Meet the Team
So many people are involved in making our church a vibrant faith-community: preachers, administrators, children's workers, worship leaders, musicians, welcome stewards, tea and coffee servers, home group leaders... We won't name all these wonderful people here, but below you'll find information on our core leaders:
Rev. Richard Ellingham
Pastor
Safeguarding
Team
Richard is an accredited minister of the Baptist Union. He trained at Spurgeon’s College and was ordained in 1994. He went on to serve as the Minister of Kingswood Baptist Church in Basildon Essex for 6 years before joining the Royal Navy as a Chaplain in 2000, from which he retired in 2022.
Richard joined HIBC as our part-time pastor in January 2023, bringing with him his beautiful wife, Pam, a deep love for the Lord, a pastor's heart for our church and community, a much-appreciated sense of humour, and a great deal of ministry experience. Richard serves in our church community from Sunday to midday Wednesday each week.
David Bithell
Deacon
Charity Trustee​
David was born and raised on the Wirral in Cheshire. After finishing school he became articled to a firm of Chartered Accountants in Birkenhead. His father said he never wanted him to join the Bank as he had worked for Martins Bank in Liverpool all his working life. However in 1967 the family moved to Dawlish in Devon to be near his mum's mother and two sisters. In 1968 David decided to leave accountancy and join the National Provincial Bank in Dawlish. Having risen to Area management in the then National Westminster he was offered redundancy in June 2000 and later that year joined a couple of friends who had set up a Business Consultancy firm and eventually retired in 2010. He is happily married to Yvonne who he was introduced to by a colleague in 1969 and they married the following year. They have a daughter and son, the daughter living on the Island with her husband and the son in Aylesbury with his wife and two grown up children 20 and 18.
At primary school he was a choir boy at the local Anglican Church and he was confirmed in his teens. Unfortunately first sport and then work and family intervened. His faith was renewed in the early 1980s when he was encouraged by Yvonne to join the local Baptist Church in Teignmouth. Through the Church he attended a Billy Graham gathering in the Midlands with a local preacher friend and there he gave his life to the Lord. He has been on a journey ever since and he and Yvonne were baptised in the sea at Bantham in Devon when attending the local Methodist Church in Ivybridge, where they worshipped for some 25 years. He was part of their leadership team twice, for some 12 years and he and Yvonne were involved in various aspects of Church life. They joined HIBC in 2023 and he and Yvonne prepare communion, do refreshments and welcome. The Church is considered to be very much part of their extended family, which it has been during the several moves with his work.
Sally Griffiths
Deacon
Charity Trustee
Designated Person for Safeguarding (DPS)
Church Secretary
Sally was born and raised in Cork, Southern Ireland. After finishing school, she moved to Portsmouth in 1975 to train as a General Nurse. She went on to practise as a Clinical Midwife from 1980-2019. She is married to ex-Royal Navy Engineer, Alan, and they have two sons. Now retired, she loves spending time with family, especially their three grandchildren.
Sally has completed the Paris to Hayling charity cycle ride on numerous occasions and also enjoys walking, scuba diving, and singing in a local choir.
She renewed her Christian faith when attending a C of E/Methodist church in Cowplain in 1982. The family moved to Hayling in 1992 and they attended St. Andrews church for three years before joining HIBC.
She is involved in various aspects of church life including the worship group and children’s Sunday Club.
Anne Hallitt
Deacon
Charity Trustee​
Anne grew up in Kent and attended an Anglican church with her sister and twin brother. She committed her life to God while at college and much prefers a more open worship style. She has lived on Hayling Island for 28 years and loves being a committed member of the church. Having studied in Winchester as a special educational needs teacher, she spent her career working with young people with additional needs and supporting their families. After 38 years of teaching, she retired as a deputy headteacher in summer 2024 (to the song "School's Out for Summer, School's Out Forever") and is now enjoying time with her husband, adult children, and grandchildren.
Anne has been a member of the church preaching team since 2018 and has a passion for the application of the gospel to our daily lives and for reaching young people with the reality of the gospel in our modern world.
She delights in being with children, supports Hayling Holiday Lunches, and loves to be busy.
Anne enjoys finding places serving delicious vegetarian food, eating croissants in France, and walking on the beach. She feels her rainy camping days are over - apart from attending the Christian New Wine festival every year.
Rob Haywood
Treasurer
Charity Trustee
Rob and his wife, Juliana, moved to Hayling Island in 2023 and immediately joined HIBC. They have 4 children and 8 grandchildren. For over 20 years they were members of 3 Counties Church in Haslemere, where Rob was a Trustee and both were part of the worship team and members of a house group.
Rob became a Christian while attending a church youth group in Camberley and went on to become one of the youth leaders. He also played guitar as part of their music team.
Rob attend the LSE, trained as a Chartered Accountant, and then worked in finance for a number of companies. In 2004 he set up a consultancy company with some colleagues which he has not quite managed to retire from.
Rob and Juliana have been involved with a number of party bands over the years, where Rob played bass guitar and Juliana was a singer. They are members of Hayling Island Sailing Club, U3A, walking groups, and Rob plays various racket sports at Seacourt.
Practicing hospitality is a joy for them and they regularly welcome friends, neighbours, and random acquaintances to their house.
Annie Priest
Deacon
CharityTrustee
Preacher
Annie was born in Sale in Cheshire, brought up in Brooklands, and educated in Manchester. She became a Christian in 1960 and served in a Baptist church in Surbiton Surrey, then in various other churches serving as a Bible teacher and preacher in different capacities. Annie has two sons who work in the fields of education, arts, and entertainment.
She obtained a BA degree at Kingston university in History of Ideas (Philosophy) and later became a lecturer there for 12 years in the same subject. Annie was awarded a doctorate in Jewish history/philosophy with special emphasis on Antisemitism in 2000 and has since spoken widely on this subject in the USA, Israel, and India. She has had a second home on Hayling Island for 30 years and moved here permanently in 2019. She joined HIBC in 2021, joined the preaching team in 2022, and was appointed a deacon in 2023. Annie says it's now her joy and privilege to serve God in this wonderful church family and is so very thankful.