A Thanksgiving Service for Brian Baldwin (1932 - 2026) was held at The Chapel, Mortimer West End, on Saturday 25 April.
Brian's wife, Brenda, sends her heart-felt thanks to everyone who attended and contributed to the service, plus the many who have passed on their good wishes, which have been greatly appreciated.
A recording of Brian's service is available below for those who were unable to attend in person.
Ken Hart, who served as a Pastor at Cradley Church and later as President of The Connexion, will be greatly missed by many within The Connexion.
Tribute to Ken Hart (1938 - 2026) by Gordon Hamilton
Pastor Ken Hart, aged 87, went to be with his Lord and Saviour on 1 March this year. A faithful servant of Christ, Ken devoted his life to preaching the gospel, shepherding God’s people, and encouraging all who knew him.
After retiring from Baptist ministry in Essex, Ken and his wife Marion moved to Malvern, where they soon felt the Lord’s call to Cradley Church. Ken went on to serve there as Pastor for 17 years, giving wise leadership, steady pastoral care, and a warm, gracious presence that blessed the fellowship deeply.
Ken also served the wider Connexion as President for two years, faithfully guiding and supporting fellow ministers before handing over to Janet O’Shea. His humility, kindness, and steadfast faith left a lasting impression on many.
Many will especially remember Ken’s interviews as President at the annual Conference. Seated on the stage, with warmth and gentle humour, he drew out news from churches across the Connexion, encouraging ministers and members alike to share what God was doing in their communities. With thoughtful questions and an attentive spirit, he made space for every contribution, so that even the smallest fellowship felt seen, heard, and valued.
We thank God for Ken’s long and fruitful ministry, and for the love and devotion he showed to Marion and his family throughout his life.
Ken had been in poor health for several months. Please pray for Marion and the family at this sad and tender time.
Ken's memorial service was held on 18 March at Malvern Evangelical Church following a funeral at The Vale Crematorium.
Gordon Hamilton
This weekend Brian Baldwin's family and close friends will come together for a special thanksgiving service to celebrate his life of 93 years. Brian was a devoted member of Mortimer West End Chapel, a former Chair of The Connexion Trustees, and he also served as President and General Secretary of The Connexion.
Tribute to Brian Baldwin (1932 -2026) by Brenda Baldwin
Many people will remember Brian as he became part of the Connexion as far back as the 1960s and which actively continued until 2008. Even then he attended The Conference until these last few years.
Brian was born in Yorkshire, went to school in Manchester, then University in Liverpool and London (studying biochemistry), and after a brief spell of National Service in Germany, he worked throughout his career as a Research Scientist in plant protection in Bracknell, Berkshire.
Brian met his first wife, Marjorie, in Liverpool before moving to Wargrave. Two children followed, Alison and David. The family became involved in the Countess of Huntington Chapel in the village, and all attended the annual conference. Brian and Marjorie were house parents to the young people, getting to know Graham and Lynn Squibbs, Margaret Staplehurst and others at that time. They have some good stories to tell!
In 1968 Brian was invited to become a Trustee, and subsequently served The Connexion as Chairman, President and General Secretary. He always spoke fondly of his other Trustees with whom he worked for many years, Gilbert Kirby, Roger Davies, Roger Staplehurst, Norman Lloyd, Bernard Mayo and Ken Stone.
Brian loved The Connexion and its people. Perhaps his legacy is that he tried to guide it as Chairman through a time of change. He valued the history of the Connexion, its firm roots in the faith of the Countess and the evangelical revival, but he also wished to see it adapt to the new challenges of the twenty first century. He remembered Gilbert Kirby’s remark at the rededication service at Mortimer West End Chapel, ‘Hats off to the past, coats on for the future’.
This meant revising the scheme to include Believers Baptism, being open to more modern worship, and generally being less stuffy! An incident I remember from conference (2000 I think) is when Brian and I did a skit on the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. Brian went down on one knee and completely hammed it up. Somebody commented, ‘I never seen a Trustee do that sort of thing’.
A deep sadness for Brian was when Marjorie died in1990. Sometime later we met on the restoration project at Mortimer West End Chapel. Brian was on the team as Trustee, and I was a member from Goring, which initiated the project. Despite being rather slow on the uptake, we eventually decided the other was a good thing and married in 1995.
Brian was blessed with a long life (93 years), two very happy marriages, two wonderful children, seven grandchildren and, so far, four great grandchildren.
Brian’s life throughout was centred on Christ, to whom he would give all the glory. Now we can be thankful that he is with the Saviour whom he loved and served.
Brenda Baldwin
Our Connexion churches and communities have begun meeting online for a monthly prayer evening, led by Sat Deodhar from the Countess Free Church, Ely.
Read Sat's report below for more information:
A Connexion in Prayer: Coming Together in Faith
"I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19-20
What a wonderful assurance we have of God’s presence when believers come together as a Connexion family. We have been making a firm, regular commitment to gather and spend an hour in dedicated prayer, meeting in a shared digital space via Microsoft Teams.
Our Vision and Objectives
How We Gather
The journey thus far has been deeply encouraging. We consistently see more than 12 devices joining these prayer meetings. Sometimes this represents an individual, and other times it is an entire group of people joining together from a single device.
We meet monthly, usually on Tuesdays. For one of our Connexion churches, this gathering beautifully replaces their regular Bible study, allowing them to join in and pray alongside the wider Connexion family located across different parts of the country.
Our Prayer Focus
During our prayer evenings, we dedicate our time to several vital areas:
Join Us
Our next gatherings are scheduled for 5 May and 30 June at 8pm. We warmly invite you to join us on Microsoft Teams as we continue to support one another in faith and witness the power of praying together.
If you are interested in joining our meetings please contact me by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at the Countess Free Church.
Thank you!
Sat
(Image by Patrick Fore on Unsplash)
Congratulations to Jennifer and Edith, members of Wormley Free Church in Broxbourne, who have received this year's Care and Commitment Award from Churches Together.
This joint award was in recognition of Jennifer's and Edith's dedication in serving others.
"Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,
if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,
if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded,
having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus."
(Philippians 2:1-5)
Ben Quant, Minister and Connexion Trustee, said: 'For many years Jennifer and Edith have been at the heart of our outreach. In particular they have helped run our Toddler Group and Drop-In, not just working hard but doing so with ongoing attentiveness and concern towards others. Between them they also play a key role in our prayer life, are involved in the World Day of Prayer and help run our Conversation Cafe. We’re delighted that their efforts were recognised in this way and are inspired by them!'
Over the past year, The Chapel, Mortimer West End has implemented various new initiatives to encourage people to visit and welcome them into the church community.
A New Attendee barbecue, held early in February, provided a relaxed opportunity to meet other fellowship members, and this was followed later in the month by a four-week 'Merge Course’, which takes place after the service on Sunday mornings.
The Elders' desire behind creating the Merge Course was to connect relationally with new visitors, enabling them to meet church members and the leadership team more fully, plus learn more about The Chapel's history, vision and mission.
Additional activities to increase awareness have included the distribution of Chapel calendars in December, holding Welcome Services throughout the year, followed by a shared lunch, and extending invitations to special events and workshops - which cover topics ranging from cooking and baking, to finances, healthy lifestyles and art skills.
By increasing interaction with neighbours and sharing God given talents and skills with others, The Chapel has been delighted to welcome an increasing number of newcomers to join their thriving and inventive church family.
Ken Hart has been suffering from ill health for some time now, and has recently been taken back into hospital, due to further complications with his heart and kidneys.
We would be grateful if you would join us in prayer for Ken's healing and peace during this difficult time, and for his wife Marion, who is also recovering from surgery.
Prayers for healing remind us of God's promise of help in all situations in Psalm 40:1-3
'I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire.
He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to God.
Man will see what He has done and be amazed.
They will put their trust in the Lord.' Amen
Ben Quant, Trustee and Minister of Wormley Free Church, will continue to represent The Connexion at the Free Churches Group (FCG).
FCG is a network of 29 national church denominations that works to provide a collective voice in the public arena for Free Church groups in England and Wales. Its members include the Countess of Huntingdon’s Connexion as well as Baptists, URC, Methodists, WRU, Independent Methodists, Churches in Community, the Salvation Army, and many others.
Coming together in this way gives our voice weight that we would not have on our own.
FCG acts as a resource for all of its church members, with particular focus on chaplaincy work in prisons, the Armed Forces, Healthcare and Education.
They are also part of Churches Together and organise several key gatherings, including the Meeting of Representatives from each member denomination. These meetings provide an important opportunity to discuss shared issues and offer mutual support grounded in Christian values.
To find out more about the work of FCG, visit their website: Free Churches Group
Thank you to Simon Allaby for sending a Short Thought message to start off 2026!
This week's recording gives his account of preparing to move to his new position of House Team Leader at Lee Abbey on 2 January, and the process of downsizing.
After 15 years as the Pastor of Bolney Village Chapel (BVC), the decision to move to a new position - and very different life - was made with mixed emotions. In Simon's words: 'As I prepare to lay down many of the plates I have been spinning for a number of years and especially as I say goodbye to my dear friends at BVC. It has been a great joy to be part of the Connexion family since 2010, and I will be sad to step away as I take up my new post. But as I often remind myself and others, we are all just passing through. I hope I have served the Lord faithfully and obediently while I’ve been with you and I look forward to seeing the baton being taken up by whoever will take my place'.
Simon began entertaining us with weekly 60-second Short Thought messages, when we first launched The Connexion's website, back in 2018, and he plans to continue inspiring us with his recordings from his new place in the West Country.
To listen to the recordings each week, just click on the SHORT THOUGHT button, which appears at the top of every website page.
And a link to this week's account of his New Year moving preparations is also available below.
SHORT THOUGHT: Downsizing
Simon Allaby’s last service at Bolney Village Chapel (BVC) took place on Sunday.
The church were extremely happy to see so many people come and celebrate together.
The service was split into two sections.
Alan led the first part, where Simon was invited to share some thoughts on the highs and lows of his 15 years at BVC. After that, some lovely memories were shared about Simon, including a short video from New Zealand by Jo and Rob.
Simon then spoke about his new role at Lee Abbey and some gifts were presented to celebrate his new role including a plunger, feather duster, rubber gloves, bucket and apron!
The second part of the service was led by Christie. She reminded Simon of some memories by giving him boxes to open, with the last one being ‘God’s presence’. She briefly spoke from various Bible passages about ‘beginnings and endings’, dividing the prayer time into two sections. People were invited to pray first for the chapel as it moves forward into the New Year. People were encouraged to come forward and pray for Simon and his future.
Christie then presented Simon with leaving gifts of a wooden chalice made of Sussex oak, a card and a monetary gift kindly donated by you all.
After the final hymn, Simon was invited to close in prayer.
Simon will be greatly missed by the entire Connexion community, and we wish him every blessing for his new venture at Lee Abbey.