2011 was our 75th year and we celebrated in style with our event in the Waterfront Hall, giving God glory for all that he has done through the Convention over the years.

We’re in the middle of finalising speakers / events for 2012 but we’d like to introduce you to our confirmed speakers for 2012!

Jacob Reynolds 

Jacob Reynolds has served as principal of the Irish Bible Institute (IBI) since it was established in 2000.  He graduated (Bachelor of Biblical Studies) at Peace River Bible Institute, Alberta, Canada and received a Masters of Divinity in Education and Biblical Studies at Providence Seminary in Winnipeg.  He then had 8 years experience in pastoral ministry in Dublin before heading up the Irish Bible Institute.

At IBI Jacob teaches in the areas of Leadership, Church and Ministry. Last year he commenced a PhD at Trinity College Dublin, where he will examine the process of leadership training within the context of IBI. The aim is to isolate the factors, which influence the training of individuals to be effective at bringing transformation in their own lives and in the lives of those they serve and to evaluate to what extent the programmes delivered at IBI help or hinder that process.

Sarah de Carvalho

In 1991 Sarah de Carvalho left her well–paid media career in London to live and work among the street children in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Sarah went on to found Happy Child International which is dedicated to providing physical, educational and spiritual care for street children. 

Today, Happy Child runs nine homes in two major cities in Brazil and has rescued, rehabilitated and reintegrated over 8500 children. 

Sarah wrote a new book last year, Solomon’s Song , published by Hodder and Stoughton. The novel draws heavily on her experiences of living and working with street children. She is also the author of the best selling ‘The Street Children of Brazil’ which details how she set up Happy Child. Sarah is married with three children and lives in Surrey.

 

Andy Ball

Andy was born in England and studied geography of the USSR at Cambridge before working as a manager in international logistics for almost a decade. After training for the ministry in South Wales, he served in pastoral ministry in churches in Yorkshire and Southampton.

Since 2007, with his wife and daughter (5), Andy has served in post–Soviet Eastern Europe among Slavic people. Following years of persecution, many new churches were planted in the years of outpouring when freedom first came to Eastern Europe, but there is still a huge vacuum of trained leaders and preachers.

Andy’s passion is to equip those who preach to handle the Bible well and help a new generation in Eastern Europe to rediscover Biblical expository preaching. He works alongside local Baptist pastors to run workshops and seminars, as well as with young people on Summer Camps. Andy is still slowly trying to master Russian.

Tatyana Ball

Tatyana grew up in a Baptist Christian family in the former Soviet Union. Persecution from the Communists was commonplace, and she was interrogated by the KGB when she was 12 years old. She often hid the family Bibles from the Secret Police who regularly came visiting to search the house.

Later Tatyana worked for 3 years in a secret underground publishing house, printing highly illegal Bible literature. Her parents were greatly used of the Lord, standing under incredible pressure, leading to the conversion eventually of every one of their neighbours. When freedom came in the early 90s, there was a great influx of new converts into the church.

Now Tatyana works as a translator of Christian books into Russian, and works with women and young people in local churches in Eastern Europe with Andy her husband, and 5 year–old daughter. She is currently writing a book about the exciting spiritual history of her family.

Sarah Chan (CWI)

Sarah Chan was Christian Witness To Israel (CWI)’s first Chinese missionary to Jewish people.

She was born in Hong Kong of Chinese parents and was converted at the start of her teenage years. Early in her Christian life she felt the challenge to take the Gospel to the Jewish people.

Through a sermon on Acts 1:8 the Lord challenged Sarah to take the gospel to the people who first gave us the Good News of Jesus.Sarah joined the staff of CWI in 1982 and has been sharing the gospel among the Jewish community in North West London ever since.

Sarah graduated from both London School of Theology in the UK and Westminster Theological Seminary in the USA. 

Since 1993 Sarah has been Christian Witness to Israel’s Chinese coordinator.Her book “Jewish Awareness – a Challenge to Chinese Churches” was published by China Alliance Press in 1995.

John Woodside – PCI

Born in 1946, John is originally from Larne.

After studying biology and agricultural science at QUB he spent 10 years lecturing and doing research into pollution from farm wastes. He played rugby on the wing for Ballymena for 10 seasons and experienced a late call into fulltime Christian ministry in his mid 30s.Apart from 18 months in Ballywillan in Portrush. 

Most of his ministry has spent been in two Presbyterian congregations in the Republic of Ireland; 18 years in Kilkenny and the last 8 years in Drogheda.John is married to Sandra , a French teacher and former IFES staffworker in Lebanon and Ireland. They have 3 sons, Andrew (28), Peter (22) and Johnny (20).John’s present congregation has members from up to 15 different nations and they have mission links with Kenya, Lithuania and Czech Republic.

He is on the Board of IFES Ireland.

Phil Hills – Teen Challenge

Phil Hills was born in Belfast, brought up in Dublin and has spent most of his life in England and Wales. He worked as a local government officer before going to Bible College and for the past 25 years he has been an Elim Minister leading churches in Coventry, Birmingham, Swansea and Dundonald.

In 1993 Phil got involved with the work of Teen Challenge and since 1995 has served as the Chairman of the Board. Teen Challenge has around 500 outreach workers seeking to reach people with life controlling problems on the streets of the UK.To support the outreach work they have numerous residential centres for drug users and alcoholics who want to live free.

Phil is married to Lynn and has two children Jess and Josh.

Sid & Jean Garland – Mission Africa 

Sid and Jean Garland from Belfast have worked in Nigeria with Mission Africa (Qua Iboe Fellowship) since 1987. Sid, a minister of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, has taught in several theological colleges. Asa founder and current Director of Africa Christian Textbooks (ACTS), Sid continues to distribute and publish theological books. Jean, as a nurse, has engaged in AIDS prevention education and caring for those infected and affected by HIV. Jean’s book, “AIDS is Real and It’s in our Church” has 80,000 copies in print in five languages. Sid and Jean have three adult children and three precious grandchildren.