Mission Partners
Dave & Viv – MECO
Dave & Viv work in Egypt with MECO International, Dave on video/media, Viv involved in local community ministries. They are former members but view our church somewhat as their home church. Dave used to work for the (other) BBC & has spent many years helping produce Christian video material that is culturally appropriate to middle-eastern countries. In recent years, he has focussed on helping train & equip local staff in anticipation of pending ‘retirement’ from the work & return to the UK.
Ginny Perkins - CAM
Ginny works with Carol in the DR Congo with Central African Missions. Ginny is a former member of our church, her family having grown up as part of the church (now all located elsewhere in the UK). Ginny & Carol have a wide variety of ministries that include local radio & TV programmes, visits to the local prisons & mineral digger camps, discipleship training, basic skills training & encouraging local pastors. They have a real passion for the local people and an amazing faith to see God work. Ginny enjoys worship & is currently working to record some songs.
Calister & Family – Hyderbad
Calister, Jaya and their children Sheetal & Raj live in Hyderbad, India and have links with our church going back some 10 years. Calister is an ordained minister in a Baptist church. Following a dramatic conversion he turned his back on a potentially lucrative career in the Indian film industry. Their life is challenging in many ways but they have seen the Lord’s blessings in reaching people for the gospel.
Their ministries are mostly amongst slum communities either working with already established churches or helping plant churches. They focus mostly on setting up sewing centres to help women & girls to earn a living combined with discipleship training.
Calister has recently opened a school with 36 children and three teachers.
Sam & Val Duval - France
Sam, Val and Thomas live in Sens (about 70 miles SE of Paris). Sam & Val spent about 1 year with us in Billericay as part of Sam’s training to be a Baptist Pastor. He is now pastor of a church in Sens and Head of the Home Mission of the French Baptist Federation (responsible for about 20 newly planted and small churches across the whole of France). Val is preparing her PhD in theology and teaching Biblical Greek at the Catholic University in Paris. They have kept in contact with many people from the church and enjoy their return visits.
Den Pethers - Viz-a-Viz
Den is a church member who founded Viz-a-Viz Ministries in 1993. It is now a national organisation concentrating on evangelism – both running events and producing resources. Strong links are also now in place with large church and publishing organisations in the USA which Den believes could lead to exciting opportunities to share the Gospel on a bigger scale. This fits well with Viz-a-Viz’s purpose – “to work alongside churches and other Christian organisations in communicating the gospel to the vast numbers of people who know little or nothing of the truth about Jesus”
Dave & Helen Hobbs, Zimbabwe
Dave & Helen are known to some in the church and work in Zimbabwe with The Michael Project, whose prime aim is to provide care for vulnerable children such as orphans or those with parents in prison. Whilst the economy is not as desperate now as about 1 year ago, children are often treated appallingly, in part because of extreme poverty & deprivation. By addressing physical, emotional and spiritual needs the children served by the Michael Project have hope and a future.
Alison Fenning – RSVP Trust
Alison is a member of our church and is an itinerant evangelist who has worked for The RSVP Trust since 2003. She has been involved in ministry for ten years now with a variety of experience, holding a degree in Biblical Studies and Cross-Cultural Mission and she is currently studying for an MA in Missional Leadership. Alison is involved regularly with preaching in churches both locally and nationally, has set up a Female Evangelists Network, has a ministry to prostitutes and provides consultancy to groups of Christians who want to begin a ministry to a people group but don't know how or need encouraging. In Rwanda, Alison has been granted permission by the Rwandan government to minister to prisoners who are on trial for genocide crimes.
She has been ministering in the prisons since 2004. Now hundreds are responding to Christ each time she visits a prison. This ministry is facilitated by Prison Fellowship Rwanda.
Pete Ward – South Africa
Pete is a member of our church who is currently working for a year in South Africa for an organisation called Ambassadors in Sport. He will spend the year coaching football and sharing his faith. Following some initial training Pete will spend time working in Cape Town and other SA Cities.
Ambassadors in Sport describes its mission as “To communicate the good news of Jesus Christ to all countries and people groups through football”, and operates in many countries around the globe.
Clare Jackson - Peru
Although currently a member of a church in Canterbury, Clare has a longstanding relationship with our church. After having worked overseas on a number of short term assignments, Clare is currently spending a year working with Latin Link in Peru. She is currently going through the dreaded language studies (Spanish) and will be starting her mission work in Cuzco in May. This year is quite a milestone for Clare as she considers how to serve God in the future.