Fred Connell, deacon - St Peter's Church, Nottingham on-line magazine

Fred Connell

We were delighted when the Bishop of Southwell asked us at St Peter’s to take Fred Connell into our ministry team. He brings enormous experience and a faith journey which will broaden and deepen the life of St Peter’s in a special way. We welcomed him formally to the parish at the Parish Eucharist on Sunday 9th September 2001.

On 6 September 2001 Fred Connell was, by God’s Grace, licensed as Deacon to St Peter’s Church, by the Bishop of Southwell. Fred’s call to serve God and his people at St Peter’s Church is an answer to prayer. He and is wife Clare have served God in St Piran’s Church, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, which is part of the Anglican Communion. They have also ministered in Eastern Europe and India. Having served in the United Kingdom and overseas, they have a wide perspective on people from differing walks of life and experience.

Fred says that Clare is infinitely more interesting! She is a farmer, with a heart for missions. She has ministered in Opole in Poland, Calcutta in India and in Jos in Nigeria. She has an HGV licence from when she drove lorries to Poland before the ‘wall’ came down, and she carries a licence to skipper large inland waterway boats. She is now starting her training for ordained ministry in the Church of England.

Before entering theological college Fred worked for Smiths Gore as a Chartered Surveyor, working as a Project and Asset Manager in the UK and overseas, mainly the USA and the West Indies. He has a pastor’s heart for families and individuals, and has a desire to encourage men and women in their journey of faith, to disciple, and to teach. (1 Peter 5:1-11). His time in Jos was focused upon helping the church leadership develop and for the church to live to Kingdom Principals. He has been privileged to teach on leadership development and Church Growth at the Christian Institute, Jos, where the Anglican Church ordinands and priests are trained.

Fred also serves OCTeam (Overseas Council for Theological Education and Missions) as Executive Director. OCTeam is a registered Charity which resources, encourages and facilitates the training of Christian leaders in the developing nations.

Fred and Clare have five grown up children and three grandchildren - who keep them on their toes. They live at Colston Bassett with three dogs, and a fabulous pig called ‘Salome’!

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