Taverham Evangelical Church, which serves communities in Taverham, Drayton and Thorpe Marriott, has appointed Noel Wood as their new senior pastor, taking over from Pastor Vic Ready as he steps down and retires with his wife Gill.
Vic and Gill have faithfully led Taverham Evangelical Church (TEC) since they started it in 1992, and have impacted hundreds of people’s lives through their ministry, sharing the love and good news of Jesus with everyone they have encountered.
Pastor Vic Ready said, “Solomon wisely stated, ‘To everything there is a season’. For me, it is the end of one season, and I pray and trust God as we step into a new season of our Christian lives. We are passing the baton on to Noel and his wife Zelda and believe this new season for TEC will be abundantly fruitful for the church as they continue to lead and grow the work that has already been started.
“As we step down and Noel steps into the role as the senior pastor, we pray that he will know and sense the wisdom of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Noel is a man of God and I believe that he has been called to take over TEC from me. Handing over something I have given more than 30 years of my life to, comes with it challenges but this is a significant time for the church, and I know that now is the time to hand on the leadership of the TEC and Noel is the man God has chosen.”
Noel Wood has been appointed by the church council, moving to the UK from South Africa in August 2023. He and his wife Zelda have been in full time ministry for 21 years, first as youth pastors and then leading a church as senior pastors. He will be formally inducted and will take on the role as senior pastor of TEC later this month.
Noel said, “It was through God’s divine guidance I connected with Pastor Vic Ready, and I visited Taverham Evangelical Church in February earlier this year. I was overwhelmed by the hospitality and friendliness from the congregation and immediately felt right at home. It has been an incredible journey up to this point and we have seen God move at every point along the way.
“We truly believe that God has called us to TEC for ‘such a time as this’ and we are excited to see what He will accomplish in and through us as we endeavour to pastor and lead this great church. With God we envision to continue to grow the life-giving, Spirit-filled church here in Taverham that loves God and loves people. We are also looking forward to meeting new people and making a difference in our new home in Norfolk.”
The special induction service for Noel will be held at 11am on Sunday 24 September, at Taverham Village Hall, Sandy Lane, Taverham NR8 6JR. There will be a celebration and thanksgiving with Vic and Gill and a reflection on the history of the church as well as the formal induction of Noel as he takes on the role as senior pastor. This is an open service for anyone who has been a part of, or supported TEC over the last 31 years, a special time to celebrate and look forward with church family and friends.
For more information about TEC, visit: tec-church.com
The picture above shows, left to right, Noel Wood, Vic Ready, Gill Ready and Zelda Wood, and is courtesy of TEC.
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Tony Rothe, 04/09/2023
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