Meet the staff team
From 1st September 2025
Ministers: Rev Stephen Willey and Rev Ben Haslam
Lay ministry (Church and Community): Bill Caldwell
Rev Stephen
Stephen has offered ministry in Britain as detached youth worker, pastoral worker and Methodist Minister. He has worked in Bromsgrove, Consett, Hull, Bradford, Birmingham (including chaplaincy at the NEC Group) and at Coventry Central Hall.
For several years, Stephen offered industrial chaplaincy alongside his work with church congregations. He helped establish a regional anti-trafficking network to work against exploitation and abuse and he remains committed to seeing people's potential fulfilled inside and beyond the church, especially amongst those who are vulnerable or living in challenging circumstances.
Stephen says that he believes prayer, reflective and focused on God, is at the heart of his most effective ministry though he is not always as attentive to this as he would like to be.He goes on to say, "I believe it is not only in strengths that ministry is realised, but also in weaknesses, and I have plenty of those! At the heart of my vocation is Christ who commanded us: Love God and Love your neighbour as yourself. In relation to this, I find myself concerned with the causes of distress in our communities. How can we be so present in this world that generosity, tenderness, forgiveness and love are fully expressed in global, national, regional and local contexts? I feel what I might call a "prophetic energy" in relation to this."
Stephen's first degree was in Psychology (BSc), he met his wife at the Taizé community where they were both volunteers. They have two grown up children. He studied theology at the Queens Foundation and has researched early Protestant Mission amongst native American people. He speaks some French and enjoys cycling and walking.
Rev Ben Haslam
Ben hails from Yorkshire and studied theology at Cliff College and Durham before serving as a Lay Pastor for two Methodist churches in South West London. That’s where he candidated for the ministry and subsequently took up his first appointment in Milton Keynes – which gave him valuable experience of working ecumenically and in varying contexts. His second appointment was over in the West Country, which spanned a lively, multicultural city church in Exeter, to a remote rural church famous for its farmhouse spreads. He now adds to his experience by joining this brand new circuit in the Black Country.
Ben’s passion is for pastoral ministry, biblical preaching and teaching, and loves nothing more than encouraging churches in using their gifts and graces in God’s service. He finds this ministry to be both a joy and a privilege. Being church together can be a challenge but is rewarding, inspiring and even fun! Alongside this ministry, good food, a good view and a good book make him very happy. He enjoys history, a wide range of literature and exploring the countryside. He enjoys leading small groups and Bible studies and is a member of Methodist Evangelicals Together.
Mr Bill Caldwell
Info to follow