Alan and Cathy West retire from LCF January 2017

Alan West and his wife Cathy stopped being senior pastor of Luton Christian Fellowship on Sunday 29th January 2017. They had been leading the church for over 30 years.

I haven’t been attending the church very long. I started going just before I went to Sri Lanka in 2013 so I can’t claim to know them very well, but the story of their work in the church is such a great story and there isn’t anything about it on the website, although if you asked for the recording of Alan’s inspiring service on Sunday 22nd January, he tells it then http://www.lcf.biz/home. I can’t mention all the exact names because I don’t know them all really well either and might get them wrong. Mine is not the definitive 100% accurate story!

Apparently LCF started in a little tin hut on Dallow Road which I vaguely remember. A small group of about 10, many of whom still attend the church, then bought the premises at the bottom of London Road. I believe at that time, the balcony level had been filled in and was a separate floor. The whole building was significantly renovated last year.

This group brought it to the level it is today. I think about 500 attended the service last Sunday, but they must have some 700 registered at least. What several of that original group did was retire early and spend 2-3 days every week helping Alan for nothing. Different exceptional people have come and gone over the years, but they have all added to the mix which is eclectic, globally culturally diverse, musically and arts driven awesome and with a large children’s ministry.

I respect Alan and Cathy hugely. I can’t comment on all the great things they have done for other people, but I can say that when a member of the congregation disclosed something to me I was gravely concerned about I passed the details on through my life group leaders immediately and they both went out of their way to try and offer support even though they couldn’t change the outcome. God gives people choices!

They are so modest in how they live and dress – their values so congruent with how they present themselves. It never fails to move me. Cathy is the more extrovert one, but Alan speaks from the heart and gets me every time. He also gives me confidence about the value of being myself. Church goers can be a bit pretentious about their godliness, but he isn’t.

He presented J2 with his certificate for his teaching qualification which is fitting as Alan is an ex Millwall player. J2 told me that a fellow student said to him at the event, ‘ he must be religious – he is just so nice’. Alan is immeasurably nice and both of them have the most beautiful smiles.

They had the grace and maturity to go at a time of their choosing, ensuring a good ending and handing over of the baton.

This blog post is my personal show of respect. They did a fantastic job albeit with fantastic help and just to have observed them is to reflect on your own Christian journey. Thank you both. I wish you only good things for your future going forward.