Great People

We’ve made some great appointments recently at The Belfrey.

So Tom Holmes is to be Head of Music & Worship. Tom is gifted, energetic and full of vision. He is young with wisdom beyond his years. Tom is already with us, working in our youth department and will make the switch to Worship in the New Year. He wants to really help develop music and worship at The Belfrey and invest in our worship leaders and musicians. Whilst maintaining a breadth of styles across our congregations he’s been given a brief to especially press into contemporary worship. We’re really looking forward to all he’ll bring.

Then Greg Downes is coming next year as Associate Minister to work alongside me to strengthen the Senior Clergy team. Rather than appointing a young and up-and-coming person we’ve headhunted a specialist with particular skills. So Greg is a good evangelist and applied theologian and is coming to help us with our outreach, training and small groups. I’ve known Greg for many years and so know we’re getting a warm-hearted man of integrity, passion and humour. Greg originates from Lancaster and he and Tamie – and their children Anastasia and Trinity – are really looking forward to coming to York and serving God’s transformation of the North.

These appointments will really help us at The Belfrey and, I believe, will shape us to become even more fit for purpose. We’re genuinely excited about the future!

It might be worth saying that in looking for the right people for both these posts we had all sorts of people in mind – of differing ages and women as well as men. I’m aware that we’ve not appointed a woman to a senior post in The Belfrey for a little while and some might feel we have some kind of ‘anti-women’ policy. So I want to make it clear: no, we don’t! That’s why we’re really pleased that the four people we sent off for ordination training in September were made up of two women and two men. God calls women to leadership, as he calls men. The important thing is we get the right people in the right role at the right time in the right place. It’s about the right people. Great people.

Richard Branson is someone who understands that people – human resources, if you like – are what make an organisation brilliant. That’s why he says: ‘People. It’s all about people. Find great people and set them free!’ That applies to a church probably even more than a business. And to every person, not just paid staff. In a church like The Belfrey, everyone is important. Young and old. Men and women. Everyone can play their part.

Jesus is building his church. A church full of great people.