Rob White has been released to spend the majority of his working time in an apostolic ministry with Mainstream. He fulfils most of this with his wife, Marion. Together they work with leaders, leadership teams and churches – teaching, training, encouraging and praying with people. Click here to read more.

 

 

 

 

Peter Nodding “I sensed that God had called me to apostolic ministry during my time at West Bridgford, Nottingham, back in the 1980’s. At that time I didn’t know what it meant, and asked God to help me to be faithful in working it our.  I have never been someone who is concerned about titles and position, but have endeavoured to build relationships with leaders and develop ministries, which have a mission focus.

In the three churches where I have served (Nottingham, Guildford and Purley), I have been involved in the following ministries:

• Church planting
• Working with leaders across denominations where a team of us gave a spiritual lead to the town or city
• Leading church weekends for a variety of churches
• Investing in/developing leaders.
• Working alongside particular local churches with leadership teams.
• Investing in younger leaders.  (20/30s).
• Thinking through what it means to lead an apostolic church

 

My passion is that every local church should be strong in mission and I want to help them to fulfill this calling.  Therefore I give time to church leaders and their teams and to a lesser extent to be available to serve their congregations. I would also like to see a strong regional network of churches serving the Mainstream vision.”

 

Derek Hills is senior minister of Tonbridge Baptist Church. His previous pastorates were in New Malden and Woodmansterne. Tonbridge planted a church in Paddock Wood some years ago and is currently involved in helping to plant a new church on Kings Hill, near West Malling. Derek is strongly committed to a Word & Spirit ministry and lays great emphasis on equipping and resourcing other churches, of any denomination and none. He runs a weekly Word & Spirit cluster and since the Mainstream Conference has been endeavoring to organize Kent’s first regional day – this one to focus on the prophetic. Derek is married to Alison. They have two grown up children and two grandchildren.

 

How does Derek understand apostolic ministry?

• "Its clear to me that being an apostle was of key importance to Paul's self-understanding in the New Testament. It's only in recent years that I've dared to think of myself in such terms, and only now with considerable encouragement from others
• Broadly speaking it describes a trans-local ministry, planting, encouraging, resourcing other leaders and churches: thinking kingdom as well as local church. 
• I consider it to be of crucial importance, given our local church ‘independence’, that this ministry be offered in a spirit of humility and generosity without even a hint of an authoritarian approach. 
• My recent experience is that a small number of leadership teams, having seen how their ministers have benefited from the cluster and personal mentoring relationships with me, are beginning to seek help with ministry strategy.”

 

 

Graham Jefferson has been in full-time ministry for over 30 years. His first church was an inner-city mission in Deptford, South East London, where he learned that, whilst there may be difficult places, there are no impossible ones. Thereafter, he worked for Christian Publicity Organisation, developing evangelistic literature for inner-city areas, much of which is still widely used. 24 years ago, he joined the team at New Life Church in Worthing, eventually becoming senior pastor. Over the years, the church has developed a strong evangelistic emphasis and a wide involvement in overseas missions. At this stage in his ministry, Graham sees the vital importance of encouraging, training and mentoring other leaders. Much of his time is spent with individuals or small groups, helping them to reach their God-given potential.

 

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Stephen Ibbotson: “My roots are in South London/Surrey area, but I've been glad to break out from the South East throughout my ministry. The rot towards northernism began when I realised there was a life beyond the greyness of suburban life on the edge of London, as I went to Sheffield to study Biblical Studies. I found this a hugely stimulating environment spiritually and intellectually with a professor, James Atkinson, who modelled evangelical conviction, passionate spirituality and intellectual rigour. This experience marked my life. As did meeting an attractive young lady, Helena, who I married two years later. In comparison, finishing training at Spurgeon's was tame, dull and if honest, somewhat wasted.

 

But that time did introduce me to the model of church planting. When a church (Harris Street) in Peterborough, a London overspill new town, was offered, I felt an immediate connection with people, place and the possibility of exploring church planting. The relatively small inner city church was instrumental through growth in that period, in planting four churches in the region, all of which continue. It was a very significant time with the birth of Rebecca and Anna, involvement in charismatic renewal plus effective mission through church planting.

 

I carried this experience to North Leeds, with a call to Moortown Baptist Church, which had just started a church plant and were looking for someone who understood this dynamic. Three further church plants followed, plus a little involvement in another that came under the oversight of another church. This church, significantly impacted by charismatic renewal, was one of the most diverse churches in the Baptist Union at the time. Church planting helped to put creative and at times not such creative tensions to good effect. It was an environment in which I learn to grow theologically and spiritually. It was also the place where Helena finally began to discover her own call as a contemplative.

 

Moving to Altrincham has provided an environment, in a much less theologically diverse community, to explore a different model of church. It has grown primarily through church growth principles and the application of seeker-sensitive/targeted mission. Its creativity and diverse ministries have been stimulating, and it now seeks a way forward in a new phase of its story. Can we find a way of being a large church that has effective mission presence within a wider area? It has also been an environment in which Helena's call to contemplative prayer has begun to develop the exploration of retreat ministry for us both. We enjoy ministering together.

 

I have been leading the Mainstream North team for a while and have been working closely with Rob White and will be encouraging the development of Mainstream's ministry in the North and adjacent regions.

 

If you want to explore some of the theological and practical issues around apostolic leadership, please read this paper:

Apostolic Leadership & Congregational Principles (pdf) Stephen Ibbotson. A discussion paper suggesting answers to the key questions for Baptists considering apostolic ministry.

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