In Depth:  John Mitchell

Born in Liverpool, Leslie Rawlinson attended the London College of Divinity and was subsequently appointed as a curate in the Church of England, before becoming the vicar of St. Anne’s in Nottingham. It was here, in the late 1960s, that he became very concerned about various developments in the CofE which ultimately led to his resignation.

In mid-1969, within a few months of Holywell Free Church in Loughborough commencing, his name was brought to the officers’ attention as a potential pastor. His call by the church was unanimous and in April 1970 he moved with his wife Sarah, and children Ruth and John, to become the first minister of Holywell.