Maureen Hider 

Maureen is the Moderator of the CBA Council, a key role in terms of enabling the life of the Association to function well. Below is an article she penned for CENTRAL NEWS in the Summer of 2022.

‘Yesterday Jesus was in my head but today he is in my heart!!’

Recently I was asked if I could summarise my time in ministry into two sentences…  The statement ‘Yesterday Jesus was in my head but today he is in my heart!!’ was the first thing that came to mind…. A statement originally made by a young boy at a children’s camp I was running in a small village in Pakistan.   Brought up in a Christian home he was trying to explain to his friend that his knowledge of Jesus used to be just ‘head knowledge’, but he had now come to the point when it was impacting the way he lived as well – his relationship with Jesus was like his heart beating.   For me, the simplicity, and yet depth of that sentence summed up the essence of what life and ministry are all about. Bringing people to the point where their relationship with Jesus impacts every aspect of their life.

The second sentence I gave was ‘I look up and I wait, because God has never let me down.’  These were the words of a poster given to me when I went to Bible College and they have proven true in all the joys and struggles of life and Ministry since.

On my return from Pakistan in 2001, where I served as a mission partner for just over 20 years, I had no idea what I would, or could do.  I was thankful to those around me who helped me work through what the Lord had for me.   Before long it became clear that Baptist Ministry was the next step and so it was that my journey as a Baptist Minister began.  Since then, I have ministered in 3 churches and, until recently, was the Minister at Leavesden Road Baptist Church in Watford.

Alongside my church-based ministry in Watford, I am the chair of Trustees for a small local charity that works to bring the Christian message into schools.  This has been a great joy to be part of and encouraging to see God at work through the work the charity does,

I have also, enjoyed being part of the wider CBA Ministry over the years, doing Home Mission church cisits, helping on the CBA ministerial recognition committee, and occasionally mentoring newly accredited ministers.  I was on the board of BMS World Mission for a few years as well as helping with the Candidate board which I still do from time to time.

As I come to retirement, I am thankful to God that there are still openings for me in Ministry.   One such opportunity is that of becoming the Moderator of the CBA council – I enjoy working with the other council members and the new Regional Team, seeing the way God wants to lead us as an Association as we ‘walk together in ministry and mission’