John Western
"I am an enthusiastic supporter of BMS, not simply because it is the mission society of Baptist Christians, but because of its excellence in communicating Christ in the 21st century, both sensitively and powerfully."
John is the minister of St Leonards Baptist Church in East Sussex, which he has served since 2000. The church is surrounded by a multi-cultural community and has an established work among asylum seekers and immigrants. John has been encouraged from seeing people from diverse backgrounds come to faith and membership of the church through this work.
John spent his last sabbatical with a missionary in Indonesia studying good practice of mission in Islamic cultures.
He is chair of trustees for both Hastings Christian Schoolswork, which is affiliated to Scripture Union, and Chapel Park Community Centre, a Christian charity that offers IT facilities, adult education and information advice to ethnic minorities.
Prior to entering the ministry John managed a small metallurgical test laboratory and consultancy in Great Yarmouth. He is married with two teenage sons. To relax, John runs ultra-marathons and enters cyclo-sportifs.