TO BOLDLY
GLOW
PICTURES : CHRIS BOOTH
As new investment commences into the future of Glow , on Aycliffe Business Park , Peter Barron talks to a man who ’ s put his faith in a place that serves as a church as well as an events and conference venue …
Asked about the shaping of his Christian values , Ian Duffew smiles as he recalls a vivid childhood memory : “ The bus stop outside our house when I was growing up …” he begins .
Ian goes on to recount how his parents , Malcolm and Margaret , would have compassion for anyone looking sad or lonely at the stop in Eston , on the outskirts of Middlesbrough .
“ They ’ d take them a cup of tea , have a chat , and check they were OK - that ’ s the kind of people they were ,” he says . “ Sometimes , there ’ d be people in tears , and my parents would show them kindness and love .”
Decades on , it is those same principles that remain central to Ian ’ s role as chair of Innovate , the business arm of Glow , a high-quality , purpose-built venue on Aycliffe Business Park that is both a popular church and a multi-faceted conference and events facility .
Ian ’ s vision for Glow – formerly the Xcel Centre – is for it to be immersed in the community , to provide the best experience possible for those who use it for a wide variety of reasons , and be a safe , caring place for those who need extra support .
“ The common denominator is love – but it ’ s love with a purpose and to a high standard ,” says Ian .
Glow is part of an international Christian movement that was started in their own home , on the Australian Gold Coast , by Joel and Ellen Cave , and has seen the movement grow and expand to three churches in Australia , and plans for further growth in other key international locations .
Here in the UK , in 2010 , the church financed the
Aycliffe development on a brownfield site on Aycliffe ’ s Long Tens Way .
It opened as the Xcel Centre , primarily as a church but with Innovate as its business arm , and was renamed Glow in 2021 , with Andrew and Louise Cherrie as lead pastors .
Andrew and Louise returned to their hometown , having spent a decade growing a significant church in London .
Glow is becoming brighter , as a result of major investment in state-of-the-art equipment and audiovisual technology , notably an LED screen measuring 12 metres by 4.5 metres within a main auditorium that has a capacity to seat 1,000 people .
Ian took over as chair of the Innovate board at the start of this year , making good use of a wealth of business experience , combined with the Christian values he inherited from his mum and dad .
Malcolm was a welder and Margaret a florist , and the church always played a big part in the lives of Ian and his older sister , Christine . Initially , it was South Bank Baptist Church , followed by the Apostolic Church , at Thorntree , in Middlesbrough , where Ian met his future wife , and mother of their three children , Carolyn .
The couple were later part of the leadership team that set up a new church , called Amazing Grace , in an abandoned pub at Teesside Retail Park .
In the meantime , Ian built a successful career in human resources , rising to become HR manager of engineering company , Aker Kvaerner , and then HR director of DeepOcean UK , before launching his own management consultancy .
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 15