Who we are
A Church seeking to glorify God
Christ Church Central Leeds is a Presbyterian church led by a team of elders who together have responsibility for shepherding the flock. All elders are accountable to the presbytery: the group of other elders in the denomination.
Our Team
Leadership
Jonty Rhodes
Minister/Elder
Jonty is married to Georgina, and they have four girls and a boy. He trained for ministry at Oak Hill Theological College in London, and has served as Assistant Minister at St. Alkmund’s Church in Duffield, and Minister at Christ Church Derby.
Matt Shortman
Elder
Matt is married to Jen, and they live on the east side of Leeds with their four children. After working for a bank, Matt spent five years in ministry working for the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship and Christ Church Derby. He is now a civil servant working on government policy.
Peter Wood
Elder
Peter is married to Juliette. They have three grown-up children and eight grandchildren. Before his retirement and move back to Yorkshire, Peter worked in corporate communications for British Gas and subsequently as a member of the senior management team at Oak Hill Theological College.
David Porteous
Elder
David is married to Helen and lives in South Yorkshire. Most of his working life has been spent working with the National Health Service. He is now enjoying his retirement.
Staff
Zac Leach
Trainee Minister
After two years as a Ministry Trainee at Christ Church Central, Zac completed his theological training at Reformed Theological Seminary and is happy to now be back in Leeds! He and his wife Kate have three children.
Brett McAlpin
Ops Mgr/Elder
Brett and his wife, Valerie, have two girls and two boys. Before being called to ministry Brett worked for a multinational corporation in America. He attended Birmingham Theological Seminary (USA) and served seven years as a missionary in Bulgaria helping to strengthen and plant churches.
Rachael Young
Student & Children's Worker
Rachael moved (south!) from Newcastle to Leeds in 2019 to study History and Russian.
After graduating, she did 2 years as a Ministry Trainee at Christ Church Central, including 6 months working in Nairobi, Kenya supporting mission partners. She took her teapot with her.
Denomination
Christ Church Central Leeds is a congregation of the International Presbyterian Church, which was founded in 1954 through the ministry of Francis Schaeffer, and now has congregations across the UK, Europe and South Korea.