Lent Address Week - 'Where is Love?'

Rachel lives on a farm, works for a church (St. Michael’s, Braintree), is married to Adam and has two children who are prep-school age. Rachel worked in education for many years, first as a teacher and then as an Assistant Head. Rachel’s days are filled with visiting schools, helping on the farm and much more. In her spare time Rachel enjoys the Essex countryside with her dog, Cherry, and catching up with friends.

Lesley Showunmi

Lesley is married to Segun and has two children both of whom are now at Felsted in the Senior School.  Lesley enjoys walking her dog Comet, reading Christian literature and writing. Lesley is a teacher who enjoys tutoring and working with vulnerable young people and people with a variation of learning needs. 
Lesley is a member of the Felsted Parish Council.

Steph Bryant

Steph studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, specialising in Conservation Science, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. (Surprisingly for some, this is where she became a Christian.) Since then, she has been involved in various conservation and communication projects, from studying wolves in Bulgaria, to frogs and salmon in Canada, and working with local communities and landowners to reduce human-wildlife conflict.

Steph is passionate about helping people to take care of the natural world. 

Cara Parret

Cara grew up in South Africa, where she fell in love with the ocean and the idea of exploring and protecting the world’s wild places and animals. After studying marine biology and oceanography at the University of Cape Town she has had an amazing time travelling to different countries, learning about different cultures and working on the challenge of how we can protect the world’s diverse ecosystems and environment. Any spare time is spent singing, cat cuddling or following the ups and downs of Newcastle United Football Club.

Ana Jones

Dr Ana Jones is a Biologist. Ana was born in Portugal where she became a Christian and where she studied Developmental and Evolutionary Biology. She then came to the UK, where she did a Master’s in Neuroscience and a PhD in Biomedical Science. Studying the early development of the zebrafish brain and inner ear and seeing how bodies work in such a complex, amazing and clever way makes her admire God and his creation even more. 

Lizzie Henderson

Lizzie studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, specialising in Evolutionary and Behavioural Biology, Geology and the History and Philosophy of Science. She has always loved asking and discussing tough questions about absolutely everything, especially when it comes to exploring how science and faith fit together. 

James is a minister in training in the Church of England. For 6 years before this he taught English at a multisite comprehensive school in Dagenham, East London. Living in the Essex countryside has felt like a big change and he has enjoyed exploring the local lines on his road bike. Outside of work he enjoys catching up with friends, heading to the mountains or heading to the coast for some waves.

 Tim Abbott 

Tim is leading our Lent Address Prayer Space in the Marshall Centre. He has worked for local charities for a number of years but now heads up the national team for Prayer Spaces for Schools.  His wife Diana is a teacher in an alternative provision school and also leads Colchester Deaf Church, and they have two sons, one a Chemistry teacher in an independent school and the other a wildlife film maker specialising in sharks.

 Titus Waldock

Titus grew up in Cambridge but spent his university days studying Natural Sciences and exploring the chilly Northumberland coastline with friends. Now working in Oxford he enjoys playing rugby for a local club, trying the most exotic ice cream flavours and when he gets the chance is always keen for a game of cricket. 

 Kirsty Anderson-Taylor

Kirsty lives on a small farm near Pleshey. She is a Governor at Felsted Primary school where she helps with assemblies. Kirsty and her husband Gordon live on a smallholding with Alan the dog, 2 ponies, chickens and 9 rare breed goats. They also have two daughters 28 and 26. Kirsty milks the goats and makes soap from it which she sells. They live the (almost) self-sufficient lifestyle with so much milk/cheese/eggs and veg!

 Tim Dosser

 Tim is an OF (Elywn’s, C 1st XV Rugby) and married to Ray (an artist printmaker). They have two daughters (19 and 17) and a disobedient Wire Fox Terrier, Giacometti. Tim loves all watersports: from yachting somewhere hot to paddling out on a longboard or SUP in North Cornwall. He is on the team at St Ebbe’s, a city-centre church in Oxford. Tim is leading the Lent Guest Team.

 Ben Thomas

Ben qualified as a Doctor in 2003, working full-time in the hospital setting. In 2016, he obtained a Consultant post in Neurosciences Intensive Care Medicine and Anaesthesia, but now works part-time alongside his role at the OCCA. Ben is a keen runner (Forrest Gump style!), musician and cook and loves spending time with family and friends.

 Susannah Townsend

Having studied English Language and Literature at Oxford University, she is always excited to return to all her old library haunts. When not reading a book, she may be found wild swimming, climbing, or at the theatre.

 Sara Stevenson

Sara has an Education Degree in Religious Studies from Queens University, Belfast. She also has an MSc Degree in Philosophy of Science and Religion from the University of Edinburgh and has a certificate in apologetics from OCCA. Sara has previously been the Head of Department in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics in Wallace High School, Northern Ireland.