Ed Flint - Leader

I’m married to Hannah and we lead bread. We’re both from Britain. I didn’t always like church growing up. So when I went away to university in Cambridge, UK I stopped going. And after a while I stopped believing in anything as well. I found it judgmental and angry and boring and unreal. God didn’t seem very nice either. Ultimately I thought it was probably all made up anyway.

But everything changed when I wandered into a church, St Mary’s in London, aged 23. I was introduced to the real thing: the intellectually-satisfying, powerful, gracious, life-changing Jesus of Nazareth God. I found him utterly compelling. He was and is fantastic. Since then I’ve wanted as many people to meet him as possible. Especially if, like I was, they’re not sure whether any of it is true, or relevant, or good.

Over the years I've seen the real Jesus change countless lives for the better in extraordinary ways. I want to see more.

I ended up becoming ordained by the Bishop of London as a minister in the Church of England. I worked as a church leader at St Mary’s for around 10 years, and now, with Hannah and our three wonderful daughters, we've moved to LA to start bread in 2016. I like adventures. This one has already been a big one, I think it will continue to be. I love L.A. And I love the people of this city. It's for them that we're here.

Likes: 

herringbone / fire / italy / dogs / rare steak / irony / the world’s strongest man competition / wanderlüst / everything christopher guest has ever done / old european cars / new people / self-deprecation / people who say things they don’t believe just to get a rise out of someone / oysters / berlin / sparkling water / ice cream at the cinema (or anywhere anytime) / a good beard / undeserved generosity / roger federer / thick rimmed glasses / arsenal football club / the naivety of youth / flannel suits / ray kappe architecture / drinks at dusk on holiday / seat back tray tables / loose leaf tea / empty airports / balancing things on top of each other / champagne at weddings / freshly laid tarmac / second chances / miele appliances / soft metals.

Dislikes: 

cauliflower / domestic cats / air fresheners / high-end fashion for children / untuneable guitars / puritanical beliefs / haircuts / soap operas  / hipster brand names that follow the ‘something & something’ formula / the expression ‘heading up’  / avocado / food-intolerances / call centers / slow internet connections / u2 / inaccurate signage / pointy shoes / twitter / hobbies / unnecessary politeness / big round handwriting / large expensive watches / slow-motion action sequences / pews / one-armed hugs / priority boarding / nudges to the ribs / ever-so-slightly-faster-walking companions / part-leather.