dr
donald
bolt.
Dr Bolt was born in the Parish of Saint Ann, Jamaica, and became a Christian in 1970. He knew that he had a calling on his life and that God would use him in a very specific and meaningful way as he grew in his faith and committed his life to Christ. Dr Bolt, along with his late brother, Bishop Lawford Bolt and their sister Florence, were baptised at the same time and this was an important moment in his life when he knew that he would fervently serve the LORD and go wherever God would lead him. Dr Bolt answered the call to spread the gospel through preaching and as an evangelist in Jamaica in 1974. It was soon after this in 1976 that Dr Bolt immigrated to the UK where he met and married his beautiful wife Joycelyne.
Dr Bolt has served in the ministry for many years and began his career in ministry by qualifying as an exhorter in 1977. He went on to study and train to become a licensed minister in 1979 and an Ordained Bishop in 1991. Throughout his journey to becoming National Overseer, Dr Bolt studied theology at Overstone College, where he graduated with a Diploma in Theology with Distinction.
Dr Bolt was an active minister for many years, being appointed as pastor to churches from 1979 through to 2003. He secured his first senior pastoral appointment from 1981 to 1988 at the NTCG in Trowbridge. Dr Bolt grew into the role and was extremely effective in serving his congregation, guiding members in understanding scripture, leading in worship and serving as a role model to aspiring church leaders and the community. Dr Bolt continued to develop in ministry and he was called to become the Senior Pastor of the NTCG in Oxford from 1988 to 2003.Dr Bolt was promoted to Senior Pastor and District Overseer of the NTCG in Aldershot from 2003 to 2009. He went on to become the National Secretary/Treasurer for the NTCG in England and Wales from 2009 to 2014 before his appointment as Administrative Bishop and Regional Superintendent in England and Wales in 2014. He held the role as Administrative Bishop until August 2022.
Dr Bolt was instrumental in the implementation of contracts of employment for all ministers in the NTCG. Prior to 2007, ministers of religion, operating in churches, were classified as being ordained and elected by God and, therefore, their appointment was considered a vocation. However, a landmark case in an industrial tribunal, ruled that ministers of religion had employment status. As a result of that ruling, NTCG was required to issue contracts of employment to all its ministers. This was presided over by Dr Bolt in 2010 when he served as National Secretary/Treasurer, under the leadership of Dr. Eric Brown.
In addition to the introduction of contracts of employment, on 1st April 2012, the government introduced the work-based pension scheme. Under the leadership of Dr. Brown and Dr. Bolt, NTCG ensured that all employees that met the government criteria were given the opportunity to register and join the scheme. The work-based pension scheme has been a success and will ensure a better future for NTCG employees in their future retirement.
Administrative Bishop
2014 – 2022
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to an unprecedented standstill and the Church had to quickly respond by adopting new ways of delivering services and events. For the first time, churches were forced to close, with members instructed to refrain from in-person gatherings, causing many to feel fragmented and at a loss as to what to do. In the history of NTCG, church closures on a mass scale were unheard of and never experienced in the past.
It was a hugely troubling time for society and members of the church, causing many to feel unsettled, concerned about the future and bewildered. However, Dr Bolt provided efficacious leadership at the time, navigating through the challenges of church closures, the systematic changes to COVID-19 regulations and the move to virtual online gatherings.
Furthermore, during the pandemic, Dr Bolt felt the need to call together some of the major Black church leaders in England and Wales to gather for prayer, to strategise, to support each other, to consider the best use of human and financial resources to support others during the crisis, and to influence government policies, etc. As a result, the Black Leader Churches Leadership Forum (BLCLF) was formed, and the first meeting was held in 2020. The forum included leaders from the Church of God of Prophecy, New Testament Assembly, Bethel United Apostolic Church of JesusChrist and New Testament Church of God (NTCG).
Lastly, Dr Bolt considers it an honour to have served the NTCG in England and Wales for over forty-five years in various capacities, along with his wife Joycelyne. Now retired, he is spending more time with his family; lending his support to mentoring some of the younger ministers and supporting the leadership of the Church and leaders within and beyond the denomination, wherever required.
legacy
The Engine Room has come to be seen as a significant feature of NTCG, allowing members to gather together to have fellowship by listening to the Word, testifying of God’s goodness of healing, protection and comfort during challenging times in the lives of believers. It was birthed through Dr Bolt’s vision, mission, purpose and belief that prayer is a key spiritual discipline that drives the Church.
The Engine Room was launched in 2014 and was jointly overseen and delivered by both Bishop and Sister Bolt. Through both Dr and Sister Bolt’s leadership of The Engine Room, churches attended the Head Office on a monthly basis and engaged in worship and prayer. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, when lockdowns were imposed and churches ceased to open their doors for face-to-face attendance, The Engine Room transitioned online. This allowed even more brethren to gather, which extended its reach to over 500 people joining at any one time, showing Dr and Sister Bolt’s commitment and high levels of foresight in bringing together God’s people in this way, fostering worship and fellowship despite the challenges of lockdowns.