Pastor Tom Leighton

Pastor Tom Leighton was 'Born Again' whilst at work, on a cold Monday morning in January 1967. He attended Brunswick Methodist Church in the centre of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and formed a Gospel band called 'The Weslyans Gospel Rythm Group' which throughout its ten years together, not only established the first Christian coffee bar in the city centre but played at many venues throughout the country including several prisons, and regularly in both Durham and Acklington prisons.

In 1974 Tom was called into full time ministry and became Pastor of Prudhoe street Mission on the 1st September of that year. He established many social activities for the community especially for young people and a strong bond was formed between himself and the people of Elswick.

In 1994 he was diagnosed with diabetes and accepted the fact that he would be on medication for the rest of his life. However in 1997 a visiting Pastor from New Zealand laid hands on him at a meeting and Tom was not only filled with the Holy Spirit but completely healed from diabetes.

Together with his wife Miriam they continue to Pastor Prudhoe Street Mission and have established a strong, vibrant and exciting ministry. Tom began a Bible Study group in his home in 1997 which is still going today and through this many people have been both encouraged and blessed. In 2007 he took on the leadership of a 2nd Bible Study House group and this also has proved to be a most successful meeting.

In the year 2000 they were invited to speak in New Zealand and the following year in South Africa and Kenya. The ministry in Kenya has grown and since their first visit have been there many times. They now have a vibrant, growing ministry in 8 churches in Kenya, on the last two occasions Tom was the main speaker at two conferences for Pastors within Central Province. Tom and Miriam have been made co Pastors of Gospel Outreach Church in Thika where they are greatly loved.

Over the last few years they have been able to provide food and clothing for the many orphans in Kenya and of late have given financial support to help the displaced in Thika. They have also been able to sponsor the studies of a young woman for one year at the Jomo Kenyatta University Nairobi.

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 Pastor Miriam Leighton

Miriam Leighton also attended Brunswick Methodist Church in the centre of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne  since early childhood, she was the third generation to do so and she can recall having spent many happy years there.

Miriam and Tom met as teenagers in 1954 they were later married in Brunswick on the 16th September 1961 and continued to lead active lives within the church. She was the bass guitarist and secretary in the Weslyans Gospel Group and was blessed through the leading of many people to Jesus.

From 1975 she has shared the ministry of Prudhoe Street Mission with Tom. She established and became the leader of the youth club, the Adventurers and Pioneer clubs and the Sunday school. The youth clubs thrived and there was very rarely less than 80-100 children of all ages coming each night. The Adventurers club was from birth-12 years and the Pioneers from 12 upwards. They had some great times together and collectively put on some great stage shows for friends and parents. She was the editor, for many years of the church magazine Contact which had a circulation of over 300 per month.

In 1988 she was approached by the Stroke club to form an after care club for people who had suffered from a stroke and after a crash course in after care of stroke patients, opened up the club all day twice weekly and relied on an invaluable band of voluntary helpers. It was a great success but had to close in 2000.

Miriam is a Spirit filled speaker and has spoken at many churches and women's meetings in and around Newcastle. She was one of the speakers at our first women's conference 'Women on Fire' in February 2001 and again at the 'Impacted Power' conference in October of the same year. She has written several small booklets on both the Old and New Testament characters which are not only informative but make good reading.

Miriam also has a ministry in Kenya when she first went out there in 2001 it was the ruling that women only spoke at women's meetings and were not allowed to speak to a mixed congregation. The following year she was asked to be the speaker at the Women Aglow conference which lasted for three days in Embu. Over 300 women came to the meetings and one man who was the Pastor of the church, after hearing Miriam speak said that from then on she would be allowed to speak to the full church as many times as she could. This was indeed a breakthrough and it was the means of opening up the door for other women within the church to speak. She has since been the first woman speaker in several churches throughout Kenya and again has been the means of giving women the opportunity to preach wherever she has been and has over the years that she has been going to Kenya seen women now taking an active part in all the work of the church.