John Townley

(Senior Pastor Light and Life St Austell, Cornwall)

John had the privilege of being brought up in a good Christian home on a dairy farm in North Yorkshire. He gave his life to the Lord when he was fourteen years old. John thoroughly enjoyed working as a farmer for 14 years before going to Emmanuel Bible College.

In 1994 he, his late-wife Caroline, and their four young children moved to Cornwall to pastor the Helston church. Under his leadership they planted churches in Penzance and Truro. Over the last 14 years he has witnessed God’s favour in significant church growth as numbers worshipping on Sunday mornings under the ‘Light and Life’ banner have grown from less than 50 to almost 600. John has been blessed with godly and gifted spiritual sons, Andrew Ollerton and Jonny Giddens who successfully lead the churches in Penzance and Truro respectively. They have played a significant part in the expansion of Light and Life.

Until January 2009 John was the Lead Pastor for Light and Life West Cornwall, responsible for the daily oversight of the three churches. On 1st January he handed this responsibility over to Pastor Andrew Ollerton and the leadership of Light and Life Helston to Pastor Michael Bretton. These changes were in response to God’s call for John to plant a new church in St. Austell, which he and Becky are now pioneering. The vision is to establish a new Light and Life region in East Cornwall. His oversight of Light and Life West Cornwall is now as a ‘father figure’.

John enjoys being a member of the Free Methodist Church National Leadership Team, working alongside Allan Ellershaw and David Carr. His main areas of responsibility are church planting and the summer Bible Conference Wellspring, www.wellspring.org.uk

John is now married to Becky. His four now grown-up children are Grace (who is engaged to Liam) Daniel, Bethany (who is married to Dave) and Lydia. He enjoys walking and football but rarely gets on the pitch nowadays! John and Becky have a passion to see souls saved and healthy churches planted.