The John Owen Centre at London Seminary announced in November the appointment of Dr John Benton, of Chertsey Street Baptist Church in Guildford and editor of Evangelicals Now, to a new role providing pastoral support for pastors.
Garry Williams, director of the Centre, said: ‘As I meet with pastors on our Study Projects to help them with their theological work I am struck by how often our conversation turns to the ups and downs of ministry. Many are thriving, but my sense is that more are struggling. A significant minority are in serious difficulty and on the brink of leaving the ministry – a fact confirmed by the sad attrition rate for pastors.’
John will begin the work in January 2017. He will step down from leadership at Chertsey Street, but continue at en. He will be available to meet with pastors one-to-one to provide counsel, support and encouragement. His work will not involve mediation and it is intended to complement rather than to bypass existing pastoral support structures.
