Leadership
Jesus Christ Himself is the leader of our church. Through the Bible and the Holy Spirit, we are guided by Jesus’ teaching – both by his words and the insight we are given into how he lived and treated people.
As Baptists, the church believes in the priesthood of all believers: that God is equally accessible to all who accept Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour, and that every Christian has equal potential to minister for God (1 Peter 2:9). Whilst some are specifically called to teach and preach, we believe that all members have been given gifts that can be used in the service of the church. All members have equal decision-making authority through a members’ meeting, whilst being guided by those called to leadership within the church, so that they can serve our Church with joy (Hebrews 13:7 and 17).
The leaders given by Christ are referred to in this local church as Elders and Deacons. The church’s Constitution states that the individuals who hold the following 'Church Officer' roles are the charity trustees of our church: Pastor, Elders, Deacons. As charity trustees, these individuals have certain legal duties and responsibilities under the law in England and Wales.
Pastor
Our Pastor, Mark Drury, originates from Suffolk. He obtained a degree in Applied Theology at Moorlands Bible College before becoming trainee pastor at Beccles Baptist Church in Suffolk. He joined us in Crockenhill in 2011, but before this, he served in several churches in different roles in Essex and Suffolk. He is married to Joanne and they have a daughter. Mark enjoys reading, seeing Ipswich Town win at football, skiing, decorating, gardening and spending quality time with his family.
He can be reached by phone on 01322 663995, or by email at pastor@crockenhill.org.
Elders
In the Bible we find church leaders being described as 'pastors', 'elders', and 'overseers'. We believe these are the same office. We use 'pastor' to refer to an elder who works full-time for the church, with a particular focus on prayer and preaching the Word of God.
We have two other elders, Laurie Everest and Peter Clarridge. Along with Mark, they oversee the church, providing spiritual leadership and an example to follow.
Deacons
The other office described in the Bible is 'deacon'. Deacons have key leadership responsibilities for both the practical affairs and regular activities of our Church. These include areas of administration, care and outreach.
The three deacons are Phil Fuller, Dave Manderscheid, and Gareth Clarridge.
