Pastor Ben Slater Hi there, I'm Ben. I was born and brought up in Preston in Lancashire where I stayed until moving to Manchester for university to study Criminology. I moved to London in 2012 to get married to Ali and also to start my first job in full time Christian work as a ministry trainee while undertaking a course at Cornhill PT. Ali worked as a nurse until 2013 when ill health meant that she had to take a step back from the profession and since then she has been a stay at home mum to our five children Teddy, Jethro, Gabriel, Elias & Persis.
I was brought up in a Christian family and became a Christian at the age of 7 and asked to be baptised at the age of 9. A large influence on my faith while growing up was time spent attending summer camp in Nefyn, North Wales. These camps showed me the good news of Christ crucified for my sins. Nefyn Camps was where Ali and I met as children and we both attended every year as campers and as soon as we were able to, volunteered as leaders on the younger camps. We now take charge of the week for 14-16 years olds and are very grateful for the opportunities that we have there to teach the gospel to the next generation.
Working in Christian ministry I have felt how great a privilege it is to spend time with people reading the Bible and explaining the message of the Christ. I am passionate about working with people, helping them to understand the Bible as God’s word. It is my pleasure to have taken on the Pastor role at FEC.
Elders
Elder David Roberts
David Roberts David is a recently retired teacher of English and department head at a local secondary school. He became a Christian in his teens after attending a Young People’s Christian camp in Bala, before Flint Evangelical Church came into existence, attending the Presbyterian Church that used to be on Chester Road, from which Flint Evangelical Church was formed following the secession of the majority of its members in the mid seventies. His interests outside the church include literature, especially Shakespeare; going to the theatre; photography and videoing, especially of anything powered by steam! He has been married to Liz (a recently retired headteacher), who became a Christian at roughly the same time, since 1984, and has one son, William, who is also a member of the church. In addition to David’s responsibility as an elder, he and Liz are engaged in the youth work of the Church, with particular responsibility for Sunday Junior Church and the mid-week young children's work, Wednesday Club.
Elder Chris Thomas
Chris Thomas My wife Margaret and I moved to Flint from Oxford in 1973 when I accepted a job as a town planner in Chester and Margaret started work as a language teacher at Flint High School.
We began worshipping at Chester Road Presbyterian Church under the ministry of Rev Gilbert Evans. In October 1974 a sizeable proportion of the congregation had joined together to form Flint Evangelical Church, with Gilbert Evans as its first Pastor. I was appointed the church secretary and I have carried on that role ever since. I was elected together with Bert Bibby as an elder of the church in 1979.
Gilbert Evans left the church to take up the pastorate of Upton Baptist Church, Chester in 1987 and in the same year my fellow elder died. A period of 3 ½ years passed when I had the sole leadership role in the church before Rev John Davies became Pastor in 1991.
It has been my privilege to serve the church as an elder over these many years, and I am grateful to God for the strength and abundant grace he has given me to do so.