discipleship,mission,secular society,youth

NATHAN OBOKOH
General Synod 2nd Term Nomination

I am an artist, a servant and a child of God
I have been serving at my church for around 20 years and in that time I have grown
from a new Christian coming from a multi-faith and multi-culture background to
serving widely at HTL, in the Diocese of Leicester, nationally, and internationally. I
know the transforming power of God’s word and desire everyone to join with God in
His great story.

I really value discipleship and because I was discipled well, with mentors and
friends, I have built a Kingdom business of my own directing my natural talents
towards the mission of God, enabling me to minister to church and secular society.
I do this through the arts, pioneering movements of creating with God both in the
church and into secular society.
I do this from a foundation of gratitude giving me a deep, driving desire to share
Him with others, especially those who don’t yet know Him.
I do this because the arts; writing, music, film, fine art, etc. are powerful expressions
of our humanity and act like yeast in society, creating ideas, influencing opinions
and presenting a backdrop for grappling with life, a background framework that
reaches across generations, especially in our current information and innovation rich
age. And as Christian’s we know from experience, that when given the chance
people can taste and see that God is good for themselves - so I dedicate myself to
using all I have to present God to people in creative ways so they can taste, and see
that He is good. This has led me to perform and minister to UK churches,
businesses, Church of England groups and across Europe, online to the US and even
at the last session of General Synod.

Perspective
My work gives me a unique perspective, as I seek to work across cultures,
languages and ages, finding ways to minister God’s presence using art that
transforms. To do this I draw on my experience as youth children’s and schools

worker at HTL, film at communications at the Diocese of Leicester, acting at the
Curve theatre and HTL ministries, and the numerous mission trips to support
missionaries and churches in Europe,and the Americas. This combined with my
training in philosophy and psychology, my own genetic mix of Nigerian and Indian,
and my family including Thai, Irish and English relatives really does affect how I
view the makeup of the Kingdom of God and how different cultures, conflicting
histories, peoples and wildly different individuals might become family together. This
shows up in my work, and my service such as supporting the Intercultural
Worshipping Communities project. The one thing we can unite around is Jesus, and
wherever I go I am constantly amazed by the brilliance of God’s word in revealing
His character and nature to us, that we might emulate Him wherever we are called.

Real life
My life is messy. Working freelance and running a business creates a wonderful
unpredictability to be navigated. I am a carer for my father whose health needs are
complicated and changing, and I myself have had to navigate loss and chronic
illness as many of us have experienced. I only say this because it is reality.
Suffering is a part of our lives, and I seek and receive God’s grace daily. Suffering
hasn't blunted my love for Him, instead it enables me to represent the breadth of our
city and speak from shared experience.

I am not a politician
But I have a lifetime of representing, from school councils as a child, NUS
presidency and counsellor, to representing the Church internationally on mission and
Leicester at the last General Synod. I have the track record, ability and ingenuity to
continue to represent you well for a second time.
My focus for this session is to seek the vital and transformative value of God and his
word to hold central in our work as an organisation and culture-shaping power in the
nation and beyond.
The world is hungry for meaning, a Grand Narrative. Truth that pulls us out of
political and philosophical weather systems that bring pressure to move and define
us.
The world is thirsty for a solid place to stand.
A place from which to inspire, to move, to make sense of life in all its pain and joy.
To save lives.
That place is a person.
That person is Jesus.

nathan obokoh
September 2026