On the afternoon of Saturday 29 April, Monyhull Church in Birmingham was filled with hundreds of people gathering for a service of ‘Thanksgiving for the Ministry of Colin and Hayley Tamplin’.
Colin was called to be the first pastor of the church (then South Birmingham Evangelical Church) in 1994 and he retired from his role at the end of April, to be able to focus on caring for his wife, Hayley, through illness and disability. Family, friends and many past and present members gathered to celebrate and give thanks to God for the way that he has used Colin and Hayley to call and grow his people at Monyhull Church.
Finding a building
The church’s co-pastor Andy Cole, who was sent from Monyhull to WEST (now Union School of Theology) and returned as co-pastor to Colin in 2014, led the afternoon meeting. Colin’s brother-in-law and founder member of the church, Toby Minton, shared memories and photos of the ‘Colin Tamplin Era’, reminding those present of Colin’s leadership as the church met in various venues until a building was bought and developed on the site of the old Monyhull Hospital, now a housing estate. Greetings were received from those unable to attend, including workers sent from Monyhull to serve God overseas. Colin spoke words of thanks to Hayley, his family, co-elders and the members of the church for their love and support over his 23 years at the church.
