Rev Nick Gleich

About me...

I am Nicholas Gleich, usually known as Nick, married to Beryl and have two children (a boy and a girl) and two grandchildren. Apart from when I was studying, and a year when I was a small child I have always lived in Gloucestershire, and coincidently, within 10 miles of Frampton.

After school in Wotton under Edge and University in Scotland, my working life started with the Central Electricity Generating Board (“The CEGB”), in Gloucester with the Power Station construction Division. There I did various computer related jobs. After CEGB I joined a management services consultancy who enabled me to develop my professional skills as a project and programme manager and assigned me to work with a number of government departments, though I ended up working for Barclays Bank in London. I didn’t enjoy that experience or the fact that the firm had been taken over, so I joined a little company in Stroud. That didn’t last very long and I was made redundant. After a period of unemployment I eventually found someone who would employ an older person – the civil service (in London!). By the grace of God when I was looking for somewhere to live in London friends suggested I share their church manse and join in their mid-week activities. This worked very well and I was grateful for the loving support of their church community during the 12 years I was in London. My civil service career started with the Passport Agency and ended with the Major Projects Authority, part of the Cabinet Office. During that time I was blessed with opportunities to walk through “that door” into number 10 Downing Street and look around inside the house, do business in the Houses of Parliament and interview various interesting people such as Keir Starmer when he was Head of the Crown Prosecution Service, Black Rod and the Serjeant at Arms in Parliament in 2006, Francis Maude when he was Minister for the Cabinet Office and Lyn Homer when she was Head of Border Force and again later when she was Head of Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Latterly I have been working for the Ministry of Defence in Bristol from which I retired at the end of 2016.

I came to be a member of Frampton Congregational church because…

in the 1980’s I was a lay preacher, based at Stroud Congregational Church, serving a number of churches in the area and Alex Watson, a heroine of this Church invited me to join the list of people who would take the newly re-instituted morning services. I have probably taken at least one service here every year since. In the 1990’s I began training for the ministry, and around 2000 did one of my training placements at Frampton. Once I had completed my vocational training with the Congregational Federation it seemed natural to ask if Frampton would like to make my involvement permanent, and I was ordained in November 2001 as Associate Minister. I continued with my BA in Theology and graduated in 2004. From 2009 to 2013 I was Chairman of the South West Area of the Congregational Federation and at various times I have also served on the Federation’s national committees for ministry and outreach.

I do in church…

I became Associate Minister in November 2001 and Minister in January 2015 on the death of Revd. Dr John Hunter. I lead a small ministry team and between us, with some visiting preachers, we provide leadership, worship and teaching for the congregation.

A Journey of Faith

My awareness of what a life of faith meant began when I was still at primary school when my church had a mission weekend and the visiting minister tried to encourage everyone, including the children, to consider what ministry they might follow. The seed was sown. At university I was leading a group starting a student chapter of the Samaritans. As we were having an impromptu meeting outside church about publishing what we were doing but bemoaning a lack of funds one of the University chaplains leaned over my shoulder and offered the collection from two services if I preached the sermon on each occasion. A number of years later when I was a deacon at Stroud Congregational Church the minister invited volunteers to take a service while he was away. I offered to do it. It went well enough that other invitations followed and encouragement to join the Congregational Federation’s training course. I completed the Preaching course and intended to go no further. But I found that I had developed a taste for Theology and enrolled with the University of Gloucestershire on its BA course. Not long after that I felt a strong call from the Lord to return to the Federation’s course and complete the minister’s training. However, I was convinced that although I wanted to be attached to a church once I has finished training my vocation was more towards trying to be a minister in the workplace. I was blest in this by being able to undertake a placement with the Chaplain to London City Airport. Although supporting Frampton Congregational Church has been and is a blessing, being able to interact with colleagues at work has led to helping people in spiritual need who would never approach a church. That’s the story so far, only God knows what happens next.

A reminiscence about Revd Dr. John Hunter.

I was privileged to share ministry with John for many years and it was and is a challenge to find something suitable to chat about with the congregation in what is usually referred to as the “children’s slot”. John used to tell wonderful stories that he wrote himself about Maximus the mouse who lived under the pulpit in our church. Though when we had the renovations done to the front of the church I have a feeling that Maximus took quite a long holiday. On one particular occasion when it was my turn to take the service I brought in a rather realistic soft toy cat and told a story in which the cat had a role. After the service John pulled my leg about the cat, telling me that Maximus would not be pleased to see a cat in church and strongly suggesting that I didn’t bring it again. I haven’t!

REV NICK GLEICH

​