About the Founder

Hi – I am Mike Robins.

Healthy churches have been my passion for most of my adult life.

Not healthy as in perfect, impressive, or busy — but healthy in the biblical sense: churches where Jesus is central, disciples are formed, leaders are supported, people are cared for, and mission flows naturally from faith lived out.

I’ve spent over three decades serving local churches, leaders, and denominations, and again and again I’ve seen the same truth confirmed: health precedes growth — and sustains it.

I became a Christian in 1983 and was deeply shaped by local church life from the outset. After years in church leadership, I was called into full-time ministry and ordained within the Elim Pentecostal Church in 1994. 

After a year serving as an Assistant Pastor in Bournemouth, my wife Shelagh and I were invited to move to Cornwall to re-pioneer a small seaside church of around 20 people.

Over the following 26 years, we focused on nurturing a church rooted in discipleship, leadership development, and mission, and we grew into a large church. During that time, leaders were raised and released, new churches were planted, and a significant congregation was established in a neighbouring town. Substantial investment was made in facilities and in training leaders, enabling a wide range of ministries that brought meaningful and lasting influence within the local community.

What mattered most to me throughout those years was not expansion for its own sake, but the formation of people and the strengthening of the church’s spiritual and organisational foundations.

Alongside local church ministry, I have spent nearly thirty years working with churches, leaders, and denominations. (www.church-dynamics.co.uk) That breadth of experience has allowed me to see churches in every season — pioneering, settling, flourishing, plateauing, declining, and renewing.

Out of those experiences grew both a deep conviction and, over time, the development of a practical church-health tool designed to help churches reflect honestly on their life, culture, and practices. Not as a scorecard or quick fix, but as a way of creating clarity, shared understanding, and wise next steps rooted in prayer and discernment.

I hold a Master of Theology (MTh) from the University of Chester, with research focused on revival and church planting. I remain deeply interested in how theology, leadership, and practice intersect in the life of the local church.

Before entering ministry, I trained and worked as a qualified aerospace manufacturing engineer and later in technical sales. That background has shaped the way I think — analytically, strategically, and with a strong emphasis on quality, process, and long-term sustainability.

For seven years, until 2025, I had the privilege of working with Compassion UK, where my final role was Head of Strategic Partnerships.

During that time, I was deeply influenced by the organisation’s commitment to intentional growth, thoughtful strategy, and the careful monitoring of organisational health. Seeing these principles applied with humility, excellence, and deep compassion further shaped my own thinking and strengthened my conviction that health must always come before expansion.

This experience significantly informed the ongoing development of the Healthy Church programme, helping me translate good practice, wise planning, and reflective review into a church context that remains pastoral, prayerful, and biblically grounded.

In 2025, I stepped away from my role at Compassion UK to devote more time and energy to the ministry of Healthy Church, serving churches and leaders as they pursue sustainable, Christ-centred health.