HE’S BEEN here for a while, but now it’s official: Crowthorne Baptist Church has a new minister.
The Revd Kevin Mills joined the High Street church in December last year, but due to the pandemic the induction service had to be postponed, finally taking place on Saturday, November 13.
It’s been a busy period – the church held the official opening of its New Heart buildings in September, again delayed due to covid. The project saw the church buildings totally redeveloped and creating new spaces that can be used by the village across the week.
At Saturday’s service, friends and family of Mr Mills and his wife Wendy, came together with members from his previous church in Stafford, members of Churches Together in Crowthorne, village leaders and church pastors from across the county.
Introducing the service, church member Sarah Webb told the congregation: “We come together from different fellowships, but we come together as one church.”
The act of induction was led by the Revd Joth Hunt, a Southern Counties Baptist Association senior minister – the Baptist version of a bishop.
During it, church secretary Philip Hood gave a short presentation detailing how the church came to make the appointment and the problems that the pandemic posed as the church was both without a building during the works and also holding services online.
After, Mr Mills shared his story. He had had a career in sales before becoming a pastor, helping launch a church on a new housing estate in Stafford prior to coming to Crowthorne.
“We knew God was leading us here,” he said, adding that the love of the church really stood out to him, and he thanked the members for making him so welcome.
After the induction, church leaders then prayed for Mr and Mrs Mills.
A sermon was given by the Revd Colin Baker, from Caversham Baptist Church, who had acted as the church’s moderator during the integrum period. He spoke from the Bible passages of 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, and Ephesians 4:1-3, and urged Mr Mills to ‘pray not for crutches but wings’ and to be willing to step out of the comfort zone during his ministry.
The service included the hymns How Great Thou Art, 10,000 Reasons, and I Stand Amazed In The Presence of Jesus the Nazarene.
After the service, the church served refreshments.
