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

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 three children – Chloe, Caleb and Levi.

andy@christchurchbalham.org.uk

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.

jonny@christchurchbalham.org.uk

Julia Stroud – Women’s Worker

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

jules@christchurchbalham.org.uk

Lizzie Clarke – Children’s & Youth Worker

Lizzie joined CCB as a single woman in 2007 having been at university in Durham. She is now married to Tom with three children (Ezra, Robyn and Emily). The family love the outdoors to enjoy God’s creation and best of all climbing trees! Lizzie is trained as a secondary school maths teacher but now enjoys serving children of all ages by teaching them that knowing and loving Jesus gives the certain hope of life with him forever!

lizzie@christchurchbalham.org.uk

ELDERS

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

Christian is married to Helen. They have two daughters; Sian and Jessica. He is a management consultant by profession. His strategic insight and organisation has been hugely helpful at CCB, but also 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 is our newest elder. He has a wife and two young daughters and day-to-day he looks after the finances for a university. 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.