Our Minister
Rev Howard Ketton
Personal Gift and Skills
Howard says -
"I consider my main gifts lay in biblical teaching and preaching and in making the Scriptures meaningful for everyday living. Over a number of years, God has equipped me with pastoral and counselling gifts, which I have used in marriage counselling, one-to-one pastoring and in deliverance ministry.
I consider myself to be a visionary leader with skills to enable others to be part of that vision and to equip them with training to enhance their own ministries. The priesthood of all believers is very important to me and I work to encourage others to develop their God-given gifts.
I am very committed to the pastoral care of the fellowship and am encouraging and supportive of all the folk in the fellowship. Those who are ill, in hospital, or just too infirm to attend church are regularly visited. Hilary, my wife, ably supports me in my ministry with wisdom and insight. She is a pianist and enjoys flower arranging and cooks as required for church functions."
Theological Principles
Howard says -
"My belief is in God in Three Persons - The Father who created all things and who is the Beginning and the End - The Son, who came as a man to bring salvation and redemption to all who will believe in Him and who recognise that His death at Calvary and rising from the dead brought about all that He came to do in setting mankind free from sin and giving hope eternal to all who own Him as Lord - The Holy Spirit, the promised Comforter and Guide who lives in all who believe in Jesus.
I believe the Holy Scriptures (Bible) to be the Word of God and therefore the basis of life and faith. I encourage the church (as individuals and in groups) to study God's Word.
I believe the Church to be the gathered people of Christ who together are called to love and care for one another, to be missionaries where they live and to dispense love and care outside the church as Jesus their Saviour did.
I believe prayer to be an essential element of the individual Christian's life and a basic ingredient of the shared Church life.
I believe worship to be another essential element of church and personal life and that to neglect worship is to neglect God.
I believe that all these elements of the Christian life need to be shared in ways that are relevant and meaningful to the Church where we are, as indeed, I believe they should be shared across the Denominations. (I currently meet regularly with local Anglicans, Methodists and Baptists for prayer and for times of worship)."
Wednesday 11 January 2012