It is with immense sadness that we must share the news of the death of Jayne Irlam who passed into God’s eternal presence last weekend (15th-16th January 2022). Jayne was a valued and much-loved member of our community of NWBA ministers and a gifted and visionary pioneer whose talent for embodying the message of the Gospel in unexpected and often challenging places was truly remarkable.
Jayne ministered in a variety of ways including as co-minister of 'Church Without Walls' and as a Forensic Nurse with Greater Manchester Police, attracting the respect and friendship of many colleagues. She also pioneered the Baptist Deliverance Study Group (BDSG), and in just the last two years, through Christ, it has seen many tormented, precious individuals set free and commit to Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
Gary, her co-minister at Church Without Walls reflects: 'God blessed us with Jayne joining our church planting team, and it soon became apparent that God had placed a call on her life to ordained ministry. Her example of spiritual depth has brought me closer and closer to God. I’m certain that when she came face-to-face with Jesus He said, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” She now rests in His arms, and in the arms of her mother, whom she lost in tragic circumstances not long ago. '
Jonathan, minister at the People’s Church in Partington where Jayne has also been a much-loved and valued member for a number of years adds: 'Jayne was a real gift to the church, sharing testimonies and encouragement and her own deep desire for the church community to be a people open to and hungry for the presence of God. Jayne was down to earth, so so generous, straight-talking and very caring. She was a really gifted preacher, a wonderful communicator of God's grace, and I was always struck by how she would bring a word that was just right for the church. In her most recent sermon, Jayne asked if she could preach 'outside of the series' and brought a message from Revelation 2 about returning to our first love, rekindling a passion for Jesus and His Kingdom. Many people responded to what she shared and were impacted by her words.'
It is a measure of her spiritual stature, that Jayne’s loss will be felt in many parts of our North Western Baptist community and well beyond. While this is an incredibly difficult and painful time for so many, we grieve as those who have hope, knowing that Jayne will be rejoicing and celebrating her Saviour, in the fullness of Christ's presence, which she longed to see here on earth.
We celebrate Jayne’s life, yet there remains a Jayne-shaped hole in all our lives. We thank God for Jayne, and we commit her to His love and peace in Heaven. Our prayers are also with her father and brother in New Zealand as they are faced with her loss in the difficult circumstances of the ongoing pandemic.
We know that many in our NWBA community will want to pay their own tributes, and also come together with others who worked with and knew Jayne, to share and support one another i
n our grief. The People’s Church building will be open on Wednesday (10 am-3pm) and Thursday (10am-5pm) of this week (19th & 20th January) for any who want to contribute to a book of remembrance or use the space to reflect and pray. It will be open again on Friday evening from 7.00 pm til 9.30 pm. NWBA Regional Ministers will seek to be present for some of that time, and are also available through the usual contact channels. The church address is People's Church, Chapel Lane, Partington, M31 4EY
Phil Jump – NWBA Regional Minister Gary Sera di Migni – Church Without Walls Jonathan Boyers – People’s Church Partington