About Us
Mutley Baptist Church’s vision
is to be a community of followers of Jesus where everyone is included.
We actively help one another to develop and deepen our relationships with Jesus and one another, intentionally sharing God’s loving good news with those around us.
Mutley Baptist Church's Values
Jesus calls us to love God and love people, and to be a community of followers who, like him, share these values
(click on any of them below to find out more about our values)
Our beliefs
Our beliefs underpin what we are like and what we do. Our name - Mutley Baptist Church - can be used to discover our beliefs:
MUTLEY
We are called to share Jesus’ good news and God’s love in words and actions primarily in our local community.
BAPTIST
We are a committed member of Baptists Together - part of a bigger movement. You can find out more about this on their website. The word 'Baptist' also reveals one of the things that is distinctive about us – we are a BAPTIST church so we practice believer’s baptism as opposed to baptising infants.
CHURCH
We are Christians who are committed to Jesus, to each other and to sharing Jesus. The Bible is vital to us in shaping what we do and how we do it, and we are empowered by God's Spirit to do all these things.
These three aspects of our Belief Declaration reflect the three paragraphs of the Baptists Together Declaration of Principle.
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Below are some of the distinctive aspects of Baptist churches.
Dedication
As a Baptist Church we don't baptise or christen babies, we baptise believers (see below). But just as Jesus blessed children and their families we want to do the same.
In Dedication we offer parent(s) / carer(s) the opportunity give thanks to God for the gift of their child, seek God's blessing on their child as they grow up, and ask for God's guidance and grace in being even better parents / carers.
A dedication is a great opportunity for the church community to come together and celebrate God’s goodness and blessing, to commit to the family and the child we will support them throughout their life.
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Believer's Baptism
Believer’s Baptism is one of the highlights in a Christian’s life: a public statement of our commitment to follow Jesus.
At Mutley Baptist Church we usually immerse people in water in a pool at the front of the church (unless there are medical issues).
The physical act of baptism represents dying to our old way of life and being raised to new life in Jesus; being washed clean by Jesus and making a fresh start as a follower of Jesus. When you are baptised as a believer you may well feel closer to God and experience his joy at what you are doing.
If this is something you would like to explore please speak with Nick, our Minister, or contact our office
Membership
Mutley Baptist Church is a Baptist church, led and sustained by our Church Members.
Church membership is based on our mutual commitment, responsibilities and promises to love, support and encourage one another and be involved in the church
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If you are interested in finding out more about membership, we’d recommend looking at our covenant leaflet. If you are interested in becoming a member please speak with Nick, our Minister, or contact our office
We are an Ecochurch
We have been awarded an Ecochurch Bronze Award.
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It is vital to us that we take care of this incredible planet which God has created.
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We all need to play our part in minimising human-caused climate change and preventing the destruction of the environment.
Get to Know Us
Mutley Baptist Church is served by paid staff and teams of volunteers.
Our staff team provides day-to-day leadership and support for all of the activities and ministries of the church
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Staff:
Revd Nick Lear (Minister)
Fiona Spicer (Community Pastor)
Beth Hemes (Youth, Children's & Families' Pastor)
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Nick, Fiona and Beth head up the three core strands of ministry at the church.
Hilary Fursdon (Administrator)
Steve (Caretaker & Room Bookings)
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The Leadership Team (most of whom are also Trustees) is appointed by the membership of the church to provide leadership and oversight of the churches activities.
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Although currently our Trustees are all male, that is not deliberate. We hope and pray that our Leadership Team will reflect the breadth of our inclusion. (Two of our three core strands of ministry are headed up by women).
Leadership Team:
Paddy Allen (Trustee)
Mark Bailey (Secretary & Trustee)
David Ball (Trustee)
Tim Burston (Treasurer & Trustee)
Andy Gaston (Trustee)
Beth Hemes (Youth, Children and Families Pastor)
Nick Lear (Chair & ex-officio Trustee)
Joy Nadimikeri (Trustee)
Fiona Spicer (Community Pastor)
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Our Leadership Team and Trustees are accountable to the Members of the church, which is part of the Baptist Union of Great Britain.
Staff Team and Leaders
We are a member of Baptists Together (the name for the Baptist Union of Great Britain) and the South West Baptist Association.
We are also a member of the Inclusive Church Network and an EcoChurch Bronze Award holder.
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