Meet

OuR team

We have a dedicated staff and eldership team to help
“prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the whole body might be built up”. (Ephesians 4:11)

staff

At CCB, we as a whole church family want to live as disciples of Christ, but the staff team have especially committed to serve the church and work to see its vision flourish.

Andy Palmer – Minister

Andy is blessed to have been raised in a family that knows and loves Jesus, but only really got going for the Lord in his early 20s. After university, he worked for a number of years with students in Durham, before going on to serve as a men’s worker at a church in Dagenham. Having trained at Oak Hill Theological College, he went on to serve St. John’s Downshire Hill, where he was ordained as a minister in the Church of England. He is married to Hannah, and has four children – Chloe, Caleb, Levi and Lois.

Jonny Burgess – Assistant Minister

Jonny came to Balham in 2019 after four years in the Gambia with Crosslinks, before which he spent seven years in youth ministry in the UK. God used prayerful parents, Christian schoolteachers and summer camps to bring him to new life in Christ. Jonny oversees the Connect Groups at CCB and the Pastoral Care team, and is also studying for a Masters in Theology through Union School of Theology. Jonny loves the sea, music of all kinds, and his three beautiful girls: his wife Beth and daughters Clemmie and Sophia.

Julia Stroud – Women’s Ministry Coordinator

Jules loves the outdoors. Previously an outdoor instructor and more recently a primary school teacher, she now serves CCB as our Women’s Ministry Coordinator. She’s keen to teach and encourage our women to help grow each other in godliness and maturity in Christ.

Bea Bennett – Children & Youth ministry coordinator

Bea started following Jesus as a teenager, when she was invited to a Christian summer camp and heard the gospel faithfully taught and explained. Before joining the CCB staff team in 2023, she spent several years in various roles in schools, latterly as a teacher in a primary school in London. During this time, she loved serving as a volunteer in the kids work at church and is passionate about growing and encouraging the children and youth at CCB in their faith. Bea is a keen long-distance open-water swimmer and enjoys baking and drinking copious amounts of tea.

Hannah Gately – Ministry Trainee

Hannah has been at Balham since she moved to London from Australia. Having grown up around godly role models, she was brought to faith at a Christian camp. She used to read the Bible with a friend who was a ministry trainee and it inspired her to pursue a role in ministry. Hannah enjoys walks & hikes, bubble tea and photography.

ELDERS

The elders have the joy and responsibility, under God, for prayerfully leading CCB, setting the vision and direction, and ensuring that we remain true to the Bible in all that we do. Through the preaching and teaching, we seek to clearly point to Jesus, applying his Word for people in all stages of life and faith.

The elders have overall pastoral concern for the spiritual and practical needs of the church family. We are also passionate about training and equipping others both to serve Jesus in the church, and to live for him through all of life. We long to see God use us all at CCB to show Jesus to those we meet day by day. We are supported by many others, in the invaluable ways in which they also lead in the church, pastorally and practically.

We would love to welcome you into our church family and for you to be at home here. We always want to be approachable. Please come and find one (or more!) of us for a friendly conversation so we can get to know you better.

Gordon Reid

Gordon is married to Phoebe, who works in social care. He works as a Partner in a firm of Solicitors in Guildford; his legal expertise and eye for detail are great blessings to the governance of CCB. He was one of the founding elders of CCB and enjoys fine wine, tennis and holidaying with his wife.

Christian Fielder

[Currently on sabbatical.] Christian and his wife Helen have two daughters, Sian and Jessica. He is a management consultant by profession; his strategic insight and organisation has been hugely helpful at CCB and within the wider Co-Mission network of churches. Christian was converted through the ministry of Dundonald Church and became an elder at CCB a few years after we launched. He and Helen were founding members at CCB. They were single in those days – there are all sorts of hidden benefits to church planting!

Mark Taylor

Mark and Lee and their children, Jacob and Barnaby, have been coming to CCB since 2006. Loving the area and CCB, they derive much encouragement from the ever evolving congregation and forging a number of formative friendships, and, God willing, will be long-term residents. During the week Mark works for a small brokerage/tech company and joined the eldership team in 2015. When not sat at his desk, he’s happiest sat on a bike saddle, occasionally cycling to boot.

James Sole

James has a wife and two young daughters and day-to-day he works as an accountant, informing his skill in representing our financial situation to the eldership and the congregation. Having spent a year as a missionary in Zambia, he also has a particular interest in CCB’s mission partners. While not playing with spreadsheets, he enjoys swimming and cycling.

James King

James has been a member of CCB since 2014. He’s often found at a computer keyboard by day (where he works on a tech startup) and a musical keyboard by night. James joined the eldership in 2023 and has a particular focus in helping oversee our music ministry. He currently flatshares in Balham where he enjoys the open space of Tooting Common and the culinary delights of the local McDonalds.

Tom Emslie-Smith

Tom has been at CCB since moving down to London from his native Scotland in 2013. He is married to Louise, and they have one small daughter and one small dog. Tom is a barrister, and when he can
find the time also enjoys playing football and his guitar(s). Tom became an elder in 2023 and is
involved in the music team, small group ministry and preaching at CCB.