James Morrison is an Associate Pastor at Kensington Baptist Church in England
When did you trust Christ?
I grew up in a non-Christian family and came to know the Lord through a friend at primary school who invited me to the local Anglican church in his rural town. Over the next year, I came to believe what I was being taught from the Bible: that I was a sinner who needed God's forgiveness and this could only be received by trusting in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross. The message of the Gospel struck me, and coming to terms with the depth of my sin was a humbling experience.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
I was baptised around the age of 12, but backslid in my late-teenage years. I arrived at City Church in Birmingham by the encouragement of a Christian flat-mate, where I sat under expository preaching and participated in weekly Bible studies. After a short time in Exeter finishing my legal training, I and my wife Helena moved to Bristol where we settled at Kensington Baptist Church. At Kensington Baptist Church, I have received discipleship, dealt with particular sin issues, started to develop godly habits, and started to learn how to serve others in a local church setting.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
I hope to use the twelve-month programme of the Emerging Leaders Group to help me with three things. The first is to help me think through how I can grow the teaching and training ministries that I have begun over the last few years as well as pastoral ministry. the second is to help me identify leadership skills to grow in. And the third is to help with the development of a training programme aimed at raising up the next generation of leaders in my church.
What is your ministry?
I am currently an Associate Pastor at Kensington Baptist Church, a diverse congregation located in a deprived part of Bristol. I am also a tutor for Crosslands Training on their seminary programme, and will soon begin lecturing for them. I am also studying for a PhD part-time with Union Theological College in Belfast. I also run events and Bible intensives for young people in Bristol and support other pastors and lay leaders in this region by running study days and training mornings to help them integrate theology with their ministries.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
I used to work as a lawyer before training for ministry with Crosslands Training and have served on the pastoral staff of Kensington Baptist Church in Bristol since 2019.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
I am committed to the health and growth of the local church, supporting other pastors and lay leaders as a pastor-theologian and their theological learning and ability to integrate this with their ministry. I have been struck by the number of church leaders who have described their struggles to do this, and plan to use my time in the Emerging Leaders Programme to explore how I can develop this ministry across the South West of England and further afield.
