Joe Byrne
Plant Leadership
Joe Byrne (Elder)
"I was once informed that I couldn't possibly come from Manchester as I didn't have the obligatory Gallagher brother mono-brow. Nevertheless, the birth certificate bears out that it was in this, undoubtedly Britain's first and greatest city, that I was born. I grew up in Stockport, where Mum and Dad took me along to church. Despite some distinctly dodgy teenage years, God used many faithful people to teach me about Jesus Christ and to demonstrate his gracious and merciful love. For years I knew a lot about Jesus, but I didn't actually know Jesus. Finally, when I was 16 I was really challenged to consider where I stood with Jesus. Over the next few months I became convinced that the Jesus of the Bible was the real deal and I began to trust in him as my Lord and Saviour.
I went to University in Essex to study Politics and while I was there I got really involved in the Christian Union. As time went on, my passion for politics subsided and was replaced by a desire to see people come to know Jesus Christ for themselves. In 2004 I moved back to Manchester where I spent 2 years working for The Plant as a Ministry Trainee as the church first started up. Since 2006 I've been working at Manchester Metropolitan University and doing what I can at The Plant.
Over the last 4 years I've seen so many people come to faith and grow in their faith at The Plant, as God's Word is faithfully taught and as we share fellowship in a loving community together. I'm looking forward to serving alongside Phil and John in encouraging and building up members to be desiring Jesus above all else and pointing everyone, Christian or not, to consider Christ.
I'm married to the very wonderful Gail and we live down in Fallowfield."
Email: joe.byrne@theplant.net