Rev’d Geoff Colmer has been a Baptist Minister since 1990. In what seems like a former life, Geoff was a professional musician playing bassoon in the English Northern Philharmonia, the orchestra of Opera North. After ministerial training at Spurgeon’s Theological College, he served at churches in Rye and Melton Mowbray before coming to the post of Regional Minister and Team Leader in the Central Baptist Association in July 2004, with particular responsibility for pastoral care of churches and ministers.Geoff continues to play for pleasure and performs as part of the Horizon Ensemble. He has a particular interest in the relationship of faith to the arts. More recently he has been closely involved in the formation of an Order for Baptist Ministry, and moderates the Core Group. He is married to Cazz, a primary school teacher, and they have two sons. They live in Milton Keynes, ‘the world’s best new city’. Geoff blogs at ‘Wonder and Wondering’.
Rev’d Stephen Copson: Born and brought up in Northamptonshire, His first experience of work was in export sales and marketing. Ministerial formation at Bristol Baptist College and Bristol University was followed by postgraduate research in Baptist church history at Regent’s Park College, Oxford. He is Secretary of the Baptist Historical Society).
In 1986 Stephen became minister of Six Ways Baptist church in Erdington, Birmingham—a diverse area with a richness of different cultures and faiths—leaving in 1997 to take up the post of Secretary of the Hertfordshire Baptist Association. From January 1st, 2002 he has been working as General and Company Secretary of the Central Baptist Association.
Rev’d Colin Pye: Colin grew up on the edge of North London in High Barnet, he spent a year as a Voluntary Evangelist with the London City Mission, before pursuing a theology degree at London Bible College. Several Years of hard graft in a Rock Band or two followed, which included the experiences of main stage at Greenbelt as well as a national tour supporting Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy. Marriage to Annette and lack of cash brought Colin down to earth and a short stint as a youth worker and van driver were followed by 8 years as Pastor of a small estate church in Northolt, West London.
Continuing with his passion for music, Colin somehow managed to fit playing with a band called REDSUN alongside full time ministry. The band was very involved with the Christmas Cracker Youth project, particularly because of its focus on world issues. Colin moved to Little Kingshill Baptist church in 1995, where he has ministered until recently when he became full time Regional minister. He was Bucks Association secretary, and since the advent of the CBA worked one day per week for the association alongside his local ministry. He has continued to enjoy writing music while he has produced a couple of children’s worship albums (WIDE and U.N.I.Q.U.E), and has a keen interest in photography.
