Meet The Team

Rev Sam Q. Griffiths, Pastor

Sam has been Pastor at WBC since 2001 and lives in Wellington with his wife Claire and 3 grown up children. Before moving to Wellington, he was the Pastor of Oundle Baptist Church in Northamptonshire for 9 years.

Sam is active in the community in the local primary schools where he takes regular assemblies and occasional classes. He is the Chaplain to the local branch of the Royal British Legion. He is also one of the representatives of the South West Baptist Association on the Chaplaincy Advisory Panel of Taunton School and is the District/Network Minister for the Wessex District of Baptist Churches, which covers an area from Minehead in the West, Montacute in the East and Brigewater in the North and which numbers around ten churches in all. He has been a member of the Baptist Union Council in recent years.

Sam trained at Spurgeon's College in South London from 1988-1992, qualifying with a Degree in Theology and a Diploma in Pastoral Studies. He is a Pastor and a communicator with a track record of down to earth consistent passionate biblical preaching and teaching with a desire to communicate in practical ways using an array of different methods and styles

His gifting has an emphasis on turning churches around into healthy functioning missional and ministry families where growth naturally then takes place. Prominent are gifts of leadership, vision, strategy; steadily and sensitively bringing change.

His ministry style is down to earth, relaxed, informal, genuine, and non-stuffy and with the use of humour to engage and formality when required

Over the years Sam has been impacted by The Purpose Driven Church, which included a sabbatical at Saddleback Church, California, and more recently by Emotionally Healthy Spirituality.

He has been an Accredited Minister of the Baptist Union for over 30 years.

As well as leading various UK Baptist Churches, he has also ministered in Eastern Europe, and North America.

Sam also writes a blog which can be found here.

If you would like to contact Sam, please contact the office.

Karen Mullen, Church Administrator

My name is Karen and I have been the Church Administrator since 2007. I am in the office Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and Friday morning dealing with a variety of tasks involving the church site and management of our worship centre, halls and offices.

I am married to James, one of our Elders, and we have 4 children. I am involved in our Women's Study Group and am part of the Pastoral Care Team.

My hobbies include spending time with the family, gardening and knitting, and telling really bad jokes!

James Mullen, Elder

My name is James Mullen and I am married to Karen. We have 4 children and 3 grandchildren, and we also foster teenagers. I came to know the Lord back in 2000 via Alpha and was baptised by full immersion shortly after. Karen and I joined the church back in 2002 shortly before the birth of our youngest son.

Over the past 24 years I have been actively involved in the church life serving wherever needed; leading house groups, being a part of or leading the evangelism team and, along with Karen being responsible for the children's/youthwork. I have served on the sound desk team. I have preached/led services on several occasions.

Currently I serve as an Elder with oversight in regards of Evangelism as part of my role on the leadership team. I am also a part of the PA team on Sunday mornings.

I have previously served on the leadership as deacon and more recently as elder.

I am currently a custody officer for Taunton Crown Court. I love this job because you get to interact with lots of different people; it has taught me much about God's love, mercy, and forgiveness. It has taught me about the importance of being non-judgemental and about what it really means to love thy neighbour.

The job has shown me how to trust God on a deeper level than I had previously experienced; it has also helped me learn about coping with all sorts of interesting situations!

I am very practical and hands on and fully prepared to do whatever is needed to make the church function and move forward.

Chris Wallwork, Deacon & Safeguarding Trustee

Chris is our safeguarding trustee, and has been part of the WBC family for over ten years now. Chris has in his second stint as a deacon of our church, and he enjoys serving God and the church in this way.

A former youth worker here at WBC (hence the grey hair!) he now works locally as a counsellor, providing support to the local community through this work.

He is married to Helen, and they have three young children. They also help to lead one of our pastoral care groups.

David White, Deacon & Worship Team Leader

I grew up in the Bath area in the 1960s & 70s. I am not from a family that has any Christian tradition, but from an early age somehow, I knew I liked God and wanted to know more! When I was 14 I was baptised by immersion. My family did not understand where all this 'religion' had come from, but in most cases, they let me get on with it. I then attended a Baptist church in the morning and a Pentecostal church in the evening.

At the age of 16 in 1978 I left home and moved to Taunton to be a church organ builder. I attended the Assemblies of God Pentecostal Church in Taunton for several years. I was the youth worker for 5 years, took Sunday school and played piano for all the meetings.

In 1985 I moved to Rockwell Green and worked at Relyon – the local bedding factory where I worked for 18 years. I also met up with some Christian friends in Rockwell Green and eventually we formed the Rockwell Green Christian Fellowship. I ran the youth work and led worship there for many years.

I met my wife, Rachel, at the fellowship in 2001 and in 2002 we both started to attend WBC, where we later married. Since then, our four children have grown up in the church and two have been baptised at WBC.

Rachel is the head of a local school and I have a thriving business teaching piano in the area.

Rachel and I have been members for many years and have been leading worship for most of that time. I have been a deacon since May 2024.

Ben Sellick, Deacon & Children's Ministry Lead

My name is Ben Sellick and I am approaching my 40th year with a deep sense of gratitude for the journey that has shaped both my faith and my career. My Christian life began in childhood, attending Sunday school at Bulford Family Church, where the foundations of my belief were first laid. I was baptised at the age of 11, marking an early commitment to follow Christ.

During my teenage years, I experienced a period of uncertainty, living what I would describe as a life "on the fence," navigating the challenges and distractions of the world. Despite this, I have always recognised that God's hand never left me. There was a persistent pull on my heart and an ongoing call back to Him.

At the age of 19, while attending a baptism service at Wellington Baptist Church, I encountered a defining moment. Feeling a strong and unexpected prompting, I responded by recommitting my life to God and was baptised again, spontaneously and wholeheartedly. This marked a turning point in my faith journey.

At 21, I faced the sudden loss of my mother. This was a profoundly difficult time, and while my faith was shaken, it ultimately became the very thing that sustained me. My belief in the Gospel and the hope found in Christ provided strength and stability during a season of grief.

Soon after, I felt called to step out in faith in a new way. I left my role in a care home and spent a year working with a Christian charity on one of the most challenging estates in Salford. There, I had the privilege of sharing God's love and the message of the Gospel in a community facing significant hardship. What began as a year became a much longer chapter, as I went on to live in Salford for around eight years.

In time, I married my wife Jo, and together we returned to Wellington, where we became part of the Wellington Baptist Church community. We are now blessed with our daughter, Julieta. Within the church, I have served as a deacon for two terms in the past, and have now just begun another term. I have been the leader of the children's ministry (Allsorts) investing in the spiritual growth of younger generations.

Professionally, I serve as a Registered Manager for Bluebird Care, a domiciliary care provider. I view this role not simply as a career, but as a significant part of my ministry leading teams, supporting individuals, and striving to model compassion, integrity, and servant leadership in a practical, everyday context.

In recent months, I have felt an increasing sense of God's call on my life, with a growing awareness that a new season may be approaching. I remain open and prayerful, seeking to follow wherever He leads next, with a continued desire to serve faithfully and wholeheartedly.

Devin Abrahams, Elder

I have been a Christian since 1971, when I committed my life to Jesus at an Easter Friday Service. In 1976 Winnie and I were married and due to our work commitments, she a nurse and I a policeman, attended church very irregularly until 1986/87. During this time my son Bryan was born, and we emigrated from Zimbabwe to South Africa. In 1987 my daughter Gwyneth, who many of you know, was born. I re-dedicated my life to God and have faithfully served him ever since.

God brought us to the United Kingdom in 2001/02. He brought us to Wellington, and we have been here ever since. We joined the Baptist Church and were soon involved in the life of the Church. I initially served as a deacon, then held a part time role as the Church Administrator. On the sudden death of our treasurer, I resumed the responsibility for the finance of the church, which I held until we left the church in 2011, feeling God had called us to a "change of scenery". After much searching we found our home at Rockwell Green Christian Fellowship, where I served as an elder until God again called us back to Wellington Baptist Church. Since returning I have been involved in the Projection and PA, helped with maintenance, started to again help with the youth. I have been privileged to preach on several occasions and now run a Bible Study Group. Two years ago I joined the finance team of the church.

I take the responsibility of leadership, and in particular eldership very seriously. I believe God can use me to contribute to the leadership and vision of the church now and into the future. Being retired, though with less energy, I have more time to dedicate to helping the church achieve what God has in store for it.

Sophie Molyneux, Deacon & Youth Ministry Lead

I am a Deacon and also lead the youth work at Wellington Baptist Church. I am married to Carl and we have 2 children. We have been at WBC for over 10 years. We all enjoy being part of the WBC family and contributing to church life.

I work locally as a GP. In my spare time I enjoy gardening, running and playing board games. I also sometimes sing with the worship team and help with Warm Place.

Mireyo Tshikhudo, Deacon

My name is Mireyo Tshikhudo, though in all my legal papers my name has a y but I prefer to write it with no y, that is Mireo. I am married to Edward Tshikhudo and we are blessed with 4 children, 2 girls and 2 boys and the youngest is 16 years old.

I grew up in a Presbyterian church from when I was young, going to Sunday school and youth programmes until I got married to my husband. It was then that I moved church and joined his church, Reformed Church.

I am a born again Christian and I have seen Jesus walking with me throughout my whole life. He had been holding my hand through my darkest and my joyful days. I will always put my trust in him. He is my true shepherd - Psalm 23.

I came to the United Kingdom in 2004 joining my husband who came a year before me in 2003 to work as a nurse in the health and social care industry following his recruitment by the United Kingdom government. We lived in Milton Keynes until my husband and I decided to move to Somerset in 2020. Due to covid, we did not look for church but continued to pray at home with our children.

After Covid we felt it was important to look for a church where we would be able to worship God with other Christians. We then joined Wellington Baptist church, if my memory serves me right, I think it was in 2024, unfortunately I can't remember the month.

We have been coming to church here since and I have been involved in the home group which meets on Wednesdays. I am also part of the women's group which also meets once a month, and the worship group. It has been a blessing to find myself in a church where I continue to grow, share, exercise my faith and get the opportunity to be part of the Christian family and fellowship together.

Other Ways to Serve

There are many other ways to serve in the church and each role is valued in helping the church to run smoothly! Like all churches we have numerous ministries that operate week in and out in the life of the fellowship. Some have been going for a long time, others are more recent. The list that follows are some of the teams that operate in WBC and will give you a taste of the life of the church:

Finance; Safeguarding; Administration; Maintenance; Health & Safety; Communications; Gardening & Lawn Care; Pastoral Care; Catering; Flowers; Evangelism; Alpha; Overseas Mission; Worship; Projection & PA; Communion; Puppets; Banners; Welcome; Prayer Ministry; Drama; Intercession; House Groups; Preaching; Church Weekend Away; Children and Youth Ministry.

Ministry in WBC is never limited to this list! If someone comes along with fresh and new gifting then more often than not a new ministry is begun.