Graham's story

Graham is an elder and Director of Mission and Outreach at Grace Community Church in Bedford.

"Before Oak Hill, I worked for the BBC for about ten years as a radio producer. I loved it. It was a great job with great people. Alongside that, I was serving in church, giving time and testing bits of gifting in different areas.

Then there came a point where the church had an opportunity—in its funding, its training, and its staffing—and asked whether I would be interested in studying theology and working for the church. My first reaction was, “Nope.” I loved my job. Why would I leave it? But over time, that became an unignorable pull. The opportunity itself felt like a real gift. So handing in my notice and stepping into theological study and church work was very much a step into the unknown.

I studied part-time for four years. I travelled down to Oak Hill two days a week, then spent the rest of the time back in Bedford—working from home, working at church, studying, and trying to make all the bits of life fit together. Time management was the big challenge. But the benefit was huge: study and ministry sat right alongside each other.

I was meeting real people with lost and broken lives in my job, while at the same time studying theology and asking, “How does the gospel actually apply here?” Theological study helped me see the light shine brighter and the hope of the gospel more richly. And it’s only when you really grasp that richness that you can bring it into the messiness of people’s lives.

I remember going to lectures with two pens: a blue one for things that spoke to my head, and a red one for things that spoke to my heart. I expected mostly blue. But so often it was red—sometimes entirely red—even in the most academic lectures. My heart was being formed by what I was learning.

Studying theology took me towards things I wouldn’t normally go towards. And in doing so, it shaped me—head and heart together."