New Minister at Eastgate Union Church ordained

​On September 2, Eastgate Union (EGU) Church celebrated the Ordination of the Reverend Jonathan Greenwood as a newly accredited Baptist Minister, as well as his Induction as the new Baptist Minister at Eastgate Union Church.

The service was presided by Dr Rev Nick Ashton, the Regional Minister for the East Midlands Baptist Association (EMBA) and Rev Colin Bowden who has acted as the Moderator for EGU whilst the church has been without a Minister.

During the service, Jonathan was welcomed by several local churches as well as the Rev Cecil White (URC) who bought greetings from the East Midlands Synod, with representatives from his previous Baptist churches in Peterborough and Long Sutton.

Jonathan’s story into the church began when he played for Gillingham Football Club Under 18s in the early 1990s, but gave up playing in his second season:

"God told me to give it up as he wanted me to train for the Ministry. I did give it up and the night I did, God showed me in an amazing way that I made the right decision,” he said.

Jonathan studied at Moorlands College for four years, then worked at the local YMCA as a night security officer before training to teach English abroad, when he spent three years in Poland as an English Teacher.

He then spent a year in Poznan working for an English missionary, where he met his now-wife Ewelina, whom he married in 2006 and they now have three children – Elijah, Ezekiel, and Elisha.

They returned to England in 2005 and Jonathan went into a Youth Work at Lincoln Baptist Church for seven and a half years.

After several years at Park Road Baptist Church in Peterborough, the opportunity came for Jonathan to train to become a minister.

After two years of training at Long Sutton Baptist Church while studying with Regents Park College, Jonathan then saw that Eastgate Union was looking for a Minister, and the rest is history.

"The love and care that my family and I were shown was amazing and it became so clear that this is where God wanted my family and I to be,” he said, “It has been a long journey getting to Louth, and I’m not referring to the Lincolnshire road system!

"I am, of course, referring to God leading me here to Eastgate Union Church as a Pastor. I am now looking forward to what God is going to do and working with such wonderful people.”

EGU supports local community initiatives to include Trinity Food Bank, Barnardo’s Leaving Care Service and the Lighthouse.

Rebecca Harris, the local manager of Barnardo’s, said: “It has been a privilege to welcome Jonathan and his family to Eastgate church family and to the wider community of Louth.

"The support that the fellowship provide to Lincolnshire Care Leavers is a true blessing and we look forward to working together in the future.”

Mayor of Louth, Julia Simmons, also welcomed Jonathan: “It is a new and exciting chapter in the long history of the extremely valued Ministry both here and also in the wider community.

"On behalf of myself and my Consort Alan, we wish them all the best for the support, love and continued great fellowship within our wonderful Town.”