BUGB Head of Communications Moving on
One of the most familiar faces in our Baptist Union of Great Britain is moving to pastures new
Since 2005 Amanda Allchorn has served as the BUGB communications director, but will leave her post on 10 May following the Baptist Assembly.
Amanda has taken a lead role in communicating the mission and purposes of the Baptist family, and though this core responsibility hasn't changed, the means by which it has been done is unrecognisable from when she started.
She has overseen a transition from tapes to DVDs and YouTube films as well as greatly enlarging the e-communications and social media platforms of our Union (while keeping with printed material). Under her communications grew into a department all of its own, with the capability of producing audio-visual material without the need to outsource. She also oversaw the transition of The Baptist Times, of which she has been a director since 1999, to the online only production it is now.
These changes in communication have had a profound impact on another major area of her role; that of crisis media. With the speed of communication and the way news can spread virally, the number of enquiries has grown markedly. However, in this area she was truly pitched in at the deep end: within months of her arrival the Baptist peace campaigner Norman Kember was kidnapped in Iraq, and she was tasked with co-ordinating the Union's responses, often alongside the Foreign Office. It remains one of the largest stories involving the denomination.
Her style has been relational and collaborative: this approach has led, for example, to the creation of the Home Mission Network, a bringing together of supporters to help Associations really embrace Home Mission.
She has been called to Viz-a-Viz, where she will lead the UK launch of an initiative called the Rooftop, spearheaded by Baptist minister the Revd Dennis Pethers. It is based on Acts 10 and 11, and aims to help people capture a fresh vision of God's heart for the lost. The role will draw on her experience both at BUGB and Barclays, where she worked prior to joining BUGB.
The Revd Jonathan Edwards, general secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain has worked closely with Amanda. He said;
'Amanda has been a wonderful gift to the Baptist Union. Her bright and positive spirit have been appreciated by everyone.
When she joined the Baptist Union she was invited to establish a new Communications Department and she has led that team with enormous sensitivity and skill. They have produced resources that have been a great blessing to thousands of people. Amanda has always brought the best out of her staff and I know that they have had great respect for the way in which she has encouraged them and helped them to develop their own gifts.I am confident that the Lord will continue to use Amanda's considerable gifts as she moves into her new role and we all wish her God's richest blessings.'