Jo Appleton is originally from Northern Ireland and trained as a physiotherapist in Edinburgh. Communications Manager at Redcliffe College, Joanne coedits the Redcliffe research publication, Vista and helps teach the MA in European Mission and Intercultural Christianity course at Redcliffe.
Johan ter Beek is advisor for youth work to the Protestant Churches of the Netherlands PKN, and runs a computer gaming business. He leads a scenario thinking project for the PKN, and also teaches at tertiary level institutions.
John Bruton, a former Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach), 1994-7, who helped transform the Irish economy into the ‘Celtic Tiger’, and served as EU Ambassador to the US, 2004–9, will talk on Recovering vision and values in Europe.
Harry Bryans is Children’s Ministry Associate with the European Evangelical Alliance and also convenes the HFE childrens and youth ministry network. Originally from Northern Ireland, Harry lives with his wife Catherine in her native Belgium.
Bishop Ken Clarke is the current Mission Director of SAMS UK & Ireland. He was the Church of Ireland Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh from 2001 until 2012.
Julie Doxat-Purser is the European Evangelical Alliance’s socio-political & religious liberty representative. She was previously EEA’s Brussels representative for 8 years. She co-convenes the European Religious Liberty Forum with Advocates Europe, and is helpings to develop the European Freedom Network, linking ministries working on human trafficking. Julia also works with the World Evangelical Alliance on religious liberty, human trafficking and political engagement training. Julia is married to Alistair and lives in the north of England, in Hull, William Wilberforce’s home town.
Sari Essayah is a Finnish Member of the European Parliament (2009-2014). Sari has a long background in the Christian Democrats of Finland, serving on the local, national and European political scene. In 2004-2007, she was a member of the Finnish Parliament. She has a Major in Accounting and a Masters in Business Administration and ten years’ experience as an auditor and controller. During her political career, she has taken a strong position in defending human rights. She is a member of the Christian human rights NGO, First Step Forum, and a member of the European Network for Women in Leadership.
David Fieldsend is the Manager of CARE for Europe, promoting Christian values in public policy discussion at the European Institutions concentrating on bioethics and family policy. He gained his first degree (town planning) from Newcastle University, holds a diploma in theological studies (Trinity, Bristol), and was awarded a European Masters degree in bioethics in 2009. He spent many years as a planning specialist in local government in the UK (including a secondment advising the Sudanese Government). He stood as a British Parliamentary Candidate in 1983 for the constituency of Falmouth-Camborne. He is married to Anne; they have three adult children and one grandson. He is a licensed Reader in the Church of England and member of the diocesan synod for Europe. He is the current chairman of the ECPF.
Antonie Fountain directs Stop the Traffik in the Netherlands and is engaged in social activism on several fronts, writes magazine columns and contributes to a radio current affairs programme. He writes worship songs on justice themes.
Jeff Fountain is director of the Schuman Centre for European Studies, and author of ‘Living as people of hope’ and ‘Deeply Rooted’, the story of the forgotten vision of Robert Schuman, ‘father of Europe’ and principle architect of Europe’s post-war peace. Jeff was director of YWAM Europe 1990-2009, and although originally from New Zealand, is a naturalised Dutchman.
Os Guinness, descendent of the famous Dublin brewer, and is an author and social critic. He was educated in England, receiving his undergraduate degree from the University of London and a DPhil from Oriel College, Oxford. Some of his influential books include The Dust of Death; In Two Minds; The Gravedigger File; The American Hour; Dining with the Devil: The Megachurch Movement Flirts with Modernity; Fit Bodies, Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don’t Think; The Call; and Time for Truth: Living Free in a World of Lies.
Rónán Johnston –’Rojo’– is widely known in Ireland’s music scene as recording artist, songsmith, voice coach, radio dj (Spirit Radio) and was involved in production work for the Eurovision song festivals which Ireland seemed to win ad infinitum.
Richard Kane is a social innovator with a particular interest in family policy and the couple relationship. He is a regular commentator in the media on marriage issues and is the founder and leader of National Marriage Week which is now running in 22 nations attracting over 1.5 million participants worldwide.
Gerard Kelly is a writer, prismatic preacher-poet, mac lover, coffee drinker and twitturgist. He and his wife Chrissie have over thirty years of ministry experience as youth workers and church leaders.They have lived and worked in the UK, France and the Netherlands and are popular speakers at conferences and church weekends.In 1995 they founded the European missions project that became The Bless Network in 2004. In 2009 Gerard and Chrissie wrote ‘Intimate with the Ultimate’ together: a book on prayer and spirituality.They currently live in Basse Normandy, France, where Bless is establishing a missional community.
Margriet Krijtenburg was award her doctorate at Leiden/The Hague after writing and defending her thesis on Robert Schuman and his frame of reference.She lectures at the University of The Hague.
Jim Memory is course leader MA in European Mission and Intercultural Christianity at Redcliffe College, Gloucester.
He is the editor of Vista, Redcliffe’s quarterly bulletin of research-based information on mission in Europe, and has a particular research interest in secularization and the values of Europe. Jim combines his role at Redcliffe with a role within European Christian Mission International in training, supporting and developing the field ministries of ECM across Europe and he continues to be involved in Spain working with a collaborative church-planting initiative in the province of Córdoba.
Sean Mullen was general director of the EA in Ireland until 2010, and has initiated a social enterprise opening neighbourhood “meeting and eating places” in Dublin City called Third Space. The first venture opened in Smithfield in Feb 2012 and has become a lively and well loved hang-out place. The name comes from the notion that city dwellers need informal “hanging out” space as well as living space and working space. (to be confirmed)
Christel Ngnambi started as the EEA Brussels Representative in September 2007. He is a political Science graduate with a deep interest in developing a Christian mind and applying Christian thinking to public policy. His personal public policy interests include migration.
David Quinn, director of Iona Insitute, is a well known journalist who specialises in religious and social affairs. Currently he has columns in both The Irish Independent and The Irish Catholic. He frequently appears on radio and television programmes and also contributes to numerous magazines overseas. As Director, his main function is to represent the Institute publicly, and to run and coordinate its various projects and undertakings.
Fotis Romeos is director of AMG Eastern Europe, and served with the Evangelical Alliance of Greece for many years, for some time being vice-president of the European Evangelical Alliance. He is engaged with the growing needs of many Greeks, many of whom have used their savings, and are losing their homes and jobs. Among young adults, unemployment is as high as 50%.
Thomas Schirrmacher holds a chair in theology (ethics, missions, world religions), is a Christian moral philosopher and a specialist in the sociology of religion. He is professor of the sociology of religion and chairman of the theological commission of the World Evangelical Alliance. Since 1996 he is the rector of the Martin Bucer European Theological Seminary and Research Institutes, a theological seminary seated in Bonn, Germany with campuses in several European countries.Since 2008 he is the director of the International Institute for Religious Freedom with offices in Bonn, Cape Town and Colombo.
Michael Schluter, founder of the Relationships Foundation, is co-author of The R Factor (1993), Jubilee Manifesto (2005) and The Relational Manager (September 2009). An economics consultant with the World Bank in East Africa, he has launched six charities whose work includes international peace-building (Concordis International), alternative finance (Citylife) and social policy (Credit Action). In 1994, Michael launched the Relationships Foundation. He has addressed audiences all over the world, and was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s new year honours in 2009. That same year he also established Relationships Global to promote Relational Thinking internationally. Relationships Global currently has affiliates in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK and USA.
Economist Tomas Sedlacek , former economic advisor to President Havel of the Czech Republic, is author of the best-selling The Economics of Good and Evil.
Chris Steyn M.D. is international director of Healthcare Christian Fellowship. Chris convenes the Hope for Europe health network, building relational networks and partnerships among Christian healthcare workers who collaborate for positive changes in healthcare under the guidance of God. He and his wife Elize live in Voorthuizen, The Netherlands, but originally come from South Africa.
Jonathan Tame directs the Jubilee Centre based in Cambridge, working part-time with Relationships Global. He trained as an agricultural economist and worked for the British government’s development agency in Cameroon, before joining a faith-based NGO in Lausanne, to lead their relief and development support office. He and his wife Helene developed a number of social, educational and cultural projects together in Romania. These included an international environmental workshop; an arts cafe which hosted a variety of lectures, exhibitions and debates; a women’s counselling centre and maternity home. They lived 2006-9 near Geneva, Switzerland, setting up a small institute to introduce Geneva’s spiritual heritage to people working in the city’s international community.
Evert van de Poll is a Dutch evangelical theologian, minister and former editor. He is presently a Baptist pastor in south France (Toulouse) and is university professor at the Evangelical Theological Faculty (ETF) in Heverlee, Leuven, Belgium.
Leo van Doesburg is a Dutch national and the ECPM Representative for South-Eastern Europe, based in Timisoara, Romania. Leo promotes the ECPM in this region, cooperates with other Christian organisations and participates in panel discussions and debates concerning Christian politics. (to be confirmed)