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PBC's youthworker

Alan Leese

Though living and working in Perth now for three years Alan is a long way from his roots. A native of Essex, Alan spent his early life in Colchester – where his parents began attending church, when he was six. This was where his first thoughts about God began.

"I remember thinking about it on a park bench and realising that God must exist", says Alan, "but I didn't actually become a Christian until many years later. That happened in my last year at school, when I was 15."

After school, Alan trained as a chef and worked in hotels initially and subsequently at a Conference Centre in Kent. These five years spent in Kent were formative in determining his future direction.

"After 2 years there, I felt the calling to evangelism" explains Alan. This calling he  pursued by joining NET (Northern Evangelical Trust) for an apprenticeship in all aspects of outreach including, youth, streetwork, sports outreach, preaching and schools ministry.

"I gained a huge amount from my time on NET" says Alan, "I grew up a lot, enjoyed serving God and had my calling affirmed." It should be added that he also met a young lady called Liz there (of whom more later!).

The skills and experience gained through NET were to be tested in Alan's next challenge – a year post near Clitheroe in Lancashire. Three small churches with no youthwork whatsoever, brought Alan in to start the work for them.

During 1998, Alan saw an advert in YOUTHWORK magazine for a position at Perth Baptist Church. Any job had to satisfy three criteria i) be in the North ii)  be youth orientated iii) outreach focused. "if it didn't have these three things, it went in the bin" he says! Perth though matched the bill, Alan applied and has been with us ever since!

We asked Alan what the highlights of the last three years have been. His response was "There have been so many!" Though when pressed, he mentioned, the SCET camp last year, Area1 youth work, Festival '99 and the football team winning the Baptist Union Sportsday championship! On a personal level his highlight was his marriage to Liz on October 14^th 2000. She is a remarkable woman who has all the necessary gifts to keep him in order!! Alongside this Alan has been studying theology at International Christian College, Glasgow.

We asked Alan about his aspirations for the future. He replied that personally he would like children (take note Liz!) while in the church he longs to see young people becoming Christians and he church becoming more effective in witnessing to the Kingdom of God by caring for people on every level. 

You can  hear more from Alan and Liz about the Christian view of dating, marriage and sex at www.actualreality.org.uk

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