Mike Stear
Experience and ministry
He was ordained in 1974 and since then has ministered in Streatham South-west London, Kent, Jersey and Weymouth. Each area has been mixed - council estate, owner occupiers, flats, houses of multiple occupancy. He has been privileged to see churches grow in numbers and discipleship as members have reached out to communities with the love and the Gospel of Christ. Mike has a Masters degree in Missional Leadership.
Mike has experience in leading a small church through a period of substantial growth. His ministry has also included leading a church through a period of healing and into a time of significant growth and development following a major split prior to his appointment. Before having to take medical retirement Mike was Team Rector heading up a team of six churches with four colleagues and a total membership of well over 800. Earlier ministry also included radio work, diocesan synods, various mission and ministry working groups, part-time prison (young offenders in particular) and hospice chaplaincies, and being involved in leadership of area evangelical alliances in Jersey and Dorset/Hampshire.
The past ten years has focused on supporting leaders and their wives/husbands from across denominations and also preaching across denominational boundaries. He has been consulted by those seeking mentoring or spiritual direction, and those wanting help and encouragement in discerning God's direction for the future of their church or needing to discuss how to work through difficulties within their churches constructively.
Overseas ministry has included church leading conferences for church leaders, together with preaching, in India, Latvia and six African countries and visits to a small Bible college in South Africa as a visiting tutor.
Mike is proud to be a Yorkshireman, even though he left the county when he was two! After schooling he spent three years at Goldsmiths’ College, London, and then worked for three years as a primary school teacher on a council estate in south east London.
Mike's nominal faith gave way to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through what he saw in the lives of Christian Union leaders and the biblical teaching he heard. Joining the Billy Graham Life and Witness classes in preparation for the meetings at Earls Court in 1966 proved a real boost for his early growth as a Christian.
Mike and Angie met at Goldsmiths and were married in 1969. Angie had come to Christ as a teenager. Whilst still students they worshipped at All Souls Langham Place, Central London, for two years, benefitting enormously from the preaching of John Stott. The first time they went there he preached on Genesis 2 - The Biblical basis of marriage - but they did not take that as instant guidance!
It was whilst at Goldsmiths the sense of God’s call to ordained ministry started, although it was not until 1971 that they moved to Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, for Mike to study for Anglican ministry.
Angie retired from full time teaching in 2008 having been a primary school teacher with responsibility for special needs for many years. She continued part time for some years and was also a school governor.. She knows well the opportunities, challenges and pressures of leadership in church and school. Angie and Mike often spend time supporting and encouraging couples to work through some of the challenges they face.
Mike and Angie are blessed with two wonderful daughters and two great sons-in-law who have produced seven brilliant grandchildren - (perhaps they’re biased!).
Interests, besides enjoying family times include a varied taste in music, rugby (union variety), cricket (when it’s as exciting as the Indian Premier League!), and travel. They love entertaining and meeting people of diffe
rent nationalities and ethnicities.
To contact Mike & Angie Stear email: office@eagleswingsministries.org.uk
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