Simon Allaby from Bolney Village Chapel made an unexpected decision whilst on sabbatical at Lee Abbey this summer. Read on to learn more!

Moving on from BVC by Simon Allaby

After 15 years as the pastor of Bolney Village Chapel, I will be leaving after Christmas to take up a new post as the House Team Leader at Lee Abbey in Devon. This was not the expected outcome of my three-month sabbatical this summer, but God had other ideas!

For those unfamiliar with Lee Abbey (neither a convent or monastery and never has been!) it is a Christian holiday and conference centre on the north Devon coast near Lynton. It was founded in 1946 by a group of men who were passionate to see the Church in England renewed and revived after the Second World War. It is run by a community of Christians from around the world who live and work on site. I first went there in 1982 on a summer youth camp not long after I had made an adult Christian commitment, and I’ve been involved in different ways over the years ever since.

For decades I’ve held a conviction that at some point in my life I would return to 'living in community' at Lee Abbey. That conviction, together with two prophetic words in recent years about mentoring and discipling younger people and then being deeply impacted by a book I read on retreat a year ago – Practising the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence – meant that when during my stay at Lee Abbey in July I was asked if I would apply for the role of House Team Leader, I suspected God might be in it. I was interviewed at the end of August and offered the post at the beginning of September. I asked for one day a week to continue my ministry with Turn the Page and wonderfully Lee Abbey agreed to make this part of my contract.

As you can imagine I am full of mixed emotions 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.

Thank you so much for everything. Perhaps I can look forward to welcoming you to Lee Abbey one day!

God Bless

Simon

To find out more about Lee Abbey, click on their website link: Lee Abbey

(Simon is pictured at the beach by Lee Abbey with members of the 'Tea Cottage' team. Tami, from Hungary, Jo from Brazil and Maria from Germany.)