Name: Revd David Goodall, Missional Communities Enabler
Tell us a bit about you: I’m a Methodist Minister serving both in Leeds City Centre and across the Yorkshire West Methodist District. My role is to help individuals and churches to develop their discipleship and mission in a more intentional way by being in community with one another and with God. That all sounds rather grand but at the heart of it is the great privilege of enabling people to discover who God is and how they can encounter and explore God’s love for themselves and for others. Before serving in Leeds I’ve worked as a University Chaplain in Bristol and led churches in Darlington and Hexham. I’ve only been in Leeds since Easter 2021 so am still finding my way round and discovering all the exciting things Leeds has to offer as a city.
Is there an area of activism you feel particularly passionate about: I’m passionate about community and strongly believe that we flourish better when we encounter others in community, because of this one of the areas of activism I’m passionate about challenging is isolation and loneliness.
What do you do to care for your wellbeing? Firstly, by booking in all my annual leave for the year ahead before meetings creep in and it’s difficult to take, and secondly by being really disciplined about turning off my work mobile and email off when I’m not working.
Which song do you most remember from school? Our schools favourite assembly song was ‘You Shall Go Out With Joy’, not the greatest of modern worship songs but a catchy tune which I can still remember.
What does your faith mean to you? For me being a Christian disciple can be summed up in three words, Love, Light and Life. My faith is rooted in God’s love for me and for others which is a perfect love greater than we could ever imagine. For me God’s love was supremely revealed in Jesus Christ the light of the world, who by his birth in Bethlehem brought the light of God’s love into the darkness of the world, a light which the darkness cannot overcome. Through his life, death and resurrection Jesus offers new, full and eternal life to everyone and it is that life which I seek to live out day by day and share with others. It isn’t always easy but for me God’s love, light and life lead me on my journey; a journey which I know is better lived with God than without.