As a Baptist Church we passionately believe that every person in our church family has a vital role to play in the life and activity of the church.
We recognise that some of our members will be especially gifted as leaders and we seek to recognise these gifts by enabling people to serve in whatever role God has called them to.
In order to provide spiritual oversight, guidance, and vision for the whole church we also elect a group of people to lead us. Their role is to work alongside one another and with the wider church family to help us live out our faith, serve the community and be God's church as best we can.
At present, we have adopted a Missional Steering Group, appointed by Webnet. The Missional Steering Group fulfil the role of Managing Trustees. They are responsible for all the legal and spiritual leadership responsibility for SBC.
Revd Paul Revill (a member of the Steering group) invests one day per week in an interim ministerial capacity at SBC. This enables Paul to seek to offer pastoral care and development; spiritual nurture; and to encourage mission-ary vision here at SBC.
Interim Minister
Revd Paul Revill
Email: paul.revill@stonehousebaptist.org.uk
Minister-in-Training
Helen Alderton
Email: helen.alderton@stonehousebaptist.org.uk
Hi, I’m Helen Alderton, I’m in my final year of training at Bristol Baptist College, and Simon and I are so excited about coming to begin our ministry with Stonehouse Baptist Church. We live in Cheltenham, have two grown up children, and love camping, historic houses and walking. Stonehouse seems to be a very caring and active community, and we are thrilled that we can work with the lovely folk of Stonehouse Baptist Church to see more people come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
Helen will be working alongside Paul as a Minister-in-Training.
It is with great confidence and encouragement that we can announce that the church congregation unanimously supported the Missional Steering Group's proposal to appoint Helen Alderton as our new minister, following the conclusion of her training period. Helen will be initially serving part-time on a two days per week stipend, which will be reviewed towards the end of her first year in ministry with a hope that if the church numbers and financial position continue to grow, that this stipend can be increased.
Helen will probably commence her role as minister at the beginning of September - to be confirmed. Until then, Paul will continue to act as the interim minister. The Steering Group will continue to operate in order to support the church during this period of transition and into Helen's ministry, with the aim of helping the church to continue to grow and rebuild to the point of being self-sustaining and self-governing again.
Please continue to pray for all this - especially that we will continue to be open to God's guidance, wisdom and vision in this transition and new phase of life.