Association Chairman:
Dr Graham Eldridge (Zoar, Ipswich)
Graham had the privilege of being brought up in a Christian home, his father being pastor of Grace Baptist churches in Margate, Irthlingborough and ‘Zoar’ Ipswich.
 It was whilst attending a young people’s camp and hearing a talk on ‘Enoch – who was not because God took him’ that Graham responded to the call of the Lord Jesus Christ to become a Christian.
Following training as a teacher, Graham taught in London for two years before meeting his future wife Vera who was a nurse at Ipswich hospital when his father was called to the pastorate at Zoar in 1968.
Vera and Graham have three children and are proud grandparents of four grandchildren. Graham spent 38 years in teaching including 25 years as a headteacher in rural and urban schools in Suffolk before retiring from full time work in 2004. Since then he has undertaken part time work in Ipswich Crown Court and also as a clerk to School Governing bodies throughout Suffolk as well as occasionally finding the time to sail his small yacht!
Graham has served the Lord as a deacon, elder and organist at Zoar for a considerable length of time and as a member of the Association Executive and the Eastern Counties Convention Committee for the past two years. In addition to this he has the responsibility of e-mailing out the weekly prayer requests to all the Association Churches.
Association Administrator/ Company Secretary:
Mr. David Piper
Pastor David Piper is a Suffolk man born and bred. He was born in Coney Weston in 1943, moving to the village of Beyton when he was 2 years old. He was brought up in Beyton, where he attended the local Anglican Church, singing in the choir and 'blowing' the church organ for a number of years. He also was taken by his mother as a small child to Thurston Methodist church, where, as he says, he was chapel cleaner at the age of two! In other words, as his mother played the organ, he 'polished' the floors with his bottom! He was confirmed into the Anglican Church and also made a member of the Methodist Church, but in neither case did he find the peace of God, or more especially find peace which comes from sins forgiven. It was only after he started attending the Baptist Chapel at Bradfield St George (now Bradfield & Rougham), at the age of 13, that David came to see his need of the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour. He was converted and subsequently baptised and joined the church, where he served the Lord in various capacities over a number of years.
Whilst at Bradfield, David met and married Pat, herself a Bradfield girl, and after a while they became very exercised about the needs of the smaller fellowship at Rattlesden, and subsequently they joined that fellowship in 1974, where David soon was appointed a deacon and church secretary. David and Pat have two daughters, Fiona and Lindsey who are both married. Archie, Rosie, Miles, Lois and Katka are David and Pat's grand children.
In 1985, David became Moderator of the Association, having served widely amongst the churches as an Itinerant Preacher; as Secretary of Suffolk F.O.Y. for 11 years; as Home Mission and Beach Mission secretary; as Committee member since 1972; as Minute Secretary. In 1988, David left full time employment as Company Secretary in an engineering firm to become Administrator on a part time basis. Almost at that same time, he was called to become Pastor at Rattlesden, his present church, although he has now retired from the pastorate.
OFFICERS 2010 - 2011
Chairman: Dr Graham Eldridge
112 Dales Road, Ipswich IP1 4JR. Tel: 01473 401017
Vice-Chairman: Pastor J. B. Moult (Sudbury)
85 Lambert Drive, Acton, Sudbury, CO10 0UT. Tel: 01787 378532
Honarary Treasurer: Mr S. R. Bullard (Somersham)
52 Springfield Road, Lower Somersham, Ipswich, IP8 4PQ
Tel: 01473 831439
Honarary Minute Secretary: Mr J. R. Smith (Stowmarket)
3 Tylers Way, Stowmarket, IP14 2DS. Tel: 01449 615116
Independent Examiners: Messrs Abblitt & Co Ltd
14 St. Mary’s Street, Whittlesey, PE7 1BG. Tel: 01733 203206
Solicitors: Harvey Son & Filby
231 Foxhall Road, Ipswich, IP3 8LF. Tel: 01473 712962
COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE & BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the Company.
The Officers, together with Pastor D. I. Rushbrook (Sudbourne & Tunstall), Messrs J.E.J.Mason (Whitton), D.S.Waters (Rattlesden).
Assn. Officers are entitled to attend sub-committee & branch committee meetings.
SUB-COMMITTEES
EVANGELISM & OUTREACH
Mr T. Hart (Crowfield) (Secretary), the Administrator with Pastors P.Newton (Ex Mendlesham Green), S.Robinson (Shepherd Drive) and Mr J. Woodcock (Zoar, Ips) - co-opted; Mssrs T. m. Bugg (Grundisburgh), r. Leathem (Zoar, Ips), D. Noller (C.H.R.B.C), (Chairman).
ANNUAL MEETINGS
The Administrator together with Pastor M.D. MacGregor (C.H.R.B.C.) (Chairman); Messrs M.Allen (Stowmarket), P.P.Baker (Ex Mendlesham Green) - co-opted, D. Lanham (Rattlesden), M. J. Oxborrow (Leiston), L. R. Smith and R. J. L. Smith, P. Rowland (Crowfield) and J. Woodcock (Zoar, Ipswich).
PASTORS’ & ELDERS’ FORUM - incorporating PASTORAL CARE
Secretary: Pastor Colin Grimwood. UPDATE: Mob: 07823 339150
12 Alice Driver Road, Grundisburgh, Woodbridge, IP13 6XH.
Tel: 01473 738856. candggrimwood@tiscali.co.uk
BRANCH COMMITTEES
GRACE BAPTIST MINISTRY TO THE YOUNG (EAST ANGLIA)
Secretary: Mr Mark Johnson. 14 Clements Way, Beck Row, Bury St Edmunds IP28 8AB
Tel: 07731 661028. markwtjohnson@hotmail.com
Treasurer: Mrs Patsy Jackson. 7 Highfield Road, Halesworth IP19 8SJ
patsyjackson@btopenworld.com
FELLOWSHIP OF YOUTH
President: Mr Paul Kemp. 3 Boxford Close, Stowmarket, IP14 2PU. Tel: 01449 616199
Correspondent: Mr Andy Sampson. 12 Orchard End, Grundisburgh, Woodbridge, IP13 6UA. Tel: 01473 735529. UPDATE: Email: asampson@gorseland.net
GRACE BAPTIST WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION (EAST ANGLIA)
Secretary: Mrs S. Pontin. 5 Sylvester Road, Leiston, IP16 4BH.
Tel: 01728 833732 sapontin@btinternet.com
Treasurer: Mrs D. Smith, 36 Lattice Avenue, Ipswich, IP4 5LJ.
Tel: 01473 414587
Association representative: Mrs P. Piper
ASSOCIATION OF GRACE BAPTIST CHURCHES (EAST ANGLIA)
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