YBA Staff Team

THE YBA Team comprises:

Regional Minister Team Leader Graham Ensor who oversees the work of the Association and is responsible for collaborating with YBA colleagues to identify vision, direction and appropriate strategy that encourages the growth of healthy churches throughout the Association.
Graham's responsibilities also include pastoral support of ministers/churches in Bradford and the Craven area, overseeing safeguarding procedures and Home Mission, as well as representing the Association at national level. 

Regional Minister Clive Burnard who has specific responsibility for transitional/transformational mission; seeking to support and encourage all of us in new patterns of being church and making connections with our wider communities, as together we seek to grow healthy churches in Yorkshire.
His responsibilities include pastoral support of ministers/churches in Huddersfield and South Yorkshire.
Clive also helps us think through what it means to do things differently as we seek to communicate the good news of Jesus to a rapidly changing culture.  

Regional Minister Alex Harris, who has specific responsibilities for pioneering ministry and church planting. Alex's role is to catalyse being healthy churches, working together to see new mission ventures and new churches birthed. Alex works with individuals and churches helping start new churches, as well as working to establish accessible and excellent training and relationships that empower those called to pioneer and plant in Yorkshire. As an integral part of this Alex is also planting a new Baptist church as part of our Association. Alex represents pioneering and planting at a national level including the Firestarter network . His ongoing doctoral studies are in Church Planting in post-Christendom Europe.

Regional Minister Nike Adebajo (from September 1st, 2022) will have responsibility for churches in South Yorkshire and Huddersfield. She will also lead on justice issues in the Association and developing the Healthy Church Listening Team alongside the Blackley Centre. Nike is currently a Baptist minister who is part of Network Church Sheffield where she has served for 12 years. Prior to her time as a minister, Nike was involved in education; she was an English Lecturer and Tutor, firstly in Nigeria and then later in the UK until she spent time working for local authorities as an Equalities Officer and in housing services. Nike is a co-instigator of Sheffield Leaders in Prayer and is a facilitator for BUGB’s Just Aware justice training resource. She has also served as a YBA trustee for the past 18 months.

Regional Minister (half-time) Kez Robinson who offers support for church revitalisation and mission partnership. Her role includes developing and growing church revitalisation learning communities; facilitating missional training; overseeing all aspects of Home Mission grants; and providing Farsi advocacy. She also offers support for churches in the Leeds, Halifax and Calder Valley areas.

Trust Officer Ann Chesworth who supports and assists churches in legal, governance and property matters. Ann's role includes signposting and directing people to appropriate contacts for support; but also being the first point of contact for churches on Trust issues. Ann works alongside the Baptist Union Corporation in supporting YBA churches and facilitates work through the YBA Trust Group. She is also minister at Harrogate Baptist Church.

Discipleship Enabler Peter Dunn, who networks churches together who want to experiment with Disciple Making Movement principles. He oversees Biglife Bradford and connects people together who are passionate to church plant by adopting Biglife Ministries values.

Children, Youth and Families Enabler Jodie Thorpe, who offers support and training to our churches as they seek to develop work with children, youth and families. Jodie serves on the National Baptists Together Children, Youth and Families Round Table. Jodie is passionate that people of all ages should have opportunities to explore spirituality, for families to worship together and that children and young people are valued and belong in our local churches.

Digital and Comms Lead Dan Morrell has extensive knowledge of working with churches and other organisations through his own company, Media for Ministry, and through his links with the United Reformed Church. This includes the use of digital media to enhance mission and ministry along with building websites, offering social media and livestreams systems training, and exploring what hybrid means to us as a church. Dan recently served part-time as Children’s and Youth Outreach Worker with Emmanuel Church, Waterthorpe, Sheffield – a Local Ecumenical Partnership church and member of the YBA.

Administration Team is the engine room of the YBA and offers support to the regional team while also being the first point of contact for churches when they connect with the YBA. The admin team comprises:

(Temp) Finance Officer Hannah Harris - deals with all administrative finance matters. She works closely with our Treasurer; supports the work of the Finance Group; and administers custodian funds for member churches. 

Association Administrator  Debbie Gamble - provides PA/admin support to the Association; supports and facilitates our Executive and working groups; is first point of contact for Data Protection and Safeguarding matters; and generally keeps the admin wheels turning!

Admin Assistant Julie "Joolz" Crabtree - works closely with the Association Administrator to provide effective admin support to the whole team; leads, develops and implements our communications and social media strategy; and does anything else that might be asked of her.