About Me

There came a point when I knew something had to change. I began to reflect more deeply on what I truly wanted to do, and after some time, I felt drawn towards teaching. It seemed to fit so much of who I was - my love for children, my desire to nurture, and my heart to help others grow. Although it meant returning to university, I strongly felt it would be an investment worth making, so I applied to study for a PGCE in Early Years and Key Stage 1 at London South Bank University.

Completing that course opened the door to a twelve-year career in education - a journey that, in the early months of my first teaching post, felt almost impossible. I struggled at first to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and there were moments when I wondered whether I could continue. But by God’s grace, and with the support of some encouraging leaders and colleagues, I persevered. In time, I found my feet, grew in confidence, and became a very good teacher - if I may say so myself.

Over the years, I had the opportunity to work in four very different primary schools, each one shaping me, stretching me, and helping me to grow in skill, wisdom, and experience. As my career progressed, I moved into leadership and management, before eventually establishing and running my own early years setting from 2016 until September 2020.

What a journey that season was - especially the whirlwind of running my own business, with all the learning, stretching, responsibility, and challenges that came with it. Yet woven through that same season was one of God’s most precious blessings: while studying for my PGCE, I met my God-sent husband, Niyi. We married, and in that same period, the Lord blessed us with two beautiful children.

Let’s pause here, as now I need to tell you how I found Jesus…

Although I grew up attending church, I would say that I truly found Jesus when I returned from university in 2006. My family had started attending a small church in South East London, and when I came back home, it felt natural to join them. I had recently passed my driving test and bought my first car, so I was also excited to drive the family from Peckham to Eltham each week for church.

It was during that season that I came to believe in my heart that Jesus is Lord and received Him personally into my life. Almost immediately, I knew something had changed. The Lord began to fill a place in me that I had been trying to satisfy with other things. For the first time, I felt whole. Although the pull of the world still felt strong at times, I knew without a doubt that Jesus was real.

Part of what drew me closer to Him was that I began to find real answers to questions I had carried for a long time. I remember reading The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren as part of my Home Group, a weekly Bible study I attended every Wednesday. That book encouraged me deeply as I reflected on my life, my upbringing, and my faith journey.

One truth that stayed with me was the reminder that, regardless of the circumstances of our birth or family background, God had a plan in creating us. Even when children are not planned by their parents, they are never unplanned by God. That spoke powerfully to me because it helped me see my own life through the eyes of God’s sovereignty and grace.

Looking back, I can see that my foundations included both joy and pain, strength and struggle. I was born into an interfaith home, with a Christian mother and a Muslim father. Although my father later became a Christian and we attended church regularly, our home was not always marked by peace and unity. Over time, the strain affected our relationships, emotional wellbeing, and family life, eventually leading to my parents’ separation. My mother was left to raise four children on her own, and as the eldest child, I carried responsibilities and faced challenges that were not always easy.

Yet even in those difficult years, I can now see that God was present. At the time, I may not have fully known Him for myself, but He was still watching over me, shaping me, strengthening me, and preparing me for what was ahead. As I have grown in faith, I have come to understand more deeply that God can work through every part of our story - even the painful parts - and use them for His purpose.

Many of the strengths I carry today were formed in those early seasons of challenge. I often thank God for the happiness and inner joy He placed within me from a young age. As I came to know Christ, that joy only deepened. This is why one of my favourite Scriptures has always been, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” - Nehemiah 8:10. That joy has carried me through many storms, and it has also enabled me to encourage and strengthen others.

Life does not always unfold the way we expect, and there is much we cannot control. But I have learned that what matters is how we respond to what God allows, teaches, and builds within our foundations. Through it all, I can truly say that the Lord has been faithful.

Let’s go back to 2020!

In the early months of 2020, I began to learn the importance of truly listening to God - and from that point, my life was never the same. The Lord placed a strong burden on my heart to read and study His Word. Until then, I had never read the Bible from beginning to end, so I decided to begin a daily reading plan.

A few weeks in, I started to realise that simply reading the Bible was not enough. The Lord was drawing me deeper. He began to show me the importance of studying His Word - not just passing through the Scriptures, but truly knowing them, understanding them, and allowing them to take root in my heart.

This direction became even clearer through dreams and revelations, where the Lord continued to impress upon me the need to receive more of His Word. I came to understand that this was not just about completing the Bible from cover to cover. It was about allowing the Word of God to dwell richly within me - in my heart, in my mind, and in the way I lived.

The Lord instructed me to study, and I was eager to obey Him. What began as a reading plan soon became a deeper journey of surrender, discipline, and spiritual growth. His Word was no longer something I only read; it became something He was using to shape me, strengthen me, and draw me closer to Himself.

Nazarene Theological College

I was so excited at the Lord’s directive that I immediately started the search for universities and theological colleges to enrol myself in the Master’s in Theology programme for the upcoming academic year. I had never studied Theology before, so it would be a complete miracle if I gained admission into an MA Programme. To my surprise, I was offered a place at not one but two theological colleges. One was the Nazarene Theological College (NTC), and the Lord led me to accept the place.

I remember looking at the course units and thinking, ‘How am I going to get through one module, let alone the whole course?’ But I remembered who had sent me to study. The Lord Himself, the creator of the universe, created me and sent me to this earth for a reason, so I had faith that He would see me through. He had promised to teach me and give me wisdom. “No word from God will ever fail, (Luke 1:37), and He didn’t fail me.

To my amazement, the eyes of my understanding were enlightened from the first course unit. Scripture took on a new meaning. I strongly believe in the importance of the word of God and in reflection, my time studying at NTC was highly influential in shaping and equipping me for innovative Christian Ministry to follow. One of the most transformational course units was ‘Resilient Discipleship’, which focused on the connection between spirituality, mission, and discipleship. It also emphasised building resilience, compassion, and innovation. I gained a deeper understanding of God’s presence outside the church and recognised His presence in unusual places. This developed my ability to take Jesus more seriously in personal, communal, and public ways. I began walking with a desire to share my knowledge with others daily and strive to reach the lost and broken in our world. I want to see their lives transformed and liberated.

Green Pastures

This growing passion for mission, and seeing practical needs met led me to apply for a role as a Partnerships Manager at Green Pastures. Green Pastures is a charity with a vision to release the Church of Jesus to help end homelessness in the UK, and I had the privilege of serving there for ten months.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the organisation and greatly valued the opportunity to work with churches across the East Midlands. In that role, I was able to establish and build partnerships with churches, encourage them to connect with the vision of Green Pastures, and inspire them to prayerfully consider how they could respond to homelessness in their own communities.

Although I enjoyed the role, I began to sense that the Lord was preparing me for something else. Looking back now, I can see His hand so clearly. The skills, experience, and relationships I gained at Green Pastures became an important stepping stone for the role that followed as Community Partnerships Manager at The Leprosy Mission. It was another reminder that God wastes nothing, and that each season can prepare us for the next when we are willing to follow His leading.

https://www.greenpastures.co.uk/

The Leprosy Mission

As I came out of that season of study, the Lord had placed within me a deepening desire to serve those living in poverty and to care about the needs of people affected by disease. During my studies, my dissertation focused on an exegetical examination of exousia in the Gospel of Mark — the Greek word for “authority”. As I studied the healing and deliverance ministry of Jesus more closely, something began to stir in my heart.

I was deeply moved by the way Jesus responded to those affected by leprosy. In the Gospel accounts, we see His compassion, His willingness to draw near, and His desire to make people clean and whole. Those moments revealed so much about the heart of Christ. They also pointed to the fulfilment of prophecy and confirmed that Jesus truly is the Messiah.

Matthew 10:8 also became significant to me. When Jesus sent out His disciples, He told them to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven was near, to heal the sick, and specifically to cleanse those with leprosy. Leprosy was the only disease He named in that instruction, and that stood out to me powerfully. Jesus did this work while He was on earth, and He also called His followers to continue it.

So, when the Lord led me to serve with The Leprosy Mission, I felt truly honoured. It was a privilege to be part of such vital work - helping to bring hope, healing, dignity, and transformation to people affected by leprosy. Looking back, I can see how God had been preparing my heart for that role, connecting my studies, my compassion, and my desire to serve those in need.

You can find out more about their work here: https://www.leprosymission.org.uk/

You can hear more about this part of my journey in my interview with BBC Radio Sheffield, where I shared how the Lord led me to The Leprosy Mission and opened the door for me to be part of that work. The interview is available in the ‘Interviews’ section of my website: https://wordseasonedwithsalt.co.uk/interviews/

Baginton Road United Reformed Church

Before I ever applied for the role at Baginton Road URC, the Lord had already begun preparing my heart. In a way I had never experienced before, He gave me prophetic words, revelations, and clear direction concerning the church, the people, the challenges they were facing, and the assignment He was calling me to carry. He showed me aspects of the church premises, the heart of His people, and what He desired to do among them.

Because I trusted that God’s word does not fail, I stepped out in faith and resigned from my role at The Leprosy Mission in November 2024, even before applying for the position at Baginton Road URC in December 2024. With a three-month notice period, my time at The Leprosy Mission came to an end in February 2024.

To God be the glory, I was called to serve as Pastor of Baginton Road URC in March 2024 and began the role on 1st April 2024. Throughout my time there, the Lord continued to guide me concerning His desires for the church. From the action plans I prepared to the sermons I wrote and shared, I sought to follow His leading and speak what He placed on my heart for His people.

Towards the end of 2024, I began to sense the Lord preparing me for another transition. Then, on 10th January 2025, He gave me clear instruction that it was time to resign. Although I was comfortable, fruitful, and thriving in the role, I knew that obedience to God’s call had to come first.

Handing in my resignation was deeply difficult, especially because I had grown to love and care for the congregation, and they had begun to see the fruit of what God had promised at the beginning. It was a painful moment, but also one held in the faithfulness and wisdom of God.

The Lord, in His grace, had even prepared me for this response through a dream He gave me four years earlier, in 2021. Through this experience, I have learned a timely truth: not everything God gives us is meant to remain forever. Some blessings, assignments, and seasons are temporary, given to teach, strengthen, shape, and help us for a particular time. However precious they may be, we must learn to receive them with gratitude, steward them faithfully, and release them when God says it is time.

This has reminded me of the importance of embracing what God is doing in the moment, responding to Him in obedience, and discerning what He is asking of us in each season.

I say this humbly: it is a beautiful and sacred thing to allow God to use you as He desires. When we lay aside our own comfort, preferences, and plans to do His will, it pleases Him. I am truly grateful to God for considering me worthy to serve His people at Baginton Road URC - to speak His words, share His direction, and love those whom He loves so deeply.

Philippians 2:12-13

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose."

Crossroads Community Church

I have the joy and privilege of co-founding Crossroads Community Church alongside my husband. This ministry was birthed in our hearts by the Lord, with a deep desire to see lives reached, restored, and strengthened through the love of Christ. Crossroads is rooted in community: sharing the gospel, serving those in need, and creating a place where people can encounter God in a personal and life-changing way. We seek to reflect the heart of Christ by walking alongside others with compassion, building fellowship, praying faithfully, and serving in practical ways. Although we may operate a little differently, we are excited to follow where the Lord is leading and to serve faithfully in this new season.

Whatever we do, we do all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Church Army

I also currently serve as a Church and Partnerships Officer with Church Army, a role that allows me to combine my heart for ministry, mission, encouragement, and relationship-building. In this work, I have the privilege of building and nurturing relationships with churches, dioceses, Christian networks, leaders, and partners, helping to strengthen support for Church Army’s vision and work.

Through church engagement, stewardship, events, and partnership-building, I am able to play a part in encouraging churches to connect with the wider mission of sharing the love of Jesus and seeing lives transformed by the gospel. It is a joy to be part of a ministry that is passionate about reaching others with the hope of Christ, especially those who may feel overlooked, uncertain, or far from faith.

For me, this season continues to reflect a thread that runs through much of my journey: a desire to serve where God places me, to encourage His people, and to play my part in helping others encounter Jesus in a real and meaningful way.

[1] Warren, The Purpose Driven Life. Ch2.
[2] Clinton, Making of a Leader. 44.
[3] Clinton, Making of a Leader. 44.
[4] Clinton, Making of a Leader. 44.
[5] Clinton, Making of a Leader. 44.