Meet the Team
Gerry Arnold (Leadership Team)
John Callaghan (Leadership Team)
Tim Merriman (Leadership Team)
Steve Udall (Leadership Team)
Michael Arnold (Church Administrator)
Gerry has been married to John since 1975. They have two children and seven grandchildren. Gerry was trained as a primary teacher and has taught in a number of local schools over the years. Nowadays, as well as working for the church she is a link tutor which involves visiting trainee teachers when they are in schools. Gerry has also run a number of parenting courses as a volunteer with the national charity ‘Positive Parenting’.
As a member of the leadership team Gerry is an organiser, so it falls to her to pull together many of our activities and liaise with the various teams. She is often involved with pastoral matters in church. She is a team player and a problem solver who loves to encourage people as they grow into maturity and see that God is so much bigger than we ever realise.
John is married to Penny and they have three children and four grandchildren. Both have retired from teaching having taught in Petersfield Schools for many years. John has a wealth of experience in youth work, which is currently being outworked in the King’s Arms youth project, where he is Chair of Trustees. John is passionate about UNITY amongst all the Christians in Petersfield and has twice been Chair of Petersfield Area Churches Together, (PACT) and he and Gerry (Arnold) regularly meet with ministers from other churches.
John is passionate about our church vision ‘To be Jesus in the Community’ and helped start the Petersfield Town Chaplaincy, serving and supporting people in businesses in the town. He regularly connects with leaders in the Pioneer stream of churches, of which Life Church is a partner. He has been engaged in the ‘Restorative Justice Programme in our local prison HMP Winchester and seeks ways to promote this message in schools.
Tim joined the leadership team in 2020 following being a member of Life Church for many years. He is married to Gill and they have three children who have grown up in the church. Tim’s passion is to see people’s lives being transformed, whether at work where he runs projects or in church where he has led many different groups over the years.
As a member of the leadership team, Tim wants to serve those in the community and Life Church Petersfield. He would love to help everyone to learn about the love God has for each of us and help each and every one reach the full potential God has for us.
Bio to follow
Belinda is retired from teaching Art and Design at Bohunt School, a post she held for more than 30 years. She now runs the Christian Arts Group, encouraging and working alongside like-minded people enabling them to develop their confidence, skills and self-esteem in a variety of different Art and Craft forms. She enjoys singing and is part of Life Church worship band, is also part of the Chaplaincy team and Prayer Impact. Belinda runs the monthly knit and Knatter group in the Leisure Centre bringing together people with shared interest and for fellowship.
Mike is our church administrator. He lives in Petersfield (where he has lived since moving in 1982) with his wife Rebecca and his four children. He works four mornings a week in our Chapel Street church office. In his “spare” time he is an author, being the country’s foremost writer of 17th century historical fiction. He has had 12 novels published.
Life Church Petersfield is a charity registered with the Charity Commission (Charity number 1015031).
As such, we have a board of Trustees. They are:
John Arnold (Treasurer)
John Callaghan (ex officio)
Pippa Collingwood
Tim Merriman (ex officio)
Dave Parkes
Belinda Shaw (Chair)
Chair of Trustees, Belinda Shaw