Emerging Leader Profile - Nick Lear

By Nick Lear

Being part of the global Baptist family, the BWA, has expanded my vision of what it means to be a Christian believer. I am currently the senior pastor of a local Baptist church, having previously worked in the Mission Department in the national office of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. I know how easily I slip into a solely local focus in my ministry, theology and mission outlook because so much of my time and energy is focused on the local church.

Being part of the BWA family means that there is always a reminder that I am part of something bigger. I have experienced that not everyone worships God the same way that I do and I hope that awareness reflects in a more diverse worship style. I know that my interpretation of Scripture is done through my own cultural lenses, and to be true to God’s Word I need to reflect more on how that Word applies to other cultures.

I often reflect that when our church gathers to worship, Baptist churches in time zones to the East will already have met and those to our West are yet to meet – God’s praises are sung all around his world in diverse ways that can only broaden our experience of him. May God continue to enlarge my vision!

**Nick Lear is the Senior Minister of Colchester Baptist Church in Colchester, UK and until recently, was the BWA Youth Department European Baptist Fellowship Vice President. This post is the first in a new series that seeks to highlight the ministry and leadership of those who embody what it means to be an emerging Baptist leader. Profiles will come from around the world so feel free to nominate someone whom you feel represents what it means to be an emerging Baptist leader.