Minister leaves church for new challenge

Rev Afflu said he had mixed emotions about leaving Ipswich for a new challenge in Ilford in east London

A minister said he had mixed emotions about leaving a church in Suffolk, to take charge of a larger one in east London.

Senior pastor, Harold Afflu, has been at the Ipswich International Church (IIC), in Burlington Road, for 24 years, making him its longest serving minister.

He said: "I am excited for the new challenge, but sad on another level because we'd made so many friends.

"This place has been like a real family for us all - our children were born here..."

The pastor said the church was running four services on a sunday, pre-pandemic

The pastor is also a member of the National Leadership Team of the Elim Pentecostal Movement, which the IIC is part of.

He joined IIC in 2000 as an associate minister, becoming senior minister in 2012.

He said: "In 2000 we were averaging about 70-80 people at our Sunday morning service.

"Pre-pandemic we were running four services, two in English and two in Romanian.

"We've now got a full house, a few hundred, with older generations, children, young people and we've got other Romanian congregations that have a close link with us."

A large wooden map hangs inside the IIC entrance, emphasising the global nature of its congregation

Pastor Afflu told BBC Radio Suffolk: "We have been blessed to have a number of families join us over the years.

"People come [to the UK] for work, to study and for other reasons, but we have been a place of home for a number of families over the years.

"And when people come, they sense a connection and feel they can integrate quickly and become part of the family."

David Howe, a minister at IIC, said: "Over the past 23 years, [Harold] has been both a mentor and a friend.

"He has been there during pivotal moments in my life, including my journey to personal faith in Christ, my baptism, and has continually encouraged and supported my pursuit of ministry."

Pastor Afflu was made an honorary canon at St Edmundsbury Cathedral by the Church of England in 2021, in recognition of his ecumenical work across different Christian denominations.

He will leave his current role to take up the position of senior minister at City Gates Church in Ilford.

A farewell service will be held at 15:00 GMT on 10 November, at Burlington Baptist Church, London Road, Ipswich.