​Our pastor and leaders work together to provide direction and oversight to the church, and equip our fellowship to serve Jesus wherever He calls them.  In God's Kingdom leadership is serving, and we seek to be humble and servant hearted leaders and disciples.

We believe strongly everyone has gifts to share, and we want to encourage the growth and use of those gifts among the whole church family. We can only be all we are called to be as a church if we all play our part.

Mike Hudson   Pastor

Mike moved with his family to Devon in 2018 to take up the role of minister in training at the church. Previous to that, he spent 11 years in the Army working as an electronics technician. Mike came to faith in 2013 when he had a powerful encounter with Jesus during a sermon preached at Andover Baptist Church.

​In the summer of 2021, the church called Mike to be our full time pastor. Mike has a passion for the Bible, for community, and making Jesus known. Mike is married to Rachel and they have two children; Joshua and Eleanor. Mike enjoys music, walking, and is a regularly disappointed Yeovil Town Fan. Most of all Mike is passionate about people experiencing transformative relationship with God, and equipping the church to follow Jesus in their everyday lives.

Juletta Obudo   Children, Youth & Families Leader

​Juletta grew up in the village of Kilmington, attending the Baptist Church with her parents and grandparents, going through the youth clubs and was baptised at the old chapel on Shute Rd.  After graduating, she spent six years teaching in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, four of them at Haven of Peace Academy, a school set up for missionary children. In 2009, after living in Surrey for a few years following her return from East Africa, Juletta moved back to the village with her family.    Juletta loves how children’s work unites the Church and is thankful for the wonderful team at the Baptist Church Kilmington who tirelessly share God’s love and the Good News of Jesus with children, young people & their families, in a variety of roles. She is excited to see what God is going to do next.
Juletta has 2 grown up children, Paul & Jemimah and one still at secondary school, Abbie.  She enjoys reading, watching movies and going on walks with her children.

​Roo Langley Administration & Communication Lead
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Roo moved to Devon from Bristol in 2018 and first came to the church in 2019, following the birth of her eldest daughter. The warmth of the community quickly made The Beacon feel like home. Roo was baptised in 2025 and stepped into the role of Administration and Communication Lead in January 2026. With experience at Bristol Children’s Hospital, an Axminster care home and Seaton Hospital, Roo has always been drawn to caring for others and sees her role as a practical way of serving God and supporting the life of the church. She now lives in Axminster with her two young daughters and loves being part of such a welcoming and friendly church family.

Klara Wilkins    Church Caretaker ​
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I began my journey as The Beacon cleaner in 2016. I was raised in a Protestant family in Lyme Regis, which helped shape my values and outlook on life.
In 2021, I gave birth to my daughter, Evelyn, who has come with me cleaning ever since. Alongside family life, I have a strong passion for advocacy and supporting others.
At home, life is always lively with my border collie, Roxy, and my cat, Sooty being central to our lives. 

Leadership Team

Claire Speake

Claire joined the church in 2015. She was Ministry Team leader for Global Mission until she became a church leader in March 2022. She has a passion to share God's love and the good news of new life in Jesus in a holistic way, both locally and throughout the world. She is a Tearfund speaker and for her day job she works as a property solicitor.

John Hicklin

John and his wife Karen moved from Berkshire to Axminster in the autumn of 2022 and joined the church soon after they had arrived. The move to the South-West was part of their retirement plans and, as it has turned out, provided for a low-cost holiday option for the families of their 3 grown up children and the 4 grandchildren!
Along with a career in IT/Telecoms John served in the leadership of Kings Church Wokingham and on moving here he has continued to work with church networks with whom he has partnered in Asia. This has naturally led to supporting the development of global mission at BCK as well.
Time spent working with leadership teams  has taught John many things, but two stand out: the importance of developing a family culture within the local church and the value of partnership within the global church family.     

Mik Horswell

​Mik and his wife Sue moved, after retirement from NHS work, to Devon in late 2020 during the Covid lockdown, searching for peace and quiet after life in the hectic South East. Mik first attended church before he was born and has always known Jesus in his life. Having been in leadership roles at his previous church, he has been called as an elder, helps with children and youth work and cooks fry-ups for the men at their breakfasts.

Rae Stacey

​Rae has lived in East Devon for over 20 years, and in Kilmington for 6. She has 4 grown up children and 9 grandchildren, many of whom live locally and can often be found all together at Rae’s house. She was raised in a Christian family, and has been a Christian since her teenage years. Rae works in a local primary school, and having been a long term foster carer for many years, now offers respite care. Rae loves to walk and enjoys the local countryside and the coast path.

Malcolm Eade   Treasurer

Malcolm retired to Devon from Bristol in the summer of 2014. He spent much of his working life in Manufacturing, over 30 years of them with a leading Aero Engine Manufacturer, predominately in Operational Management & Control. His introduction to Faith came through a work colleague who invited him to lunch time services at a City Centre Church and subsequently a few years later a major rally where Malcolm realised his need of Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. He believes passionately in serving God and helping others. Malcolm has been married for 48 years to Hilary and they have 2 children and 4 grandsons.

Barry Searle   Church Secretary

Barry and his family have lived in Axminster all of their lives. Barry would say he had always considered himself a Christian but found his true faith in 2019 when conversations with a friend lead him to the Baptist Church Kilmington. Having taken part in an Alpha course Barry was Baptised in December 2020. He went on to take an active role in the Church including becoming the MTL for Local mission, something he is very passionate about. Barry became the Church Secretary in November 2024.

Ministry Team Leaders

Rachel Hudson   Ministry Team Leader for Administration

Rachel is a member of the Baptist Church Kilmington family, the wife of our Pastor, Mike Hudson, as well as mum to Joshua and Eleanor. Rachel is involved in many aspects of church life including children’s work, women’s ministry as well as newly appointed the Ministry Team Leader of Admin after working in administration for the last 15 years. Rachel enjoys socialising with others, meeting for coffee and eating cake!

John Hicklin   Ministry Team Leader for Global Mission

John with his wife Karen moved to Axminster and joined the church at Kilmington in November 2022. Karen is now retired from a medical career and John continues with work on a part-time basis in IT and Telecoms. Prior to the move John had been involved in the leadership of Kings Church in Wokingham where he worked with the team at Kings to develop partner relationships with churches in South and Southeast Asia. He continues to serve these churches while further developing the global mission network that the church has in Kilmington. 

Kerry Payne   Ministry Team Leader for Local Mission

Kerry was born in Surrey and lived there for 11 years before moving to a smallholding in Devon in 1986. Her childhood was spent with horses and animals, and she loved the freedom the countryside afforded. She went to Cannington College to study Horse management and business studies before dropping out to work in the care industry and as a self employed cleaner. She went back to study as a mature (ish) student finally embarking on a degree as a Podiatrist which she continues to practice to this day.

Kerry is married to Simon and has three children; they are a source of great joy and great learning to her! She was around 7 or 8 when she asked her dad to pray with her, committing herself to God. As a child and young adult, she struggled with church, being painfully shy and lacking in self-esteem she often felt a bit lost and didn’t really feel like she belonged.

Kerry experienced numerous periods of disillusionment and doubt as a young adult and chose instead to follow a worldly lifestyle. What has been most remarkable to her is how God worked outside the church walls and accepted her as the mess she was (He still does!) How he came to the spaces and places where she was, led her gently and showed his trustworthiness. This is why she is passionate about leaving the church building, why she feels called to demonstrate the often slow, painful journey of walking with those in the world who have a distorted knowledge of who God is. Trusting that through all of us who answer that call, he will display something of His majesty and heart for the lost.

Judy Ogilvie     Ministry Team Leader for ​Welcome

Judy moved to East Devon with her husband David in 2021 during Covid. They run a small farm with wildflower meadows on which they graze local rare breed sheep and Ruby Red Devon cattle. The Beacon church in Kilmington was recommended to her and, after attending for some years, she became a member in 2024.
 
Judy had a Christian upbringing but it was not until she heard a life changing testimony that she understood her faith must be more than just words and actions. She was baptised in the River Ceiriog at Pont y Blew, North Wales in 1983. She owes her growth as a young Christian not only to the grace of God, the love of Jesus and the prompting of the Holy Spirit, but to the teaching and inspiration of her charismatic (Anglican!) pastor, Tony Butler, who at the age of 89, remains a dear and treasured friend.
 
Her walk with Jesus has, like so many, come with trials and tribulations, which have certainly affected her life choices and deepened her dependence on God. Particularly so was when, following financial hardship, Judy returned to teaching and retrained with the Dyslexia Institute in Cardiff as a specialist teacher of both children and adults with Specific Learning Difficulties. This was a steep learning curve as she juggled studying for a Diploma with looking after a family of four and also setting up a walking holiday business with her then husband. Her passion for supporting those who struggle to read and write remains a driving force in her life and after retiring in 2018, she now acts as a volunteer for the Coram Beanstalk charity in Seaton Primary School whose task it is to nurture a love of books and reading.
 
Judy is currently part of the Pastoral Team at KBC as well as being on the Welcome Team.  She feels both humbled and honoured to have been recently elected as their MTL and looks forward to serving and honouring God in this ministry. Judy has two daughters, two sons and six grandchildren. Her youngest son, Ben, is the source of constant prayer as he faces a life long battle with a slow growing brain tumour.

Susan Roberts   Ministry Team Leader for Worship & Music

Susan is passionate about Worship that engages and ignites everyone to praise, worship and glorify God, with songs that inspire you to lift your heart, soul and voice in praise. She loves to see creativity in worship that enables us all to engage in praise, with prayer, scripture, joy and passion for Christ. Susan loves that God wondrously blends our voices, music and Scriptures together in praise to Him. Singing in worship is an imprint of Susan's DNA, she was always encouraged to sing at home for fun, in the local town Carol Party and at church. In her twenties, then a Mum of three small children, she felt a nudge to go to the Music Leader and tell her that she felt God was telling her to sing to Him, and to her surprise she hugged her and said yes I know, lets pray about that now, she encouraged Susan to sing in the Worship Band and then lead worship and church services. BCK found Susan and her husband Keith before they even knew they were moving here, they used to visit the area every few weeks to see parents and saw the foundations of the new building being built, at the same time as their home church was also being rebuilt. As Susan's college management role came to end and family needed them here, they decided to move knowing God had already planned the way ahead, and He still does.

Rob Wallbank  Ministry Team Leader for Fabric

​Rob moved to Seaton with his wife Caroline in 2021, having previously had a weekend cottage in Shute since 2012. He first attended the Baptist Church Kilmington when services where being held in the village hall. At the time, Rob and Caroline were partners of a Consulting Structural Engineering firm in Bucks and lived in High Wycombe, except for weekend escapes to Devon.  They still have an active involvement in the business.
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In their previous church, around the year 2000, Rob was involved in design and a team member that saw a major rebuild of the heart of the church buildings that included halls, offices and the biggest church kitchen anyone is likely to see. There were facilities for a night shelter too.  Just before they moved to Devon,  Rob was charged with reporting on what could be done with the church sanctuary. That lead to a second major building project to revamp the worship area and that is now complete.  In Kilmington, they saw the building of The Beacon church take place and were amazed at God’s provision of it and the answer to prayer for being able to Witness God’s love in the village and wider towns area.
Rob sees his role as MTL for Fabric as a team player with others who have better DIY and admin skills than he does to ensure the building functions and is maintained well for our use and those that rent rooms during the week.  Rob is also conscious that the team responds to the growing needs of the expanding fellowship and children and young people's work.   He is keen to ensure the building's fit for God’s purposes and being a beacon within the village to be not only a place for worship, but a place where people can come and rest, meet others, and socialise, making full use of the facilities as much as possible.

Natalie Claydon   ​Ministry Team Leader for Children, Youth & Families

Natalie moved to Devon in 2009 after qualifying as a nurse and she married a few months later.  Natalie, her husband and 2 daughters now live in Seaton where Natalie also works as a lead nurse at a local medical centre. 

Natalie was born into a Christian family, briefly stopped attending church in her early teens before being tempted back in during her late teens by the looks of her now husband. 
Natalie has a real passion for the Hope found in Jesus and has found that no matter what life has thrown at her clinging onto the Hope of Jesus has seen her through. She is a down to earth Christian who enjoys a laugh and can often be found cake decorating or socialising with friends. She has a heart for caring for others. 
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Natalie has been involved with youth work in churches for over 20 years and loves helping children and young people understand how being Christian can help you navigate through life into adulthood. 

Caroline Wallbank   Ministry Team Leader for Catering

​Caroline Wallbank moved to Seaton with her husband Rob in 2021 having previously had a weekend cottage in Shute since 2012, when she first attended the Baptist Church Kilmington (then still meeting in the village hall).  Caroline grew up in a Christian family but came to a personal faith in her early teens and was baptised at the age of 16.  Since then Caroline has served in a variety roles in her previous church in High Wycombe and now seeks to live out her faith and reach out to the community in the Axe Valley in practical ways through the role of catering, as food is important to life but much more so is life in Christ.