SF-H: Hello Richard, thank you so much for welcoming us to Alive Church in Lincoln. We’ve just shared lunch in the church’s café, which is open to the public, and is an inspiring example of your church’s partnership with the Betel charity.
You’re one of our CTE trustees. We often see you at Enabling Group, at Forum, and as part of our Finance Committee, making sure that CTE runs smoothly. But we’d like to know more about the man behind the trustee. What is your story of coming to faith?
RB: It begins with my childhood. My father was a Free Methodist minister, so I attended church from a very young age. But I really came to faith at the age of nine, after listening to recordings of an evangelist named Arthur Blessitt. His messages touched me, and I gave my life to God. At twelve, I was filled with the Spirit and began developing gifts. I felt a calling on my life, even though I didn’t know how it would work out. I started helping with youth work at my church when I was sixteen. At twenty-two, my wife and I, along with two other couples, planted a church. So I’ve been involved in ministry for over 40 years. God called us to Beverley in East Yorkshire, where we’ve led Beverley Community Church for the last 25 years. I’m married, have four children, and nine grandchildren.
SF-H: Wow. You and your wife started a church at twenty-two. That’s very young. Tell us more.
RB: There were two other couples, and one was my mentor during my teenage years. He felt called to start something new, and when he stepped out, we joined him. We began with just six people and grew the church to about 130 before moving on.
SF-H: That’s inspiring. Many young people, after university, wouldn’t be thinking about starting a church. Any advice for young people starting out?
RB: Serve. Find a place you feel at home and serve with your whole heart. Out of that service, God will grow your ministry.
SF-H: Please tell us a little more about Ground Level – your beliefs, doctrines, leadership structure? You spoke earlier about the Spirit and charisma.
RB: Ground Level grew out of the charismatic movement in the ’60s and ’70s. It was largely led by Stuart Bell, who had worked with Youth for Christ. He started discipling young people who came to faith and eventually planted a church. From there, he connected with other ministers, especially in Lincolnshire. One of our core values is “partnership without ownership.” We are a relational network, working together for the Kingdom, offering mutual support.
We’ve grown organically. Churches can connect with our network by agreeing with the Evangelical Alliance statement of faith. We meet monthly, hold leadership conferences, and once a year, we gather at the Lincolnshire Showground. We now include around 88 churches and have partner networks overseas—in the U.S., South Africa, Spain, and India.
SF-H: So, Ground Level is very relational?
RB: Absolutely. It’s about mutual benefit, encouragement, and pastoral care. It’s all about fostering relationships because they fuel the Kingdom.
SF-H: How does Ground Level connect to local and regional ecumenical structures?
RB: It varies by church and region. Many ministers will connect if they see a purpose—like for mission or prayer. But not all see the bigger purpose of unity, so engagement can be patchy. In Beverley, where I minister, we’re very active ecumenically. We’ve done five passion plays, joint mission efforts, we’ve participated in Thy Kingdom Come, done pulpit exchanges, and every year we hold a big Christmas service in the Minster. That’s a real high point.
SF-H: Sometimes traditional churches can be sniffy about new ones. Do Ground Level ministers face that?
RB: In some places, yes. But there’s been a shift. Traditional churches are realising they can’t resource everything, and newer churches bring energy and resources. I’ve seen this openness grow in the last 10–15 years, which is very encouraging.
SF-H: How did you get started with ecumenism and Churches Together in England more specifically…
RB: My journey into ecumenism was very practical—someone literally put a hand on my shoulder and asked me to step in. I think they chose me partly because of my experience in Beverley and because I had some academic qualifications, which is rarer in our network. Many of our leaders emerge organically without formal theological training.
SF-H: Do you think class and education shape access to ecumenical spaces?
RB: It does make a difference. Many of our leaders haven’t gone through formal education because the movement has been suspicious of formal theological education, thinking it might dilute faith. But I pursued a degree to deepen my understanding, and I believe it helps in ecumenical dialogue.
We don’t use titles—we value people and their gifts, not their positions. Most of our leaders start out working-class, but the faith journey often lifts them socioeconomically.
SF-H: Ground Level is known for operating with a lot of volunteers and very few employed staff. How does that bi-vocational model impact engagement in ecumenism?
RB: It’s a real challenge. Most of our churches were started by leaders who also held other jobs. Being bi-vocational requires more commitment, and it often takes a toll on families. Ecumenical activities, especially during the workday, can be hard for bi-vocational leaders to attend. So I think it’s important that those who are in full-time ministry understand this and create structures that make room for bi-vocational leaders to engage. That might mean rethinking meeting times or formats. It’s a bit like how we say we want people with disabilities to access a space, but we don’t build ramps. If we really want everyone to engage, we have to structure for inclusion, not just hope for it.
SF-H: What lessons have you learned from your ecumenical work?
RB: Listening. Really listening without jumping in with my own perspective. I used to argue a lot, but now I value sitting with disagreement and still walking together.
It’s broadened my understanding of different church traditions. Sitting with a Catholic bishop and an Orthodox priest discussing (the theologian) N.T. Wright was eye-opening. I’ve come to deeply appreciate worship styles and theologies that were completely unfamiliar to me.
SF-H: Let’s shift to young people. What role do you see them playing in ecumenism?
RB: They’re not tomorrow’s church—they’re today’s. Their honesty, clarity, and passion are vital. We must make space for them, not just in youth settings but in the wider body. I lead a home group with younger adults because I believe in investing in them.
Also, younger people from different traditions mix far more freely. That’s something we older generations can learn from—we need more fluid, open dialogue.
SF-H: As you look to the future, where would you like to see ecumenism in the UK—let’s say 10, 15, 20 years from now?
RB: I think there are two key issues to highlight. First, there are places where people only see the traditional churches, not Pentecostal and charismatic ones, as “the church.” That needs to open up. If we want to have a real impact, we need to embrace Christians across the whole spectrum. We’re living in a culture that has been, in many ways, anti-Christian for years. In that context, unity allows us to speak powerfully together. Lone voices often go unheard, but united voices can influence culture.
Second, we need to move from playing at unity to actually being united. One of my greatest griefs is that we can’t take communion together—that’s painful. My heart is to see churches truly receiving one another as brothers and sisters—working together for the sake of the Kingdom, without preconceptions or barriers. We are greater together than the sum of our parts. That’s not just a slogan—it’s the vision Christ left for us in John 17. It’s powerful, and it needs to be lived out. Our unity testifies to the world. It’s not just an ideal—it’s a Gospel imperative.