Derek and Mo Wilkinson
Derek Wilkinson – Some stuff you might not know
Age = 63 and going strong
Married to Mo, his wife and
best friend for 40 years
Proud Dad to Joy and son in
law Phil and granddad to Georgie & Millie. “Family is pretty central to our
world view”. DW
Some time ago Derek was an accomplished chef and still retains an interest in, and a fairly decent touch with, food. His favourite meal is slowly roasted shoulder of lamb with minted peas, baby carrots, rosemary flavoured roast potatoes with rich gravy, followed by the locally produced Stichelton Cheese and a decent bottle of red wine and good company.
Derek & Mo’s favourite place to chill out is Cornwall, where they are acknowledged experts on coffee shops, pubs and cafés.
Derek’s preferred clothing label is Rohan. He enjoys most competitive sport – especially the crazy stuff like stock cars, banger racing and surfing. "Despite the ageing body I still like to get out into the big surf.” DW
Derek’s daftest sporting moment in recent weeks, just prior to his hip replacement operation, was to go trampolining on one leg and a walking stick, followed by a surfing style ride on a snow board down the big hill in the nearby Chatsworth Park.
Derek describes his walk with Jesus over the past 45 years as “a bit inconsistent – sometimes I have the faith to move mountains and at other times enough fear to turn molehills into mountains, but through it all Jesus has maintained His faith in me and that’s what’s got me this far.” DW
Derek’s vision is to see the local church overflowing with passion, enthusiasm and energy that flows from daily engaging with Jesus. He works to see less churches divided by doctrine, dogma and personality and more Church as one body, living and working together in harmony with Jesus at the head. “I want to make a difference." DW “It gives me a buzz when I see Jesus doing His stuff transforming lives, I love those moments of divine encounter when suddenly hope comes, faith rises and Jesus takes centre stage to speak words that bring life.” DW
Music and Arts: "I enjoy most types of music, especially traditional work songs, industrial and agricultural roots music. I can’t get on with opera – it’s all foreign to me, and ballet with men in tights is really not my thing.” DW “I often think you can define and understand a person through their favourite music and songs, a few of my favourites would be: I Cannot Understand The Love of Jesus (as the years go by the sense that His love is beyond understanding increases). Psalm 84 – How Lovely Is Your Dwelling Place (I’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to be famous somewhere else). And finally, I’m captured by the lyrics of a song by Chris Whyle & Julie Matthews ‘Don’t let me come home a stranger, I couldn’t stand to be a stranger’. In all the busyness of the church and the work God has entrusted to me, I don’t want to lose the sense of knowing Him as the overriding driver in my life. If life is a game of two halves I’m well into the second half and I don’t want to go home as a stranger." DW
Mo WilkinsonHi I'm Mo. When I was two weeks old a middle aged couple, who'd married late in life and couldn't have children, adopted me. For whatever reason, my real mum couldn't keep me so I was taken to a Glasgow Orphanage and from there Dan and Mabel Jordan took me home to Newcastle. For six months they battled to get me signed over to them and, at last , I was theirs. They didn't tell me until I was 10 or 11 years old that I was adopted, as they found it difficult to put it into words. However, all I wanted to know was, would anyone ever be able to take me away from them? The answer was, 'No, I was theirs'. I never got tired of hearing my adoption story and felt really special as I was 'chosen', my mum knew 'I was the one'. My emotional tank was always filled up by this very ordinary, glorious couple.
I had always had some sort of awareness of God from my school days and occasional visits to Sunday School. However, from when I attended a Bible Class at a Church in Worksop when I was 12, and through a wonderful teacher at my secondary school, my life's journey of following, loving and serving the Lord Jesus Christ, began. Through Jesus I have had a deeper understanding of His Father, who I can call my Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit’s place and work in my life has also been ongoing from my youth, and he has proved to be the 'Gentle Dove, Bringer of Truth, Comforter' (words from a powerful song written by my friend, Pete Hardy) and has helped me in understanding of Almighty God.
I met Derek in my teens and married at 22. This is the best thing I have ever done and knowing that we both shared the same desire to love, follow and serve Jesus is wonderful and despite all the ups and downs of life Jesus, the Rock on which we built our lives, has kept us whole. Having a beautiful daughter was the best that Jesus gave us, and now we have the best Son-in-Law, and their exquisite children are an absolute bonus.
Church, to me has been both wonderful and painful, but I suppose that's how Jesus feels about us and that's OK. I have valued life-long friends and recent friends that 'feel' life long friends and all of us at different stages of our life journeys with Jesus. I have some friends who aren't too sure but I love and pray for them too. I love to worship together in song and music, fellowship, chatter and coffee. It's wonderful. To be part of God's Church is both humbling and awesome and I am more and more filled with compassion and prayer for those of His church who are persecuted for whatever reason. My life has changed and I have changed through the years, and hopefully I have learned a thing or two. However where following Jesus is concerned there is always more to discover and it is always exciting. God is good. My prayer for you is that you may know Him and follow Jesus 'one step at a time'.