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Meet the team
Who's who in Northern Ireland
Peter Lynas
UK Director
Peter Lynas
UK Director
Peter is passionate about faith in the public square and in the workplace. He leads the team at the Evangelical Alliance in Northern Ireland. Peter worked as a barrister in Belfast for five years, before completing his M Div at Regent College in Vancouver where he serves on the Board. He is a regular commentator in the media and has taught at Westminster Theological Centre and Belfast Bible College. He is married to Rose, has two daughters, loves running and hates fish.
David Smyth
Head of Northern Ireland
David Smyth
Head of Northern Ireland
David Smyth is head of Northern Ireland and coordinates the Public Leader: Northern Ireland course. He is a former solicitor and represents the Evangelical Alliance on a range of government, civic and charitable forums. He serves in the space where faith, law, politics and culture intersect.
Dawn McAvoy
Office administrator and Both Lives Matter coordinator
Dawn McAvoy
Office administrator and Both Lives Matter coordinator
Dawn keeps the office and team in order. She also heads up Both Lives Matter, of which the Evangelical Alliance Northern Ireland is a founding partner. Dawn serves on the board of New Horizon and the operations team of Ards and North Down Street Pastors. Dawn is also a deacon in Kircubbin Community Church and lives on the Ards peninsula, with her husband Peter and their three daughters.
Donna Jennings
Church and mission coordinator
Donna Jennings
Church and mission coordinator
In this role, Donna seeks to resource the church to be strategic, creative and bold as we proclaim, enact and embody the good news of Jesus in our context. She is passionate about equipping the church to be both Biblically faithful and culturally relevant as we stand at the interface between gospel and culture. Donna's heart and voice for church and mission have been formed by her Masters in Missiology, several years of church planting work in Bangladesh followed by developing church engagement with mission through her OMF role in Ireland. She is passionate about equipping the church to be both biblically faithful and culturally relevant as we stand at the interface between gospel and culture and in this role, Donna seeks to resource the church to be strategic, creative and bold as we proclaim, enact and embody the good news of Jesus in our context. Donna lives in Belfast with her husband Nathaniel and children Micah and Tabitha. Some of life’s good gifts for Donna include a morning coffee, shared laughter with friends, a long run out in nature and a good crime drama!
Lisa Curry
Research assistant
Lisa Curry
Research assistant
Coming from a small farm in the Northern Irish countryside, Lisa joined the Evangelical Alliance in 2019. She previously studied Law at Ulster University. It was there that she discovered a love for justice and advocacy and began to explore what is means to pursue this wholeheartedly. She has a minor obsession with corgis and crime shows. As a research assistant, Lisa is excited to serve the church and to learn more about God’s heart for justice,
James Johnston
Research assistant
James Johnston
Research assistant
James was brought up in Carlow in the Republic of Ireland, and now lives in Northern Ireland in Kilkeel, nestled between the Mourne mountains and the sea. He studied Chemistry at university, and joined the Evangelical Alliance straight after graduation (like most chemistry graduates). He loves swimming, games with lots of rules, and fantasy book series you can "sink your teeth into".
Xander Coomber
Research assistant
Xander Coomber
Research assistant
Originally from Brighton on the sunny south coast of England, Xander moved to Northern Ireland to study politics at Queen's University, Belfast, and joined the Evangelical Alliance after graduating. He loves thinking through through how christians can demonstrate Jesus' rule to be good for everyone in society, and wants to see christians equipped to deal with contemporary culture. When not at work, Xander loves reading, football, and following England in the cricket.
