Director of Baptist Church Planting at St Hild announced

St Hild College has announced the appointment of the Revd Alex Harris to the newly created role of Director of Baptist Church Planting at the St Hild Centre for Church Planting

Alex will be working closely with the Revd Dr Christian Selvaratnam, Dean of the Centre for Church Planting, helping to develop the vision and strategy of the Centre, specifically in its key focus of investing in church planting across the North of England. 

Alex comes to the St Hild Centre for Church Planting with extensive experience and expertise in church planting, and his ongoing doctoral studies are in church planting in post-Christendom Europe. He takes up this role as an integral part of his work as a Regional Minister in the Yorkshire Baptist Association – with specific responsibilities for pioneering ministry and church planting – and is also planting a Baptist church in North Leeds.

Prior to joining the YBA, Alex led the Beacon Church in Stafford, which saw its adult attendance grow from 50 to several hundred in a multi-congregational approach. Alex was also one of the leaders of the Firestarters movement.

Alex will be a member of the Centre for Church Planting Advisory Board and will champion, develop, and implement a strategy for resourcing Baptist church planting in the region and beyond. His role will include delivering training on church planting to Baptist, Anglican, and independent students at St Hild College.

Christian said, 'Alex’s experience in resourcing mission, developing leaders, and starting new congregations and churches, brings wisdom that is vitally needed in the church today. I’m delighted to be working with him and am looking forward to the development of a strategy to resource church planting with Baptist churches in the region.'

Graham Ensor, Regional Minister and Team Leader at the Yorkshire Baptist Association and Vice Chair of St Hild Council, commented, 'In an age where the Church is anxious over its future, Alex will inspire confidence in the Gospel and help us look forward with hope. As a practitioner, he can provide countless stories of people’s lives transformed by the Gospel.

'Alex is a great addition to the St Hild team, and I’m excited by the opportunities his appointment gives. He’ll complement and support the excellent work begun under Christian Selvaratnam – the work of developing the expansive vision of God growing his Church in the North of England.'

Alex added, 'I’m thrilled to be joining the St Hild team and am really looking forward to helping resource the leaders and teams to push forward pioneering and church planting through our Baptist family.'