Minister: Rev Ian Hayter, Tel: 01543 255861

Rev Ian Hayter

I've always had some kind of faith in God, having been brought up within a family of believers. That faith was tempered and strengthened during my time at university in the '70s and from then on there was a growing sense that I might end up working as a "professional" Christian. I spent some time teaching French and PE in a high school, then went back to college to train for Christian ministry. After a few years as associate minister at a large multi-ethnic Baptist church in North London, I came to Lichfield in 1991, while Wade Street Church was still a United Reformed Church. I'm married to Sally and have three children at high school.

There are two aspects of Jesus' teaching that are particularly important for my own life and for my ministry. Firstly, Jesus came to enable us to "live life to the full" (John 10:10), which I take to mean that we should enjoy all that he has provided for us in this magnificent and awesome creation, and that we should especially make use of the power and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, he calls us to be "salt and light" in our community (Matthew 5:13-16): that idea drives my vision for Wade Street Church to be a collective of people who are utterly devoted to Jesus and desperate to share his love through their involvement in all aspects of the life of the city - "a church at the heart of the city, with Christ at the heart of the church"