The Pastor: Peter Idris Taylor
Peter Idris Taylor has been the Pastor of Brackley Baptist Church since 1992. During that time he has successfully steered the church through a number of significant and major transitions - but not without the acquisition of a white beard and white hair...... hair?.
The church had been set up by American Air Force families who worshipped independently of any Base Chapel, but RAF Upper Heyford was scheduled for closure in 1994. So he accepted the Call knowing that only four members would be left after 18 months and set about building a vision of what the church could do to help build the Kingdom of God in Brackley and beyond.
He and his wife Ruth have seen so many changes both in the membership and in the ministry of the church to the community. Over a period of 15 years over 200 families (in excess of 600 people) have come and gone as work brings them to Brackley and takes them from here. Some members have answered God's Call to dedicated Christian Ministry and are serving in such diverse places as Australia, Bosnia, Tanzania, the USA, and England. Others have gone on short-term missions to the Benin, Dominican Republic, Sierra Leone, Togo, etc. Others are currently preparing to answer the Call.
The church has started a successful Parents' & Tots' Group, a Preschool, Life Groups, Alpha Groups, and the worship style has also changed from an American Baptist Hymnal to Songs of Fellowship & Soul Survivor etc. using data projection via MediaShout. The church is a place where people of various human nationalities mix freely and comfortably as eternal brothers and sisters in Christ.
"my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations"
(Isaiah 56: 7 & Mark 11: 17)
Background:
Peter Idris Taylor was born in Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales and spent his childhood in Glynneath and Dowlais. His name at birth was Idris Peter Jones, the natural son of Idris "Freckles" Jones who died when Peter Idris was just 5 months old. His mother, Hilda, married Gordon Taylor who adopted Peter Idris when he was 2 years of age. Revd. Gordon Taylor, BD. was in Theological College (Coleg Coffa, Abertawe) while Peter Idris was in Theological College in Cardiff. Gordon died in 1991 while serving God as Pastor of Greenacres (Congregational Federation) Church in Oldham, Lancs.
His grandfather was one time Pastor of an A.O.G. church although he primarily served in the Apostolic Church as an Overseer and Elder.
Peter Idris attended Cyfarthfa Castle Grammar School, Merthyr Tydfil before becoming a businessman, manufacturing and selling ice cream. He first felt called to Ministry when he was 16 years of age, about the time he was baptised at the Elim Pentecostal Church in Dowlais. He initially dismissed such thoughts. Later he became a member of Park Baptist Church, Merthyr Tydfil from which he entered the South Wales Baptist College and the University of Wales College Cardiff in 1974. He was awarded a scholarship to the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Chicago in 1978. He is currently continuing part-time doctoral studies at King's College, London.
After university he was appointed as General Secretary of a YMCA Youth and Community Centre, before becoming Pastor of York Place Baptist Church, Swansea. While there he attended the 1980 Baptist World Congress at Toronto, Canada and together with Rev. Dr. Dafydd Davies and the late Rev. Iorwerth Budge they conceived the idea of a Baptist Choir for South Wales. This gave rise to the Cambrensis Choir and Orchestra which sang at the BWA Congresses in 1985 (Los Angeles, USA) & 2005 (Birmingham, UK).
After five years at Swansea Peter Idris was appointed to the Mission Department of the Baptist Union of Great Britain and served for seven years as the Youth Training and Development Officer in the South Wales Area; teaching Christian Education and Youth Ministry in churches and the South Wales Baptist College. He came to Brackley in 1992.
He is first and foremost a Preacher-Theologian. He celebrated 15 years as the Pastor at Brackley in 2007.
In addition to church duties he has served as Chairman and Director of the Abbeyfield (Northamptonshire) Society Ltd., Chairman and Director of Banbury Habitat for Humanity Ltd., and is a founder member of the Brackley Music Festival. He has also served on the Baptist Union of Great Britain's Council and Ministerial recognition committee.
He currently serves as Coordinator of the International Baptist Convention's Plans and Policies Ministry Team; and on the Sub-Executive and Executive Councils of the IBC. He has represented the IBC at the EBF Council. He is also the chairman of the Working Group drawing up a new Statement of Basic Beliefs for the IBC.
Ruth and Peter Idris have two children; Joseph Rhys (b. 1988) a student at the Academy of Contemporary Music and Esther Siān (b. 1991) a student of Performing Arts. Ruth shares fully in their ministry.
Rev. Peter Idris Taylor & Rev. Dr. R. T. Kendall
(Taken at Brackley Baptist Church, 5th October 2000)
