Profiles of speakers for our 2018 conference
Paul & Sue Williams (Romania): We were commended to the grace of God for work in Eastern Europe by the Cheshunt Assembly in October 1992. The largest number of assemblies in Eastern Europe is found in Romania and to be more effective in Bible teaching and gospel outreach we knew that we needed to learn the language. Although it was hard work it has been well worth the effort as different opportunities for service, alongside Romanian believers, have opened up over the years. We live in the city of Ploiești and are in fellowship in a large assembly which was established in 1907. Together with national believers we are engaged in Bible teaching and gospel preaching in local assemblies in different areas of Romania. During the summer we use tents for gospel outreach work in towns and villages and when possible a Bible Exhibition in schools and public places. A literature work has been developed and expanded during our time in Romania and a large variety of Bible teaching books, Gospel tracts, Gospel booklets, children’s books and calendars have been translated, printed and widely distributed throughout Romania and into Europe, where there are Romanian speaking believers.
Jim McPhail (SHAREAfrica): A Scot, born in Lanarkshire, now living in Harrogate and associated with the assemblies for over 60 years. Before retiring in 2006 I was involved in business in several countries including West Africa. In 1999 I met a Zambian believer who was on a medical assignment in the UK. Our friendship took my wife and I to visit his family in Zambia. Seeing the need among many of our fellow believers moved us to try and help. SHAREAfrica was subsequently registered in 2002 with the primary aim of relieving poverty through projects and programmes designed to improve productivity and earnings. There will always be poor; but the level of disparity acceptable between fellow believers (and others) can only be determined by spiritual conscience. We are still learning!
Ken & Alison Barrett (Spain): We have been in Spain, since November 1985, commended by Kingsholm Church, Bristol. After spending 10 years with an assembly in the city of Madrid, (where Ken was involved principally with evangelism, teaching evangelical religious education in primary schools and also Bible classes to adults), we moved to the city of Alcalá de Henares. Here we started working with a small church which was still dependent on assemblies in Madrid. In time it was established with its own elders and premises and together the Lord led us as a church to establish another church in a town about 15 kms. away. We have been involved in student ministry in the local university, evangelism, teaching in schools and running a community centre nest to the church building in order to reach out to the local district. All these years we have also given time to what is called the Evangelical Bible Training Centre in Madrid, which publishes books, provides teaching courses, has a library and publishes a national magazine. Ken has been an elder of our local assembly until October 2017, when he stepped down to allow three national brethren to take over the leadership.
George & Ros Khalil (Middle East): I George, am a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship and I am the Arabic Language Coordinator for the Emmaus Bible Correspondence Courses. We are based in Nazareth and minister to the local Arabic-speaking people in the Holy Land. The work began by sending a few courses to contacts in 1975 and grew fast during the 1980's and 90's when thousands were studying the courses. Also some churches were planted in Galilee. The numbers declined in the early 2000's due to the political situation and so we developed online study through a website and recently a mobile application, and so the Arabic courses went global. In the last few years Emmaus centres have opened in Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt where they are reaching local people, churches and refugees with mainly hard copies. In the Nazareth office we do the publishing work, translating, formatting and graphics and now have 45 courses on 4 levels available. We are also involved in Bible and literature distribution and hold children's day Bible clubs for the local community. At present we have two full-time and three part-time staff including Ros, who is British, who works with all the correspondence and administration in English.