Minister

Paul Ireton was born in 1965 in Mitcham, Surrey and was the third of six children – all born within ten years! The family moved to one of London’s overspill estates when Paul was six months old and Paul remained on this estate until he was 32 years old.

Paul describes his school days as “interesting” as he attended a comprehensive school with over 2000 pupils. He was the only child from his estate to go into Sixth Form.

Paul became a Christian when he was eleven years old and attended St Martin’s Church in Camberley where the minister was a charismatic evangelical Jew!

Before entering the ministry he had several jobs including working in a lighting shop, working for the Ministry of Defence supplying items for The Lifeguards, the Income Support section for the DSS (where he was threatened with a shotgun), the Post Office Information Technology Department in the Bought Ledger & Accruals section and finally in Housing Benefits in Farnborough where he remained for nine years.

He trained for the ministry at Cranmer Hall, St John’s College, Durham after which he accepted a post as Curate in the Church of the Holy Spirit, Southway in Plymouth. After this he was moved to Christ Church Ellacombe as its minister and accepted the post St John’s, Shiphay in 2016. He has a heart to reach the people of Shiphay with the gospel.

Paul’s other interests include cars, woodwork, metalwork, model making, badminton and table tennis.

He married Jacqui in 1991 and they have one daughter, Deborah, who completed a degree at Cardiff University and is currently doing supply work in the local area.