Leadership

We currently have a vacancy for a minister, and meanwhile the leadership team has responsibility for the oversight of the church. There is also a team with responsibility for pastoral care and other teams responsible for leading worship and for looking after the premises and the fabric of the building.
 

Geoff Thompson - Church Secretary		John Booker
I was brought up by Christian parents and baptised as a baby at a Congregational chapel in Bradford, where my wife Hazel and I have lived for most of our lives. Slightly unusually, I was baptised again as an adult when I realised that I needed to make my own personal step of faith.  I studied French at Hull University and spent a year teaching in a French school during my course. As a result, most of our holidays have been very francophile, with Corsica being our very favourite place. Following a year’s teacher training, I got my first job at Leeds Grammar School, and served as Year Head and French teacher for 36 years until retirement. I now have more time to indulge lifelong interests in playing badminton, fell walking and supporting the Bradford Bulls. Since retirement, it’s also been a great pleasure to go along to choir with Hazel who was already a member of the Halifax Choral Society. When we felt ready for a change of scene nearer to my beloved hills, we decided to find a church before choosing where to live. We visited several, all very different, but the friendly welcome, lovely worship music, thoughtful Bible teaching and openness of the Oakes community drew us in and very quickly convinced us that this was the place where the Lord wanted us to serve Him.		I became a Christian about the age of 9 and met my wife Linda at the same Church, and Sunday school. We were married in June 1977, and have been blessed with 2 children, Sarah and Mark. Linda and I have been part of Oakes Baptist Church since 1984/85. During that time I have been working and guiding teens between 11 and 16. I was elected as a Deacon from 1989 until about 2009, nearly 20 years. I have seen our Church in times of great blessings, and also in times of great difficulties. But through it all , I have known God's strength and love. If I was asked why have I been part of Oakes Baptist for so long, the answer would be, this is where God has placed me. And I will serve God here as long as it's His will that I do.
David Pickering		Chris Walker
I became a Christian on Good Friday 1985, when I realised exactly what God had done through Jesus and how his death and resurrection had relevance and meaning to me. I had the joy of being baptised two days later on Easter Day, and have been a member at Oakes ever since.   I love this church. I love the fact that we can be real with each other, with no need to pretend everything is fine when we’re actually struggling. It is a place where we can share sorrow as well as joy – and we certainly have experience of both! I appreciate the fact that we take seriously the Bible’s position as God’s revealed word and its relevance in giving advice for daily living in the 21st century.   I support the local football team as a Huddersfield Town season ticket holder and I enjoy the music of Joan Armatrading.		I was born and brought up in Leicester. My parents didn’t go to church but a friend invited me to the Methodist Sunday school. At the age of 13 I was looking for a deeper understanding of Christianity. It was then that I gave my life to Christ after reading a tract explaining the gospel.  At 18 I came to Huddersfield to study music at the Polytechnic. I was involved with the Christian Union there and worshipped at various churches of differing denominations. While playing the harmonium for the services at Longley Baptist church I decided to be baptised there. I taught in a local primary school for 15 years and during that time married Simon and had 2 sons. In 1988 we joined Oakes Baptist Church where I was part of the worship group. I jointly ran a church playgroup. I also helped organise the week long summer Holiday Clubs for the junior age group. In recent years arthritis has limited my attempts to join in boisterous activities. Outside of church I like many kinds of music, limited gardening, learning to recognise different birds and their songs and puzzle books (which is an addiction which I have to keep in check!)
Richard Waller
I was born and grew up in Huddersfield. Through attending Scouts, I got involved with the life of a local Baptist Church. In 1974 I became a follower of Jesus Christ after I realised that he had given his life for my sins and that I could have a personal relationship with him.  Through my Christian life I have been part several different churches and I owe a lot to each of them, from acquiring a deep respect and love for the Bible, seeing the importance of outreach and evangelism to learning the importance of corporate prayer and what it means for the church to be the body of Christ. I have a passion for preaching and ministry to people who have been bereaved. My own bereavement story has shaped my Christian faith. We had a son who died in infancy, we lived in Dunblane at the time of the shootings in the school, and in 2020 my wife Carole died suddenly from a stroke. Since retiring in 2017 I have volunteered with BMS World Mission, spending time in northern Uganda. I am now part of the BMS speaker team. Beyond Oakes I volunteer with Britain’s largest bereavement support charity, providing one to one support to people struggling with loss following the death of someone close to them. I play the guitar and have been known to play and sing at the pub near my brother-in-law’s house in  Selston, north Nottinghamshire.

 

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