Latchford Baptist Church has appointed Harriet Thomson as its new Church and Community Engagement Leader, a brand-new post created following a successful programme of grant funding. She will take up the role on 1 September, following the recent retirement of the church’s Minister, Carolyn Urwin.
Harriet’s appointment marks an exciting new chapter for Latchford Baptist Church as it seeks to build on its existing work in the community and develop new partnerships to respond to local needs.
Harriet brings experience from across the Methodist and Church of England traditions. She has worked as a Mission Enabler and Local Preacher within the Methodist Church, as well as in vision development and communications within the Church of England.
Her new role will have a particular focus on engagement and partnership working, understanding the needs and aspirations of people in Latchford, and helping the church to respond to those needs. She hopes to build on the success of initiatives already established by Latchford Baptist Church, including The Little Shop at Latchford, an affordable food initiative, and Renew with a Brew, which provides an opportunity for people to connect and tackles social isolation.
Speaking about her appointment, Harriet said:
“I’m excited to be joining Latchford Baptist Church. They are a humble, hard-working and welcoming group of people with a clear vision and a heart for making a difference with projects that deal with food poverty and mental health. I’m looking forward to finding out more about the village of Latchford, building relationships with people and getting alongside where God is already at work.”
The church believes the new post provides an opportunity to deepen its presence within the local community, working with other churches, community organisations and local partners to identify opportunities for collaboration and make a positive difference in Warrington.
A welcome service for Harriet will take place on Saturday 26 September at 4.30pm and will have an ecumenical feel, reflecting her background and commitment to working across denominations. The service will be led by Revd Phil Jump, Regional Minister for the North West Baptist Association with Ven Jane Proudfoot, Archdeacon of Macclesfield as the guest preacher and a message of support and prayer from Harriet’s spiritual accompanist, Anne Baldwin, Former Mission Partner of the Global Relationship Team within the Methodist Church in Britain.
Harriet’s first service as Church and Community Engagement Leader will be a Harvest Service on Sunday 27 September at 10.45am.