In this edition of our ‘Getting to know…’ series, we sat down with Elsa Harflett and Rev. Misha Pedersen, who minister together at Pentref Baptist Chapel. They are also joint Presidents of Senana, an organisation of Baptist women which supports the work of BMS World Mission.
Thank you for taking the time to talk to us! To start with, how did you both end up in Wales?
Elsa: Originally, I was born in Malaysia where my father was a teacher! He came back when the country became independent in 1957, and from then we moved to Somerset.
I moved to Newbridge on Wye in 2013. I did know Wales a little before then because my husband’s family had connections to Wales. But I never ever wanted to live in Wales until unexpected circumstances pointed that way! Looking back, I can see that the hand of God was leading and it’s felt like home ever since.
Misha: I’m from Denmark originally! But, I’ve been over here for just over 8 years. Before then, I had been working with a Geopark in Denmark. There was one over here which I visited in the Brecon Beacons as part of my studies, and eventually through various circumstances I decided to stay.
How would you both describe your journeys to faith?
Elsa: It’s hard to pinpoint a time for me. I was brought up in a Christian family, and it sort of happened gradually. But maybe I can look back at a time where it was more ‘going through the rituals’, and further on I realized that it had become my own. There were times of ‘drifting’, but like when you push against an elastic band, God always brought me back!
Misha: My family were not a church-going family growing up. But, when I was 14 or 15 I had a very clear experience of God speaking to me through a Bible study. That night I was sat up writing some poetry, and suddenly what I was writing changed into a poem about God’s love! However, I struggled with church. The context I was in felt quite spiritually heavy and I didn’t have an understanding of the freedom Christ brings. I had also felt a call to ministry, but that was uncommon in the church I grew up in as a female, and I didn’t know what to do with it! But, I came back to an active faith through an Alpha Course, where I discovered the reality of the Holy Spirit, freedom in Christ, and God’s grace! I also felt the call to ministry come back strongly in Wales.
What does ministry look like for you both at Pentref Baptist Chapel where you both serve?
Misha: We have a small congregation… but we have a reputation of being a welcoming and warm place. We didn’t have any children for a while, but a few years ago we prayed into this, and through answers to prayer and steps of faith we now have a small Sunday school. Parents do also come to the services, and we love that they get to hear the gospel!
We often find ourselves asking ‘Do we need to do things the way we’ve always done things or can we try something different?’. So, we’re experimenting with worshipping around tables. We’ve also started a shared meal once a month. We also try services that are a bit different every 5th Sunday. For example, we’ve had a ‘Pizza, Praise and Puppets’ evening, we’ve tried services with a bit of drama, art and contemporary worship
The Senana group recently meeting at their annual conference in Trefeca College on the 3rd – 5th of September.
And how did you end up as joint presidents of Senana?
Misha: Elsa has been a part of Senana for a while, and knew Senana a lot better than me, but she doesn’t enjoy public speaking! And then for me, I’m used to preaching but I didn’t know the society well at all. So we thought we would be a good team and do it between us!
What is your prayer for Senana, and for Pentref going forward?
Misha and Elsa: For Senana, we’re aware that a lot of younger people don’t know about the society so we’re trying to get the word out a little – we would love younger generations to get involved in supporting God’s mission across the world through BMS World Mission. They do such an amazing work around the world.
Our prayer for Pentref as a church is to welcome people into the community who may not have felt welcome before and may not yet have a faith, and give them the freedom to explore. I always say ‘God has got the kettle on in His kitchen, and there’s a mug on the wall with each of our names on it, and all God wants us to do is to take the mug down and have a cuppa!’.
You can find out more about the work of Senana here, and you can also find out about BMS World Mission and the work that is being done across the world by heading over to their website. Elsa and Misha would also love to welcome you to Pentref Chapel in Newbridge on Wye, which describes itself as a ‘friendly Baptist chapel (with) Sunday worship (held at) 10:30am and 6:30pm’.