Snelson Fund grants awarded for Spring 2025

Annika Mathews

Annika is a passionate and committed ecumenist. She has worshipped over the years in different church settings. During her time in the Church of England, she served as Lay Rep to the Churches Together England Enabling Group and was a delegate to the World Council of Churches Assembly. This Easter she was received into the Catholic Church.

For her ecumenical experience, Annika joined the Anglican Eastern Churches Association pilgrimage to Turkey in the 1700th anniversary year of the Nicene Creed.

Annika said: ‘It was an interesting time of learning about church history and the tenets of the Christian faith with visits (among other sites) to Iznik (Nicaea), Chalcedon, Ephesus and Constantinople (Istanbul) and discussions about the Church Councils there. We experienced ecumenical fellowship and worship among Anglicans, Catholics and Orthodox and were privileged to meet the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholemew.”

Dolly Bamigbade

Dolly lives in Kent and attends the Redeemed Christian Church of God. She has received funding to go on a pilgrimage to Turkey to visit the seven churches mentioned in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. The pilgrimage will be led by Rev Paul Snell, a URC minister and former County Ecumenical Officer for Devon.

Dolly said: “My ecumenical experience will be enriched by understanding Christian traditions from Biblical times and contemporary Turkey. I plan to document my pilgrimage through a video diary series to encourage other young people, especially within my denomination, to embark on a similar experience. The hope is that more young people will fall in love and engage in ecumenism, just as I have. Additionally, I hope to prepare a Youth Bible Study, focusing on the seven churches, the shared fellowship with my group and my experiences in Turkey.”

Jemima Bailey

Jemima is from Leeds but is studying at Durham University. Her home church is a Local Ecumenical Partnership between the Methodists and Anglicans.

She will visit Taizé during their Reflection Week for 18-35 year olds and will then continue her journey in Bourges, where she will visit the cathedral and reflect on the week at Taizé. 

Jemima said: “I am hoping through this ecumenical experience to have the opportunity to explore the breadth of Christian worship and ways of thinking. Through visiting Taizé, I will have the opportunity to see ecumenism in action; I will be able to meet Christians from all over the world, and explore new forms of worship, which I hope will deepen my relationship with God.”

Joshua Townson

Joshua is based in Oxford. He works for the Church of England Diocese but worships in an Orthodox Church under the Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain (Oecumenical Patriarchate). He is a DPhil candidate at the University of Oxford in Patristics.

Joshua will be attending the Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) run by the World Council of Churches (WCC). He’s been chosen to study with other young people (including Snelson grant recipient Samuel Williams) from across the traditions. Students will engage academically with ecumenism, as well as learn from each other in a residential setting in Wadi el-Natrun in Egypt. 

Joshua said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I can’t wait to be a part of. Most of the other students will be coming from outside of Europe, and I’m particularly excited to spend extended time in a spiritual setting with other young people from very different cultural and church backgrounds and to experience how they practice and live their faith.”

Melody Amadi

Melody lives in West Yorkshire and worships at the Redeemed Christian Church of God. She began her ecumenical journey attending the CTE Learning to be Missionary Disciples conference in 2023 and more recently participated in CTE Forum 2025.

She will be using the grant to attend the Jubilee of Youth in Rome, an international, week-long Catholic celebration that brings together young people from around the world for worship, cultural exchange, and spiritual renewal.

Melody said: “As a young Nigerian Pentecostal, I am passionate about witnessing and embodying unity in diversity within the global church. This marks a significant step in my faith journey, as it will stretch and deepen my understanding of what it means to be part of the Body of Christ.” It will place me in conversation with Christians from diverse traditions, worship styles, and theological perspectives.”