 558124, by leaving a message on the church phone (01487 843538) or by email michelle.gore@bluntishambaptist.org
Isabel Daniels – Deacon for Evangelism, Discipleship and Homegroups
Isabel has two children, Rachael and Joshua, and works for the NHS as a Divisional Quality Manager. She joined Bluntisham Baptist Church in 1984 and was baptised there in 1989.
She has led many Alpha courses over the years and enjoys working alongside people to enable them to ask questions about the Christian faith and find a personal relationship with God. She supports and encourages the homegroups and is part of the preaching plan team.
Janet Harris – Deacon for Children and Youth
Janet moved to Cambridgeshire about 15 years ago with her husband Graham and now grown-up children Jack and Grace.
She became a Christian in her mid-twenties and has taken an active part in church life both here at Bluntisham and previously in Essex where she was born and lived until moving into Cambridgeshire. Janet has continued to play an active part in the service of God here at Bluntisham Baptist Church in a variety of ways.
She has been a secondary school teacher for most of her career but 10 years ago became part of the Youth Service with the Local Authority.
Janet says: “I am really looking forward to managing the children and youth work at our church. We have a tremendous group of all age young people, with willing members who teach and nurture them every Sunday. My vision is to support that work and extend it so that all our young people feel valued, respected and most of all want to follow the Christian way of life”
Katy Horrocks – Deacon for Worship
Katy has been worshipping with us since 2003 and immediately knew this is where God wanted her and her family to be. She is married to Mike and has two grown-up sons, Jack and Aaron.
Katy is a Deputy Head Teacher in Somersham, but when she’s not in the classroom she loves baking, gardening and playing the saxophone – but not all at the same time!
She has been part of the worship team for many years and is passionate about helping people to praise and worship our amazing God.
Malcolm Lee – Deacon for Mission
Malcolm lives in the Wood End part of the village having moved to Bluntisham in 1983. Married to Lynn with three grown-up children who have at last flown the nest. Malcolm works in scientific business development although he is trying to retire as church activities have become a major part of life these days.
Malcolm is involved in world mission at several levels as he is the Chairman of the Cambridgeshire Baptist Missionary Fellowship and a member of the EBA World Mission Task Group. Mission is something which changes the lives of all those who are involved and is a passion that we need to continue to develop in line with our calling.
Phil Taylor – Deacon for Fabric and Facilities
Phil is married to Julie and they have three children; Jamie, Sam and Ella. They have lived in Bluntisham since 1999.
Despite spending most of his working life in financial services, Phil has always had a practical side; be this building patios, fitting kitchens, or generally repairing things. He put this to the test (and his trust in God) in early 2017, giving up a 30 year career to establish his own landscaping business, although he is now working on being semi-retired.
A self-confessed petrol-head, liking most things automotive and many genres of motorsport. He also likes interior design, buildings, gardening, countryside, plus anything “that’s just well designed.” He loves food – both cooking and eating, plus is partial to a good cup of coffee!
Following a Holiday Bible Club celebration service, Phil says he felt a real sense of welcome and belonging within the fellowship and attended the next Alpha course with Julie. He was baptised on Easter Sunday 2008.
Phil says “Having a Christian faith really keeps me grounded, especially knowing the Jesus dies for me (and all of us). The Bible is the ultimate roadmap on how to live your life.”
Lucy Thatcher – Deacon for Fellowship
Lucy is married to Adam and has two children aged 4 and 7 years old (in 2023). She moved to the village in 2014 and was immediately welcomed into the church.
Although she is trained as a primary school teacher, she is currently a stay at home mum allowing time to get involved in our Sunday School, Holiday Bible Club and volunteering in the community. This also allows time for her passions of gardening and baking.
Peter Thatcher – Deacon for Finance and Personnel
Peter is married to Helen and they have three grown-up sons Nick, Ben and Adam. They moved to Bluntisham in 2010, immediately feeling a sense of belonging and purpose in both the church and village. “We truly believe that God brought us here for a reason.”
Peter is a Chartered Accountant, although has spent most of his professional life running his own business providing training in finance, business and management skills. In his spare time, when he manages to avoid the garden chores, he spends all the time he can with any or all of his three sons and their families. Still a lover of sport despite his advancing years, in the fine weather he can often be seen out on his bike, cycling the hills of Cambridgeshire!
Before moving to Bluntisham, Peter was heavily involved in the leadership of an ecumenical church in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire and feels that it is important that Christians work closely together to communicate God’s message.
You must be logged in to post a comment.