Those Spearheading New Springs

The Leaders

Rev Phil Weaver

NEW SPRINGS UK was founded and is directed by Phil Weaver. It is a ministry that is committed to seeing the extension of God's Kingdom across the UK. As an ordained minister with over 30 years experience Phil has been involved in church planting, church growth, evangelism and leadership training at every level. He has initiated and hosted many leadership conferences and been at the fore in evangelism spearheading a number of effective local, regional and national evangelistic strategies.

Through his ministry he has seen a significant number of people come to Christ and find their rightful place in the Kingdom of God.

Phil travels extensively throughout the UK speaking at churches, celebrations, conferences, and leadership and evangelistic-based events - operating right across the various denominations, streams and groupings. Phil is an author. His latest book is entitled "The Bakers Dozen." He has also produced and published a number of effective discipleship and growth resources.

Phil trained at theological college for 3 years in Edgbaston, Birmingham during the mid-seventies. After graduating from Bible College his first church was in Runcorn, Cheshire. On his first Sunday the congregation comprised of two older ladies, one blind and one deaf, and Phil's wife Helen. After seeing considerable growth in the church, three years later he found himself moving to pastor a church in the valleys of South Wales in the town of Merthyr Tydfil. Phil eventually moved from Wales again after seeing the church grow and moved to Loughborough for the first time where he pastored the local Elim church for almost 8 years. It was here where he experienced major growth in the church holding four services on a Sunday to accommodate all of the congregation. From there he moved to become the Regional Superintendent of the London Region of the Elim Pentecostal Churches, where he oversaw well over 130 local churches, branch works and satellite congregations and their ministers. Six or so years later he moved back to Loughborough in Leicestershire to establish New Springs UK and the New Springs International Christian Church.

Phil originally comes from Stoke-on-Trent and is married to Helen who hails from Kirkintilloch in Scotland. She also is a pastor at New Springs. Phil and Helen have two grown-up sons Nathan and Matt. Phil's hobbies include TV drama, soap opera, reading and football. He supports Port Vale F.C. (he and 3 others!)

Phil Weaver's ministry is visionary, inspirational and motivational. Humour features a lot when he speaks. He is definitely a big man with a big vision.

Pastor David Holmes

Pastor Davide Holmes joined the staff as senior pastor at New Springs in October 2006 with his wife Alison and two children. He had actually had connection with the New Springs organisation for serveral years previous to this as he served as a trustee.

David's background saw him grow up in a coal mining village in Derbyshire, and himself qualifying as miner, in fact a mechanical engineer. He later worked for Castrol Oils as an engineer. It was whilst here that David and his wife Alison felt God's call on their lives to move to Zimbabwe as full time missionaries. In Zimbabwe David aquired a diploma in theology from the South African Assemblies of God. In Africa they ran a correspondence Bible college which trained many African ministers. They assisted in planting several new churches. They also built a recording studio, producing material to be transmitted over all of Southern Africa from Christian Voice Radio, based in Zambia. As well as all this, they had their teaching, preaching, singing and pastoral ministry.

After serveral years they returned to England to pastor a church in Alfreton, Derbyshire, working alongside his brother Steven in developing a large social enterprise project which has become a national model for social entrepreneurship and community involvement. David recently set up 'Life Matters', a counselling and debt advice centre, after aquiring a PG diploma in Intragrative Counselling at Derby University.

It is from Alfreton that Pastor David and Alison moved to New Springs to work alongside Pastors Phil and Helen Weaver and the eldership.

David is a gifted singer and often ministers in song with a strong annointing. He has a clear pastoral gift and is an exceptional counsellor.

Dave and Ali have two children - Bridie and Sam - who are both still at school. As far as hobbies are concerned, David cites entertaining, good food, walking, reading and football, that is if Derby County can be classed as being into football!

Pastor Helen Weaver

Helen Weaver is married to Phil and is a minister in her own rite. She studied theology in the mid seventies at the Birmingham Bible Institute. She too has been in the ministry over 30 years. She has been extensively involved in leadership and church planting and equiping people for ministry extensively.

For several years she was the new church/free church chaplain at Loughborough University. She is particularly involved in prayer and pastoral care. She is a gifted administrator and also works as the PA to the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God of Great Britain, based in Nottingham.

Helen and Phil have two grown up sons and two grandchildren.

Helen's hobbies include hang gliding, scuba diving and extreme sport. Well, actually that's a slight exaggeration. In actual fact she's into reading, spending time with the family and Eastenders!

The Directors/Trustees

New Springs International Christian Church Loughborough is a part of New Springs UK. As a registered Charitable Company (Reg. Charity No. 1068899, Reg. Company No. 3502355) it is subject to general law and this law requires that it be governed by a number of officially appointed Company Directors and Charity Trustees. These are the men and women who have the legal powers and responsibilities to run the affairs (notably the administration and financial affairs) of the Organisation. Their responsibility extends to all New Springs work both in this country and internationally.

One of their primary functions is to ensure that the Trust does not act outside its "Objects and Powers" as set out in its "Memorandum and Articles of Association."

The Eldership

As well as Phil Weaver and David Holmes (and their wives) we have one elder who leads in the church. His name is Ryan Atkinson and his wife is Jo.

New Springs has a unique, multi-faceted leadership structure. It embraces a number of different groupings which function in varying capacities. However, as the Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the church and therefore the head of New Springs we endeavour to reflect His priorities in all that we do and the way we do it.