Eden Staff

Julian Hardyman, Senior Pastor

Julian was born near Windsor in 1964. Brought up in a Christian family, he became a Christian through the Christian Union at his secondary school. He read English at New College, Oxford, also serving on the CU Executive Committee, and then studied at the London College of Printing before working in the printing and publishing industries. This included more than two years working for the notorious Robert Maxwell, though Julian did get all his pension contributions back in the end.

In 1991 after working as Production Manager at IVP, the Christian publishers, he joined the staff of Cornerstone Evangelical Church, Nottingham as Church Manager and Pastoral Assistant. From 1993-1996 he studied at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Chicago, USA for an M.Div. After graduation in 1996 he joined the staff of Eden as Associate Pastor.

Julian was appointed as Senior Pastor of Eden in September 2002.

In 1989 he married Debbie, who is a community dentist. Their three children, Robin, Fiona and Kitty, were born in 1993, 1995 and 2000. Julian has recently started distance running: he also enjoys walking with his border collie dog, painting with oils and watercolours, political biographies, and opera. He cherishes an ambition to eat in every Cambridge college hall. More seriously, he serves on the board of IVP, the Christian publisher who published Julian's first book, Glory Days: Living the whole of your life for Jesus, now available in a new edition called Maximum Life (e-book/paperback). This was followed up in 2010 by Idols: God's battle for our hearts (e-book/paperback).

Dave Gobbett, Associate Pastor

Dave returned to Cambridge and to Eden in 2008 after nine years away. Having been brought up in a loving Christian home within earshot of West Ham United FC in East London and coming to faith in Christ in his early teens, Dave arrived in Cambridge first time round to read Engineering at Gonville & Caius from 1995-99. During this time he was an associate member of Eden and served as president of CICCU (1997-8).

Dave worked for the Ford Motor Company for a couple of years before exploring paid Christian ministry as a trainee at Eden, a pastoral assistant at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington DC and as administrator of The Bible Talks, Mayfair. From 1999-2001 he attended the Cornhill Training Course and after 4 years of student ministry in the North East with UCCF (2001-05), Dave completed a BA (Hons) in Pastoral and Theological Studies at Oak Hill Theological College (2005-08).

Dave is married to Sally (a speech & language therapist, classical singer & now full-time mum) and they have 2 children: Ella-Beth (2008) and Owen (2011). Between sermons and nappies, he's trying to get better at tennis, snooker, board games & making rabbits disappear.

Genevieve Jennings, Pastoral Worker

Genevieve comes from London and studied English Literature and Italian at Leeds University. After graduating, she worked as a Technical Author for five years at a computer company in Dunstable. It was there that she heard the gospel for the first time, becoming a Christian in 1984. She subsequently joined a local church, West Street Baptist Church, and attended the Bible College attached to it.

She went to Japan in 1991 with Worldwide Evangelisation for Christ (WEC International) and, after studying Japanese for two years, worked in evangelism and pastoral care. She lived in Hikone and in the university city of Kyoto, which is the cultural capital of Japan. When back in the UK, she was on the staff team at West Street.

Genevieve likes art exhibitions, reading, swimming and coffee-shops and, above all, knowing Jesus!

Ruth Tricker, Administrator

Ruth is a qualified teacher and has taught in a primary school in Calne, Wiltshire and also English as a Foreign Language to both adults and children in Portugal. She was involved in everything from cleaning to cooking in a conference centre in Seaton, Devon and at Wycliffe Bible Translators in High Wycombe she did administration, conference centre work and looked after international volunteers. Most recently she has worked for the Jubilee Centre, Cambridge and in administration and finance for Romsey Mill Youth and Community Centre in Cambridge.

Ruth took up her post as church administrator in July 2004, having previously served the church as a deacon. Her brother David is one of Eden's elders.

Sara Reid, Children's worker (part time)

Sara was born in Nigeria and brought up in Northamptonshire before coming to Cambridge as a student and new Christian in 1983. She studied Spanish and French at Gonville & Caius College before completing a PGCE and working as a primary school teacher locally.

She married Doug (an electronic design engineer) in 1989 and they have three children - Alice, Phil and Matthew. Since having children, she has worked as a supply teacher, registered childminder and in a pre-school.

Sara enjoys walking, gardening, reading and wild open spaces.

Craig Summers, Student Worker

Elspeth Pullinger, Church Apprentice

Elspeth was born in Cambridge, studied languages and then linguistics at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and is still here, although she has also lived in St Petersburg, Russia, and rural East Germany. She gradually came to put her faith in Jesus over a number of years growing up in a Christian home, and has been coming to Eden since her second year at university.

She enjoys playing her harp, walking by the river, thinking about language, cycling fast around the city, and frequenting libraries.

Will Keen, Church Apprentice

Will is originally from Hampshire. He was brought up by Christian parents, but never made a personal commitment to Jesus until his second year at the University of Cambridge, during his degree in Computer Science. His interests include playing the cornet in brass bands, eating food and playing niche board games, such as Carcassonne and Settlers of Catan.

Robin Whaley, Evangelist (part time)

Ali Campbell Smith, Office Assistant (part time)

Ali was born in Surrey and lived there for most of her childhood apart from 2 years in San Francisco. She first came to Cambridge as an undergraduate in 2003 and has been at Eden ever since. In 2007 Ali joined the staff at Eden as a Church Assistant for a year, before returning to postgraduate study in Chemistry. She has been involved in helping with and subsequently running the 11-14s youthwork at Eden in various voluntary capacities since 2007 and is now training part-time at Oak Hill College in London on their Youth and Children's work course. In addition to this, she tutors school and university students in chemistry and maths and has worked part-time in the office at Eden since 2011, helping with administration.

When not working, Ali enjoys making music, exploring the local countryside by bike and spending time with friends.