I have been the minister of Cantley Methodist Church since 1^st September 1993. When I arrived I was a minister in his early 30's and had served already in the Frodsham Circuit for three years and the Biddulph and Mow Cop Circuit for five years.  Both of these Circuits were in the Chester and Stoke-on-Trent District. I am married with three children who have happily grown up in Doncaster. Whilst the youngest is still at University, the oldest two are now getting on with their careers.

I was called specifically to the Methodist ministry when I was only fourteen years old and evangelically converted at a Don Summers Crusade meeting at Dudley Town Hall on 19^th March 1975.  I was given a note to preach when I was 17 and I was fully accredited as a Local Preacher when I was 20 which was also the year I candidated for the Methodist ministry.

Having worked at a Bank for three years I trained for the ministry at Wesley College Bristol for four years whilst also reading for a B.A. Honours Degree in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Bristol.  Whilst serving at Cantley I also gained a Masters Degree in Applied Theology from Westminster College, Oxford.

It is now a quarter of a century since I first went into Circuit and I am thrilled that 17 of those years have been spent at Cantley.  Besides being minister at Cantley I am also privileged to be minister at Rossington and Auckley and soon will also be minister at Bawtry and Harworth.  On top of this I am also part time Free Church Chaplain at HMP & YOI Doncaster.

My other interests are football on the TV and sometimes at Doncaster Rovers, cycling, reading and iTunes. Last year I also began portrait painting at Hayfield Night School.

I look forward to meeting you in person very soon and to welcoming you to the loving Church family which has been such a blessing to me for so long!

With every blessing

Rev. Tom Read B.A. M.Th.
Minister
Cantley Methodist Church