Meet the Team
So many folk are involved in making church the blessing that it is - 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 leaders:
Revd Richard Ellingham RN
Moderator
(A moderator assists a church to discern God's will in the absence of a full-time minister, predominantly through guiding their leaders and charing church meetings.)
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 six years before joining the Royal Navy as a Chaplain in 2000, where he is still employed. He is married to Pam and they have three adult daughters and six grandchildren. He loves football, cooking, eating, the theatre and entertaining friends at his home in Gosport. In addition to being our moderator, Richard is part of the preaching team at HIBC.
Mr Ian Grey
Deacon
Charity Trustee
Interim Church Secretary
Ian is a retired member of the police force and is the leader of the worship team. He and his wife, Jan, were founding members of HIBC. They lead a D-group and are involved in facilitating Fun Days, prayer groups, and various church socials. In his spare time, Ian enjoys outdoor activities, in particular sea kayaking. He and Jan have two married children, two grandchildren and a dog named Barney.
Miss Claire Roberts
Deacon
Charity Trustee
Claire grew up on Hayling Island and has been a member of HIBC since soon after its inception. She is a paediatric nurse and deeply invested in the needs of children. She is involved in many aspects of church life, including the children's ministry, the tech team, and prayer.
Mrs Millie Billett
Deacon
Charity Trustee
Millie was born in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe. She moved to the UK with her work as a Civil Engineer in 2005 and has lived on Hayling Island for over ten years. Millie gave her life to the Lord as a teenager and has a passion for praying for the local community and the nations of the world. In addition this, she is runs a D-group and is involved in the tech team and children's ministries at HIBC. Millie is married to Mark and they both enjoy travelling and walking.
Mrs Christy Kalfas
Deacon
Charity Trustee
Christy was born and raised in South Africa. She gave her life to the Lord (repeatedly - just to be sure) from the age of 10. Along the way, she's been involved in various forms of ministry, but most particularly the music ministries of several churches in Johannesburg and Somerset West. She is a music teacher by profession. From 2014 she and her husband, Nick, began to sense a calling to the UK, and in 2016 they found themselves, through a series of unexpected events, in a part of England they'd never heard of! They have been thoroughly blessed and active members of HIBC since 2017.
Mr Andy Keen
Deacon
& Honoury Treasurer
Charity Trustee
Andy came to the Lord one Sunday when a football match was rained out and he found himself at the Community centre with nothing to do. He slipped into a service and the rest, as they say, is history! Andy and his wife, Anne, have a home full of children whom they love and care for. They are involved in a wide variety of activities aimed at building community relationships.
Mr Terry Worrall
Finance & Data Protection Officer
Terry has been worshiping with us for several years and is involved in many aspects of church life that go on "behind the scenes"... or should we say "behind the screens"? We invariably find him behind a computer, video camera, or tablet sorting out some impossible idea we've presented him with! Terry worked in the financial services sector for many years and is now retired. Terry is married to the Church Secretary and enjoys traveling and helping to care for his grandchildren.