Eleanor Hearing is the National Coordinator for Community Bible Study UK, living in England.
When did you trust Christ?
I was raised in a Christian home. My three older brothers came to faith at a Christian family conference when I was 10 years old. They greatly influenced my faith, and I chose to follow Jesus. At age 12, I accepted Jesus as my Saviour when a pastor, a family friend, asked if he could pray with me to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
There have been many! As a young person, I was part of a weekly youth group where I was allowed to lead others and was encouraged and discipled along the way. From age 20-42, being involved in a discipleship programme, first as a trainee and then as part of the leadership team. This gave me an incredibly firm foundation of skills, understanding, and character development. It was a place where I found a deep relationship with God, freedom from past hurts and struggles, and my identity and security in God.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
The Forum gave me a growing understanding and appreciation for the wider European scale of our organisation and facilitated creating opportunities to connect meaningfully with others who share the same heart and values. The Leaders network I attended was very helpful, reminding me of core principles at the heart of biblical leadership and giving me lots of practical hints and tips to take away and improve on. The input was very valuable, and the connections made have been a great blessing to me and to our organisation.
What is your ministry?
I currently serve as the new National Coordinator for Community Bible Study UK (CBS). This role encompasses CBS's UK leadership and vision strategy and the organisation's day-to-day operations. I lead a team of regional coordinators and am responsible to the Chair of Trustees and the Coordinator for CBS Europe.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
I have held various leadership roles, including senior carer in elderly residential care homes, small group coordinator at my local church, and member of my church's leadership team. I have also been the head chef, a field worker, and the operations manager for DNA Leadership Training. I have also grown from being an assistant group leader with CBS to the National Director.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
Investing in my ministry would be part of investing in the ongoing work of Community Bible Study, an international organisation that impacts over 1.1 million people worldwide. Recent research and my own experience show that many people, especially younger adults, are turning to God and looking to the Bible for answers to deep questions. This feels like a key time to be in leadership in a Christian context, and so investing in and developing this ministry is a way to be part of seeing the continued advance of the Gospel.
