Our Pastor

Steven Richards was born and raised in west London in the 1940s. In his early teens he started to attend the Covenanter group at Swan Road Baptist Church West Drayton. He was converted and baptised in his mid teens. Opportunities arose for him to be involved in the young people's work at West Drayton and he eventually became the youth leader. Shortly after he was appointed as a Deacon of the church. At the same time he was given opportunities for ministry at Swan Road and other local churches. His time at school was not the best and he left at the earliest opportunity. Initially he worked in sales in different companies and then moved to work in the buying department of Quaker Oats Ltd. During this time there were ever-increasing opportunities for preaching and it became clear that the Lord was calling him to pastoral ministry.

He married Judy in May 1970 and later that year commenced a three-year training course at South Wales Bible College. After leaving College he was called to pastor the Baptist church in Caerwent, Gwent. Steven and Judy were at Caerwent for nearly three years and it was during that time that Madeline their first child was born.

They then moved to Bear Lane Baptist Chapel in Farnham, Surrey. It was during this time that their second child Rebecca was born. This was a very small fellowship and although they were clear evidences of the Lord's blessing the church did not grow significantly. After ten years they felt that they should move and in 1986 took up the Pastorate at Barnabas Road Baptist Church Homerton.

Steven has continued to Pastor the church at Homerton, which has now changed its name to Homerton Baptist Church, and the Lord has been pleased to bless us in many ways. Both Madeline and Bec were baptised at Homerton. Madeline married Stephen Challen and they now have three daughters Andrea, Stephanie and Shania. Bec married John Silva and they have two children Ceri and Euan, and they now live in Philadelphia, USA.  The church and congregation have grown numerically and we look forward to continued blessings under Steven's ministry.

Steven is also actively involved in the work of Grace Baptist Mission and serves on the Mission Council. He is a member of the church relations committee and mission centre committee. He is one of the longest serving pastors of the Association of Grace Baptist Churches (South East) and is a member of the main committee. He was Chairman of the East District for the Association for eleven years but relinquished that position to give opportunity for someone new to serve in this way. He has been active in serving the local community and has been governor at different schools.