Who's Who
A little bit about some of our members
Reverend Simon Atkinson
Simon has been our pastor since September 2006 having moved from Long Whatton in Leicestershire with his family. Before coming into ministry he worked as a Practice Manager for a local Doctors surgery for 5 years and as a Branch Manager for 13 years with W H Smiths.
As well as leading the church he is the Chaplain to Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club and as a Chaplain he is a member of Sports Chaplaincy UK.
Rebekah Brooks
Rebekah Brooks- Church Administrator - Trustee
Geraint Hughes
Geraint Hughes - Church Treasurer - Trustee
Following a long career as a Librarian and Senior Manager in Devon's Public Libraries and School Library Service, Geraint is now bringing his experience to being our Church Treasurer. He works with a small team and is responsible for ensuring that the church's finances are stewarded well on behalf of the fellowship including accounts, banking, investments and assistance with fundraising.
He and his wife Katie have been members at Brixington since they arrived with their young family in 1991.
Debby Goodwin
Debby Goodwin - Trustee
I came to Brixington Community Church around 2009.
I was invited to attend an Alpha Course which I did and started to attend church on a Sunday morning. I was Baptised here at Brixington Community Church in 2013.
During the last few years, I have gone from making coffee and tea to helping at family events and supporting the team at Messy Church and Shine After School Club. I also assist in running stalls at craft fairs to raise funds for the Church Building Fund. Occasionally I help with the school assemblies
I am a qualified chef and enjoy making cakes - from wedding cakes to cupcakes and everything in between. In my spare time I also enjoy gardening and DIY projects.
Jamie Burns
Jamie Burns - Safeguarding Trustee
Maria Carvalho
Maria Carvalho - Trustee
I am Portuguese and was born in Mozambique, Africa.
In 1970 I qualified as a Red Cross Nurse and as a Company Secretary.
I was married to Tony in 1975 and we immigrated (fled) to Rhodesia.
I became a Christian in 1985, and my walk with the Lord went from strength to strength. I served the church as a Sunday School Teacher, then in 1997 I did Mission and Humanitarian work becoming the Southern African Mission's President of the Church of the Nazarene in Harare, where my love for mission solidified.
At the same time, I graduated from a Bible School called "Bible Study Fellowship" where I was trained as Class Administrator, Discussion Leader and Children's Leaders Supervisor.
I came to London in 1998 and moved to Exmouth at the end of 2004. Where I joined Brixington Community Church (BCC) in 2005.
In 2011 I became involved with the Life2Romania charity and have been doing mission work since then. This has included launching and co-ordinating the Shoebox project which continues to grow each year.
I became a Trustee in November 2018 and now have a particular responsibility for Communications.
Norman Fryer-Saxby
Norman Fryer-Saxby - Elder
It was at a Boys Brigade camp in 1960, listening to Isaiah 53 being read that I realised I needed Jesus to be my Saviour and Lord. Baptised in 1963 at the age of sixteen, I have been blessed to be part of four Baptist Churches since then, before moving to Exmouth and Brixington Community Church in 2019. I have been able to serve the Lord and His people in many different ways including becoming a Deacon, Secretary and Elder.
My career was in the bus and coach industry, first in engineering design and manufacture, then several senior management posts in operations and business management. I have been able to voluntarily serve the wider community in Berkshire, as a magistrate for thirty-one years.
Val and I married in 1970 and have one son, three daughters and, soon to be, six grandchildren.
As a family we have been recipients of God's grace and blessed enormously. During some really difficult times our testimony is that 'the joy of the Lord has been our strength'.
Gillian Haggerty
Gillian Haggerty - Trustee
Bradley Goodwin
Bradley Goodwin - Youth & Children's Worker
Bradley became a Christian at the age of 12 and was baptised on his 16th birthday here at Brixington Community Church back in May 2013. Since then, Bradley has had a couple of different jobs including working at CTCRM, Lympstone and The Range, Exmouth working in the office and customer services. After leaving The Range in 2018 Bradley decided with the blessing of the Church, to join Southwest Youth Ministries (SWYM).
Bradley spent two years at SWYM studying Applied Theology and Leadership Theology. After finishing his two years of study with SWYM in July 2020, Bradley was asked by the Church to join the team as their Youth and Children’s Worker where he has over come challenges and continued to grow the children's work here at Brixington Community Church
Robert Smith
Robert Smith - Trustee
Michael Greaves
Michael Greaves - Trustee