Eastgate celebrates the induction of Jonathan
 

'I am now looking forward to what God is going to do and working with such wonderful people' the new minister says

Eastgate Union Church in Louth celebrated the ordination of the Revd Jonathan Greenwood as a newly accredited Baptist minister as well as his induction as the new Baptist minister at the church.

Jonathan recently moved to Louth with his wife Ewelina and children Elijah, Ezekiel and Elisha - and recounted how God had led him to this point. 

As a teenager he was a promising footballer who had signed for Gillingham under18s before being prompted by God to train for ministry. He initially trained at Moorlands College after which he moved to Poland where he taught English as a foreign language and worked alongside Dale Taylor, an English missionary. It was in Poznan that he met his wife Ewelina and we got married in 2006.

On their return to England Jonathan served as a youth worker at Lincoln Baptist Church for seven years. They moved to Park Road Baptist Church in Peterborough, which was without a minister and enabled him to get involved with more work with the main church. 

At this time God started to prompt him about training to be a minister. He tested this call with the church and then with the local association and everybody was in agreement. Jonathan stepped out in faith and trained for two years at Long Sutton Baptist Church while studying with Regent’s Park College.

He takes up the story:

'At the end of my training, I was moving on,' Jonathan says. 'I searched, prayed and applied to various churches and I saw that Eastgate Union was looking for a minister. 

'Having already worked in Lincolnshire with two churches I was drawn to this fellowship, and so I applied. The love and care that my family and I were shown was amazing and it became so clear that this is where God wanted my family and I to be.

'My personal journey, has taken me from Kent through Dorset, Poland, Lincolnshire, Peterborough and eventually here in Louth. I am now looking forward to what God is going to do and working with such wonderful people.'

The service on 2 September was presided by the Revd Dr Nick Ashton (pictured right), the Regional Minister for the East Midlands Baptist Association (EMBA) and the Revd Colin Bowden (left) who has acted as the Moderator for EGU while the church has been without a minister.



During the service Jonathan was welcomed by several local churches as well as the the Revd Cecil White (URC) who bought greetings from the East Midlands Synod.

Both his previous Baptist churches from Peterborough and Long Sutton were represented.

Cllr and Mayor of Louth, Julia Simmons, also welcomed Jonathan and said, ‘It is a new and exciting chapter in the long history of the extremely valued ministry both here and also in the wider community.

'On behalf of myself and my consort Alan, we wish them all the best for the support, love and continued great fellowship within our wonderful town.’

EGU supports local community initiatives to include Trinity Food Bank, Barnardo’s Leaving Care Service and the Lighthouse. 

Rebecca Harris, the local manager of Barnardo’s, said, ‘It has been a privilege to welcome Jonathan and his family to Eastgate church family and to the wider community of Louth.

'The support that the fellowship provide to Lincolnshire Care Leavers is a true blessing and we look forward to working together in the future.’