On 14 February, over 100 people gathered at Kirby-le-Soken Evangelical Church for a service to welcome the new minister, Pastor Ken Houghten.
The church was thanked for all the help through the previous nine years and reminded of how the church had got to know Ken and his wife Dawn over the past year. A love had developed between them and the congregation with a shared vision for the church to grow and to reach out.
Ken Houghten grew up in Michigan, USA, but has been working alongside small churches in England for over 30 years. He also has a part-time role supporting missionaries across Europe. For the past two years he has been working with a Baptist church in Clifton, Bedfordshire, but has already moved into the village of Kirby-le-Soken to take up this new task.
Martin Peirce from Greenstead Evangelical Church in Colchester, who has been the church moderator, chaired the service. The preacher was Ian MacGregor from Ivybridge in Devon, who spoke on the need for the church to hear God’s Word preached and to support their new pastor through prayer.
The church members are looking forward to this new era in the life of the church.
