So this is where those who I haven’t met already get to know a little about me and my faith!
I’m married to Heather, and we have three (grown-up) children. I was born and brought up in a Christian family and we were all active in the life of the church to one degree or another. I came to faith making a personal commitment to Jesus when I was 16 and was encouraged by family friends and church leaders to seek out and test God’s purpose for my life. In search of that purpose I have been; a Sunday school teacher, a Youth Leader, a Bible Class teacher and Bible Study Leader, a Church Elder and Church secretary. It wasn’t until the last few years however that I recognised that God’s call to me was to be a full time leader within the Church. Finally, after much soul searching, and the lack of any reasonable excuse, I surrendered to God’s call and began training for full time ministry in the Church.
I trained at Northern College in Manchester which trains ministers for the Methodist, Baptist, Unitarian and United Reformed Churches so I have gained insight to other denominations and I am comfortable in many ecumenical settings. The course required me to undertake placements in a number of different churches which included a high C of E church in Formby, a joint URC pastorate in Wigan and Newton le Willows and at Heswall URC. I also had an overseas placement in Kenya. I have learned so much from all of these placements and have been encouraged in my faith and have had my call to ministry affirmed in each of them.
If I were to identify myself with any characters from scripture it would have be a mixture of Thomas, Gideon and Jonah. Thomas and Gideon because, like me, they want the proof, they want to be really sure that God is speaking to them before they commit. And Jonah because, like me, when he knew God was speaking to him he was not entirely enthusiastic about what God wanted him to do but was, nevertheless prepared to do it anyway.
It’s been good to ‘meet’ you over the internet; I hope that I will get to know more of you as time goes by – hopefully by email, over the phone or face to face.
Till then – God bless
Jeff Hughes