Pastor Departs Suffolk Church for New Leadership Role

A clergyman expressed mixed feelings regarding his departure from a Suffolk church to assume leadership of a larger congregation located in east London. Harold Afflu, the senior pastor, has served the Ipswich International Church (IIC) on Burlington Road for 24 years, establishing him as its longest-tenured minister. He stated: “I am excited for the new challenge, but sad on another level because we’d made so many friends.” He added: “This place has been like a real family for us all – our children were born here…” Furthermore, the pastor holds a position on the National Leadership Team of the Elim Pentecostal Movement, an organization to which the IIC belongs. His tenure at IIC began in 2000 as an associate minister, and he was appointed senior minister in 2012. He recalled: “In 2000 we were averaging about 70-80 people at our Sunday morning service.” He continued: “Pre-pandemic we were running four services, two in English and two in Romanian.” He further elaborated: “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.” Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk, Pastor Afflu stated: “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 fellow minister at IIC, commented: “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.” In 2021, Pastor Afflu was appointed an honorary canon at St Edmundsbury Cathedral by the Church of England, acknowledging his ecumenical efforts across various Christian denominations. He is set to depart from his present role to assume the senior minister position at City Gates Church in Ilford. A valedictory service is scheduled for 15:00 GMT on 10 November, at Burlington Baptist Church, located on London Road, Ipswich. For updates on Suffolk news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.