Fresh Expressions: Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Welcoming Richard Passmore as Partnerships & Development Lead
From 1st November 2025, Richard Passmore will be joining the operations team as Partnerships & Development Lead, working two days a week. We are excited to welcome him into the role.
Richard began his career in youth and community work, focusing on mission with young people on the margins through Youth for Christ and the Frontier Youth Trust. He has authored several books and was Assistant Course Director for the Bristol Centre for Youth Ministry, lecturing in missiology, theology, and youth work at Bristol Baptist College. At the same time, he developed the Streetspace network, a partnership between FYT and CMS, to explore emerging church and new forms of planting.
Ten years ago, Richard moved to Cumbria as the Fresh Expressions Enabler, later becoming the Director of the Northern Mission Centre with the Diocese of Carlisle. His work there was ecumenical, as part of God for All – a joint strategy with the Methodists, Salvation Army, and URC. During this period, fresh expressions and creative mission grew significantly in the region, with one in four people who attended church (pre-Covid) being part of a fresh expression. This work included developing Network Youth Church, which engaged over 2,000 young people a month (for many, their only experience of church); Mountain Pilgrims, a network of fresh expressions using the environment to explore spirituality and faith; and the Northern Mission Centre, which oversaw the expansion of fresh expressions across the county and beyond. Richard concluded that role in August.
Most recently, Richard set up his own consultancy, Alchemy on the Edge, which supports VCFSE organisations, churches, people, and projects around change, creative mission, and innovation – focusing on those who want to break the mould. He will undertake the Partnerships & Development role alongside his consultancy work.
Richard says:
“I’m delighted to be joining the operations team of fx. Over the years, fresh expressions has played a key role in helping the church and individuals think more creatively about church and mission, and its listening-first approach to planting new churches has always been at the very heart of what contextual mission is for me.It has been great to see so many people and institutions embrace Fresh Expressions over the years and embed so much of that learning into their systems. This means fx is in a challenging space, but as the Networking and Development lead I look forward to discovering the fresh things God is doing around the country and working out together how we might develop the next part of the journey.”
We are looking forward to working with Richard and discovering, alongside him, the fresh things God is doing around the country.
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Fresh Expressions Ltd
Mark Robinson
www.freshexpressions.org.uk
mark.robinson@freshexpressions.org.uk
The Methodist Church
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
[Website/Email]
About Fresh Expressions Ltd
Fresh Expressions Ltd is a movement that promotes new forms of church and Christian community to connect with those not reached by traditional church models. Through pioneering initiatives, coaching, and leadership development, Fresh Expressions helps individuals and communities engage with faith in innovative and transformative ways.
