Leadership Team

Please find below an introduction to our church leadership Team


Alison Irwin - Church Secretary		Philip Rackstraw - Church Treasurer
Ali was christened as a baby but Jesus only became real for her in a personal way when she was in her early 30’s. An invitation to a Carol Service at Oakridge in 1993 was the start of her faith journey and she was baptised in 1995. Fellowship with God and encouragement from the wider church family continues to help her to learn and develop as a Christian. Ali is thankful for the daily Hope this relationship provides in the knowledge that our loving Heavenly Father wants what’s best for us all; and He will help shape and guide us through life’s challenges and opportunities if we put our trust in Him….		Philip has attended Oakridge all his life from Sunday School to Baptism and membership in 2009. He has been treasurer of the church since 2013. As well as his duties as treasurer, he is also involved with Worship, being part of the audio visual team and a singer in the church music group.


Maureen Rose - Pastoral Care Coordinator		John and Pam Hollman - Deacons
Maureen has been at Oakridge all her life having been dedicated as a baby. She was baptised and joined the Church at 16 years of age. Her journey in the Church has involved working in many organisations and as a member of the Leadership Team held the position of Treasurer for approximately 10 years and Secretary for approximately 5 years. In November 2021 the Church entered a period of interregnum (a time without a minister) and she has taken on the overall responsibility for Pastoral care within the fellowship.		John and Pam joined Wycliffe Bible Translators in 1975 and were sent out to Sudan in 1977 by their church in Romford. They served with Wycliffe until retirement in December 2017. During their 40 years of service, they had various roles which included training literacy workers, administering the work of Bible Translation in Sudan, teaching at the Training Institute in Horsleys Green, directing the work of Bible Translation across Africa and teaching in the Linguistics and Bible Translation Department at The Theological College of Northern Nigeria. In retirement their particular interest is two-fold: helping people to read and understand the Bible, and promoting prayer for the work of Bible Translation especially in Africa. On retirement they started attending Oakridge Baptist Church and joined the church in 2019. Over the years they have learned that they work best together, and see that as the Lord’s planning.


John Morgan - Deacon		Dilini Reynold - Deacon
John attended a Church of England junior school, and has been a regular attender at Oakridge for many years. He came into Church Membership in 2017 and joined the Leadership Team in 2023.		Dilini is passionate about prayer, worship, discipleship and bringing the Word of the Lord to the masses; the key areas that she is responsible for at Oakridge. Dilini believes that there is nothing that cannot be achieved through prayer. She comes from a medical mission background having served disadvantaged communities as a prayerful doctor. In her spare time, she plays the piano and dabbles in floristry!


Sandra Rackstraw - Deacon		Angela Sinclair - Deacon
Sandra came to Oakridge when she was 4 years old. She grew up in the Sunday school and attended youth club. She then went on to become a youth club leader and took on various other roles, such as helping in Sunday school and Boys' Brigade/Girls' Association. Her faith grew during these years and she gave her life to Christ and was baptised in 1997 and then received into Church membership. Everything and anything is possible with God!
John Sinclair - Deacon		Sheila Dodson - Life Deacon
		Sheila has been a member of Oakridge for many years and is the longest serving Deacon on the Leadership Team and her main responsibility is Pastoral Care. Sheila regularly visits members who are in Care Homes, the sick and anyone who cannot attend services at Oakridge.

If you need to contact the Church then please visit the Contact Us page.

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

You are Welcome...

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

We meet for Worship at the Oakridge Baptist Church building on the corner of Oakridge/Jubilee Roads (details here). The main entrance is up some steps but if you need level access then please use the side door in Oakridge Road.

Our Service starts at 10:30am and finishes at about 11.45am; we serve tea, coffee and biscuits afterwards and it's is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Sunday Services

Following a warm welcome and prayer from one of our Leadership Team members, the service opens with songs led by our music group. Sometimes a person might pray out loud, read a small passage from the Bible or share things that they believe God is saying to the whole Church family. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. One of our speakers will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We finish with a final worship song following which we share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the Church.

Communion slide with text

On the 3rd Sunday of each month the service will include 'Communion' or the ‘Lord’s Supper’ which is an act of worship that involves eating bread and drinking non-alcoholic wine (red grape juice). More about this here

Children - Junior Church with

Children are always welcome to stay in the service with parents/carers but we also have Bible based 'Junior Church' activities available for children which vary from week to week. On the second Sunday of each month, we have an 'All-Age' family service where children remain in the service.

Bible Study Groups with text

We run a series of Bible study groups for the growth of faith and discipleship; these are held at the Church and via Zoom. Further details here or speak to a member of the Leadership Team

If you want to get involved in the life of the Church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. Further details can be obtained from a member of the Leadership Team

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the Church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you. We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at Oakridge Baptist Church.

Blessings...

Alison Irwin - Church Secretary