Get to Know - Adeola Eleyae

Revd Adeola EleyaeAde is Centre Director of St Mellitus College, Chelmsford

Tell us a bit about yourself

I was born in London but spent my formative years with my foster family in Surrey. Following a journey that included a sojourn in Nigeria and qualifying as a lawyer, I returned to London and married Oke. We have lived in East London for 32 years and raised our three children here. For most of this time, I worked as a solicitor first in private practice and then for the Government, doing mainly civil liberties work. I had an active ministry as a layperson in church, focused on prayer. In 2007 I was called to ordained ministry, and after some prevarication (is God really calling me?) started training at St Mellitus College in 2011. I was ordained in Chelmsford in 2014 and have served in a variety of ways. I began my curacy (initially on a self-supporting basis) at St Paul’s, East Ham then moved to the team ministry in the Parish of Walthamstow where I led St Gabriel’s Church (on a part-time, then full-time basis). In 2019 I was appointed the Bishop of Chelmsford’s Equality Adviser alongside a new role as incumbent of All Saints’ Church, Goodmayes. I am also Associate Priest at Chelmsford Cathedral.

What is your faith story?

My faith story began as an eight-year-old when I popped my head around the door of a church in North London and to my surprise a priest came out. He gave me a card with the words of John 14:14 on it. He also told me to pray and believe that Christ, who I had gone to look for, would never fail or forsake me. I believed it then, still believe it now, and want to lead as many people as I possibly can to believe it too.

Why St Mellitus College?

Because it is different. We serve an extraordinary, unique God who has reached out to us through Jesus Christ in an extraordinary and unique way, yet so often consciously or unconsciously we seek to be constrained by what we know and are comfortable with. The generous orthodoxy of St Mellitus counters this and gives us the opportunity to experience, in all its amazing diversity, the fullness of Christ from which we have all received grace upon grace.

I should add that St Mellitus College was probably just meant to be. I quite suspect I might hold some sort of record in having been connected to St Mellitus in so many different ways - as a student, alumnus, trustee, and now staff member.

What are you hoping for and expectant for in your role?

Looking outwards: A chance to be transformational and influence real and genuine change amongst those who will lead the Church in the future. Looking inwards: a space in which to grow using all the gifts and experiences God has blessed me with.

What are you passionate about?

Justice, truth, and integrity. Naming those things that ought to be named. Advocating for those who seem the least likely to have anything to say and giving the opportunity for their voices and experiences to be heard. For that is where justice, truth, and integrity are often found.

We serve an extraordinary, unique God who has reached out to us through Jesus Christ in an extraordinary and unique way, yet so often consciously or unconsciously we seek to be constrained by what we know and are comfortable with. The generous orthodoxy of St Mellitus counters this and gives us the opportunity to experience, in all its amazing diversity, the fullness of Christ from which we have all received grace upon grace.

What would you say to someone considering studying theology or exploring their vocation?

Lay all preconceptions aside. Theology is literally the study of the nature of God. There can be nothing more intriguing, interesting, or fulfilling. It is so easy to allow the structures and systems of man to obscure God’s plans and purposes for your life. Step out in faith.

And finally for something unexpected

I have a theory, proven in every single place I have served, that the quality of ministry in the Church is somehow correlated to the quality (and quantity) of cake provided. I shall be testing this vigorously..