Regional ministers appointed in South Wales

The South Wales Baptist Association has appointed three regional ministers - and explains all in the following statement

The trustees are pleased to announce that at the SWBA Council of Churches meeting on 21 June 2016 three new Regional Ministers for our Association were appointed. As you will know, the Revd Andy Hughes who had been our second Regional Minister for ten years, was seconded to head up the Ministries Team based in Didcot on an interim basis in February 2015. Following the review of the work of the Ministries Team as part of the Ignite Report, Andy was appointed as its permanent Team Leader. He officially takes up that post on 1 July.

The SWBA Trustees with Revd Nick Bradshaw, our Regional Minister Team Leader, have prayerfully considered how to proceed with Association staffing and have involved the Council of Churches’ meetings in their thinking. We felt it was important to increase the staff team so that there is more resource for proactive support of churches and ministers, and more time can be given to encouraging and enabling mission in our churches, on which Nick will lead.

The churches endorsed the discernment of the Trustees and following an application and interview process there was very strong affirmation for the Trustees’ recommendations at the meeting on 21 June.

We have appointed one full-time Regional minister – the Revd Susan Stevenson and two who will each be working for 2 ½ days a week – the Revd Tim Daniel and the Revd Carl Gidney. They will all be taking up their new posts on 26 September 2016.
 
The Ministers introduce themselves:
 

The Revd Susan Stevenson

Since 2013 I have been one of the ministers at Albany Road Baptist Church in Cardiff and for the last 15 months have also served as an Association Minister with SWBA.

Before moving to Cardiff in 2011 I was a local church minister in south London for over 20 years. From 1990-2007 I served firstly as Joint Pastor, then from 1995 as Senior Pastor of Chatsworth Baptist Church in West Norwood. From 2008-2011 I was Minister of Blackheath and Charlton Baptist Church. During our time in London I was also a Director of Ascension Trust/Street Pastors, and served the LBA in a number of roles including as Chair of the Association Ministerial Recognition Committee.

My family roots are in the North of England, where I grew up in a typical working class family which hadn’t darkened the door of a church for generations. Faith came alive for me during a difficult period in my teens when in desperation I prayed, and was amazed there to encounter God.

Since coming to Wales I have had the opportunity to preach in a wide variety of churches, to work with the Chaplaincy at USW, and especially in this last 15 months to meet with ministers and leaders from across the region. As I have done so I have realised that God has awoken in me a love for South Wales, its people and its communities, and a longing that they might experience the transforming love of God in Jesus.

The Revd Tim Daniel

I am married to Pearl and we have two grown up daughters. I am originally from Swansea and qualified as an architect before entering the ministry. Since then I have spent almost 30 years in a number of different churches in both England and Wales, the last nine of which have been at Riverside Baptist Church in Port Talbot. 

I have convened the West Wales Ministers’ Meeting for the last five years. I am committed to working with others and wherever I have ministered I have always tried to develop partnerships with other churches for mission, believing we can do more together than we can ever do apart. I am used to working with churches of varying traditions.

I co-founded a charity working in Uganda and for 10 years made frequent trips out there.  I have also been Chair of Governors at a primary school, and Chair of Trustees of a charity offering convalescent care in the community.  Amongst my interests I enjoy: cooking for family and friends (using healthy ingredients!) and developing the garden - something I started from scratch when we moved into our current home.
 
 

The Revd Carl Gidney

I am known on social media as 'the Missional Monk' because I love to motivate and mentor others into Missional Spirituality. Presently my wife and I with a small missionary team are pioneering a fresh expression of church in Cardiff Bay and a small network called Terranova. I serve as a catalyst and trainer in evangelism and discipleship among secular spiritual seekers. I also motivate those in existing churches, interested in exploring more 'counter-intuitive' ways of being missional.

My big dream is to turn spiritual seekers into disciple-makers.

Though born in Lancashire, of Anglo-Indian descent, I have been married for 34 years to my Welsh wife called Jane. She leads our community choir in the Wales Millennium Centre through which we reach spiritual seekers.

I'm a musician and artist, with 38 years as a church minister. I came to Christ aged 17 and went straight into Theological College.

After leaving college I began as a church planter at 21 years old, came to Cardiff City Temple in 1979 and was ordained in 1983 into the Elim Pentecostal Church of Great Britain. As well as being a Pastor, I have also worked for British Youth for Christ as a University and Schools Evangelist, Teen Challenge Wales drug rehab ministry, ministered as a Prison Chaplain and a tutor with Acorn Christian Healing Trust training others in Pastoral Skills and listening.

Jane and I have four adult children who love Jesus. I love wild walking in forests with my Narnia stick, being in coffee shops, going to the theatre, singing, and making curries for friends, neighbours and strangers.

 
 

The Trustees rejoice in the guidance God has given us and in the exciting prospects these three new appointments bring to the life of all our churches.
 
Please pray for Susan, Tim and Carl as they prepare for this change in their lives and for Nick and Jackie Godding, our Association Manager as they have these new colleagues joining the team.

The statement was put together by Patricia Wiltshire, the SWBA moderator