Staff

Gavin Calver is the CEO of the Evangelical Alliance. He has a burning passion to see the church working together to share the Gospel throughout the UK. Formerly the leader of Youth for Christ and chair of Spring Harvest, he’s an ordained evangelist and regular public speaker, and has authored six books. Married to Anne, they have two children, Amelie and Daniel. He loves new challenges, is a passionate AFC Wimbledon supporter and was part of the team that broke the World Record for the longest 5-a-side football match.

Peter oversees the advocacy team and the work of the Alliance across the four UK nations. He is passionate about faith in the public square and leads the Being Human project with Jo Frost. He previously worked as a barrister in Belfast before studying theology at Regent College in Vancouver, where he serves on the board. Peter is a regular media commentator, is married to Rose, has two daughters, and loves running.

Jo joined the Evangelical Alliance in September 2017, having previously worked with a number of Christian charities, including Share Jesus, Release International and Bible Society. Jo completed her Masters in Public Communications at Westminster before joining an international campaigns consultancy specialising in human rights and environment issues. She then went on to set up her own business as a communications consultant and brand specialist. Jo is co-director of the Being Human project with Peter Lynas. She teaches and preaches regularly on communications, culture, whole-life discipleship, mission and leadership.

Fred has been an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland for more than 20 years. He has led both traditional and new churches and has a postgraduate degree in missional leadership and a diploma in pastoral theology. Fred is passionate about storytelling, the power of prayer, the gospel, and unity for extending the kingdom of God. He is an author and writer and has led conferences on new church in various countries. Fred seeks to give focus to the prayer support that is so vital to the work of the Evangelical Alliance.

Rev Dr Israel Oluwole Olofinjana is an ordained and accredited Baptist minister and has led two multi-ethnic Baptist churches and an independent charismatic church. He is the founding director of Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World, a mission network initiative that provides cross-cultural training to reverse missionaries in Britain. Israel is an honorary research fellow at The Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education in Birmingham and is on the advisory group on Race and Theology at the Society for the Study of Theology (SST). He is a consultant to the executive team of Lausanne Europe, advising them on matters related to diaspora ministries in Europe. He is on the Christian Aid working group of black majority church leaders exploring the intersection of climate justice and racial justice.

John joined the Evangelical Alliance in June 2022 as the director of finance and operations following 12 years on the leadership team of Frontline Church in Liverpool. As well as responsibilities for services and worship, John was also the CEO of the trust behind the church which gave him primary responsibility for finance, operations and governance. John is the founding trustee of Imagine If Trust and loves creating structures that enable people to bring their best and most transforming contributions. John is married to Nicky and they have three children and four grandchildren – ‘Grampa’ is definitely one of John’s favourite titles! John loves playing golf, watching football and playing guitar.

Danny joined the Evangelical Alliance in 2008 and has held a range of roles in the advocacy team. He currently leads the advocacy team's work across the UK including public policy work an engagement with the parliaments and assemblies, and respective governments. Before working for the Evangelical Alliance, Danny, who has degrees in politics and political philosophy, worked in parliament for an MP. Danny is passionate about encouraging Christians to integrate their faith with all areas of their life, especially when it comes to helping them take on leadership outside the church, and helped initiate the Evangelical Alliance's Public Leadership programme. He frequently provides comment on current political issues, both in Evangelical Alliance publications and to the press.

Hil is responsible for all things people and culture here at the Evangelical Alliance. She is passionate about establishing the Evangelical Alliance as a great place to work, championing its ethos, culture and values. She joined us from the world of education, where most recently, she set up and led the HR function across a group of four London schools following an 18-year career break. In addition, she brings almost 30 years of experience of leading churches with her husband Jem prior to his sudden death in November 2020. She is a self-declared chocoholic, charity shop addict and loves to play and watch netball. She is happy to be the mum of the office especially now her four grown-up children have all left home!

Sarah has been a PA at senior level since 2007, working in sports, private households, PR and classical music. She studied at Ellel Ministries and has been volunteering within evangelical and Catholic charities since a teen. Sarah has a penchant for talking to strangers, Sichuan chillies, psychedelic folk and Latin music, and middle-earth like pubs. Above all, she loves her mates, comedy, naps, and her husband, Leo.

Jo joined the Evangelical Alliance in September 2017, having previously worked with a number of Christian charities, including Share Jesus, Release International and Bible Society. Jo completed her Masters in Public Communications at Westminster before joining an international campaigns consultancy specialising in human rights and environment issues. She then went on to set up her own business as a communications consultant and brand specialist. Jo is co-director of the Being Human project with Peter Lynas. She teaches and preaches regularly on communications, culture, whole-life discipleship, mission and leadership.

Hailing from the sunny countryside of the Cotswolds, Tim joined the Evangelical Alliance in 2016. He previously worked for Onelife Leadership and was self-employed as a freelance web designer. He is a huge fan of technology, any sport, and could be the world's biggest extrovert. Tim has been designing websites since the age of 12 and now looks after the digital world of the Evangelical Alliance, including this website.

Before joining the Evangelical Alliance, Nicola had a broadcasting career that spanned over a decade at the BBC. After completing her MA in journalism, Nicola embarked on a 12-month data technician course training with Cambridge Spark and Cardiff University. Nicola is passionate about mentoring, outreach ministry and serving the underserved and volunteers as a befriender twice a week. She has also completed Level 1 in Christian British Sign Language.

Helen joined the Evangelical Alliance in October 2020. Prior to this, she trained in ministry for a year in Birmingham where she worked with students and was immersed in church life, in between summers working for the charity Open Doors. Helen studied English literature with creative writing modules, and loves writing, painting and walks with friends in all weathers.

Rosalynne joined the Evangelical Alliance in 2022 after working in an admin and communications role at St Barnabas church in north London. She is passionate about using social and digital media to communicate the gospel. Originally from Middlesbrough in the North East of England she is loving the London life, and making the most of all the museums, theatres and art galleries that London has to offer but is pining the loss of parmo to her diet.

Hailing from the sunny countryside of the Cotswolds, Tim joined the Evangelical Alliance in 2016. He previously worked for Onelife Leadership and was self-employed as a freelance web designer. He is a huge fan of technology, any sport, and could be the world's biggest extrovert. Tim has been designing websites since the age of 12 and now looks after the digital world of the Evangelical Alliance, including this website.

Lizzie re-joined the Evangelical Alliance in January 2022 after living in Athens, Greece. There she worked alongside refugees and survivors of exploitation, and she is passionate about enabling women and girls to fully comprehend their inherent value. Lizzie’s love for history and writing saw her study Classics at the University of Exeter. She enjoys city breaks, experimenting with new recipes, and getting stuck into a good book. Lizzie now looks after all things membership and loves getting to know our individual, church and organisation members.

Ellie joined the Evangelical Alliance in August 2018 after spending the last few years working in the social and criminal justice sector. Ellie enjoys serving on the prayer team at her church and discovering secluded pockets of London or frequenting old haunts to enjoy good food and coffee.

A Londoner born and raised, Hannah joined the Evangelical Alliance in 2019 having previously worked for the NHS and her local church. She is passionate about studying the Bible and serving in the student ministry at her church. Hannah loves heritage and museums from studying archaeology at university and has a masters degree in museum studies. She also likes tea, books and long walks in the countryside. Hannah is part of the membership team at the Evangelical Alliance and enjoys her work with churches and organisations.

John joined the Evangelical Alliance in October 2021, after serving as Coordinator of Merton Street Pastors for 11 years. John lives in South West London with his wife and three children. He is passionate about God, people and sports with a particular love for seeing the Church working together in unity to transform the community.

John has studied Computer Science and Theology; worked for IT companies and charities, so is hopeful he can use all his experience to help his colleagues make the most of the new CRM system.

Aimee joined the Evangelical Alliance in March 2022 as a part of the finance and membership teams. Prior to this she trained in ministry for a year in Bristol where she spent lots of time working with students adapting to university life during the pandemic. She studied mathematics at the university of Bristol where she met and married her husband Michal. Aimee enjoys cooking and is always on the search for new recipes to test.

Danny joined the Evangelical Alliance in 2008 and has held a range of roles in the advocacy team. He currently leads the advocacy team's work across the UK including public policy work an engagement with the parliaments and assemblies, and respective governments. Before working for the Evangelical Alliance, Danny, who has degrees in politics and political philosophy, worked in parliament for an MP. Danny is passionate about encouraging Christians to integrate their faith with all areas of their life, especially when it comes to helping them take on leadership outside the church, and helped initiate the Evangelical Alliance's Public Leadership programme. He frequently provides comment on current political issues, both in Evangelical Alliance publications and to the press.

Alicia joined the Evangelical Alliance as head of public policy in August 2021.

She brings over 15 years' experience working in politics, policy and activism. After completing her degree in politics, Alicia went on to work with UK charities and overseas ministries specialising in international human rights law, social justice, restorative justice and the Government's serious violence strategy.

She is passionate about the church bridging the divide between cultural opinion and the gospel. In her spare time, she loves photography, studying photojournalism and learning to make Japanese cuisine.

Kieran joined the Evangelical Alliance Scotland team in 2012. Prior to this he worked for MSPs at the Scottish parliament for three years, with spells in both Edinburgh and Inverness. Before this he spent a number of years working in youth and community work in the housing estates of his native Glasgow. Kieran helps the Evangelical Alliance connect with politicians in Holyrood and local government, connects with national and local media, and also provides support and encouragement to churches, organisations and individual Christians trying to engage with wider Scottish society.

Chris joined the Evangelical Alliance as public policy officer, Scotland in 2021. Originally from Northern Ireland, he completed degrees in both Geography & Politics and Public Policy in Scotland. He is passionate about bringing the transformative perspective of the gospel into the public square for the flourishing of culture, communities and politics across Scotland. Outside of work, Chris loves playing sport, the West Wing and coffee shops with lots of space – a true extroverted introvert.

Damilola is the Evangelical Alliance's advocacy engagement lead.

Danielle lives on the north coast of Northern Ireland with husband Graham and three teenage kids. She joined the team in Northern Ireland in October 2020 and has become part of the team through the wonders of online connection. Previously, Danielle worked in administration and finance in retail and local church, but after completing a masters in communication and PR, she was keen to pursue a role in political engagement.

In her role as public policy officer she hopes to highlight a broad range of issues that matter to the church and christians in Northern Ireland and to encourage Christians to engage in these issues with a voice of hope that reflects the good news message of Jesus.

Jo joined the Evangelical Alliance in October 2020, after five years in Devon. Having grown up in Dubai, Jo moved to the UK to study English and Film at Exeter, before being an assistant youth worker for her church. She is passionate about equipping young people to enter conversations about contemporary issues, and ultimately speak of Jesus.

Jo loves the beach, music, art and food, and is married to a Welshman.

Nathan joined the Evangelical Alliance in October 2020 on the graduate scheme after completing an English literature degree earlier in the year. Nathan, who also works part-time for Alpha, is passionate about the discipling of the next generation of church leaders and equipping churches to be missional in their communities.

Being a Welsh speaker, one of his interests involves sourcing the best that Welsh language music has to offer. Nathan is also a keen wild swimmer wherever and whenever possible, and is a big fan of Everton FC.

Nicola re-joined the Evangelical Alliance in August 2021 as the Westminster public policy officer. She previously interned in the Scottish office in 2018 before spending a couple of years working within Scottish politics and for a faith-based homelessness charity.

Being a Glasgow girl, Nicola is adjusting to life south of the border and enjoys spending her time exploring new places, taking lots of photographs and meeting new people.

Jo joined the Evangelical Alliance in September 2017, having previously worked with a number of Christian charities, including Share Jesus, Release International and Bible Society. Jo completed her Masters in Public Communications at Westminster before joining an international campaigns consultancy specialising in human rights and environment issues. She then went on to set up her own business as a communications consultant and brand specialist. Jo is co-director of the Being Human project with Peter Lynas. She teaches and preaches regularly on communications, culture, whole-life discipleship, mission and leadership.

Rachael worked for British Youth for Christ for 13 years, most latterly as corporate director within the leadership team before working for four years with the Diocese of Ely as youth adviser – developing training, resources, and strategy for equipping churches in their outreach to young people. Rachael is married to Darren and lives in Ely, Cambs with her two sons, Jacob and Isaac. She is passionate about evangelism, mission, and church unity, and is very involved in her local church – overseeing the youth work and ministry to teenage girls in particular. She is a trained coach and mentor, loves travel, languages, shoes, and is a reluctant soccer-mum!

Phil Knox is head of mission to young adults at the Evangelical Alliance and is trying to be a good friend. His book on the subject, ‘The Best of Friends’, is due to be published in February 2023. You can read his first book, Story Bearer at www.storybearer.com

Ben is the head of church unity and also leads soulcity church, Stockport, which he planted in 2017. He is unapologetically passionate about the local church, reaching people far from God and seeing the movement of Jesus reproduced in others. He also loves good coffee, falling off surfboards and getting lost on mountains.

Dayalan joined the Evangelical Alliance's South Asian Forum team in 2018 to help oversee events and new resources. Having taken over from Manoj Raithatha as the forum's national coordinator, Dayalan now organises cross-cultural mission training events to help churches reach out to those of other faiths. As part of his role, he also facilitates relationship building and joint mission among South Asian churches, and helps them integrate into the wider UK church.

After graduating in geography, Emma joined the Evangelical Alliance in October 2020 from the London School of Economics. Emma, who has volunteered within the international development sector, is passionate about the pursuit of social justice and seeing the diverse local and global church unified. As an unashamed people person, she is always up for a good old chat and loves random acts of affirmation. You can usually find her hitting up north London’s best green spaces or struggling up hills on her fixed-gear bike.

Alyssa joined the Evangelical Alliance in 2022, having spent three years working in student mission. She's passionate about people meeting Jesus, whether it's for the first or the hundredth time, and loves talking all things discipleship, theology and spiritual formation. You'll most likely find her drinking an overpriced oat latte in an independent coffee shop or starting a new book she'll probably never finish.

Emily joined the Evangelical Alliance in September 2022 as unity events coordinator and administrator. Prior to this, she completed her undergraduate degree at Exeter in theology and religion. While in Exeter, Emily was part of the leadership team at her church and was involved in lots of youth outreach. She is married to Jack, and she enjoys spending weekends exploring new National Trust places!

Rev Dr Israel Oluwole Olofinjana is an ordained and accredited Baptist minister and has led two multi-ethnic Baptist churches and an independent charismatic church. He is the founding director of Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World, a mission network initiative that provides cross-cultural training to reverse missionaries in Britain. Israel is an honorary research fellow at The Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education in Birmingham and is on the advisory group on Race and Theology at the Society for the Study of Theology (SST). He is a consultant to the executive team of Lausanne Europe, advising them on matters related to diaspora ministries in Europe. He is on the Christian Aid working group of black majority church leaders exploring the intersection of climate justice and racial justice.

Dayalan joined the Evangelical Alliance's South Asian Forum team in 2018 to help oversee events and new resources. Having taken over from Manoj Raithatha as the forum's national coordinator, Dayalan now organises cross-cultural mission training events to help churches reach out to those of other faiths. As part of his role, he also facilitates relationship building and joint mission among South Asian churches, and helps them integrate into the wider UK church.

Titilola’s passion to see inclusion in churches and organisations brought her to join the Evangelical Alliance in September 2020 as our One People Commission coordinator. Titilola has practiced as a solicitor and barrister in Nigeria and then in Ireland. Whilst in Ireland, she was actively involved in championing and supporting the emergence of new communities, representing the migrant community from grassroot to national levels, and lobbying and dialoguing issues on race, equality, diversity and inclusion. She also managed cross-border European Union-funded projects and initiatives before God orchestrated her journey to the UK. Titilola previously served in her church’s administrative team, and children and women’s ministry, and she is currently a part of the worship team. She is blessed with four daughters, an avid cruciverbalist and has authored her first book.

Carla joined the Evangelical Alliance in October 2021 on the graduate scheme as the One People Commission (OPC) assistant, upon achieving her degree in music and psychology. She re-joined as the OPC assistant in September 2022 as a permanent member of staff.

Carla has always played an active role in her church community, channelling her passion for music, travel and people through youth and student leadership, local and national youth worship teams, and her missions work in the UK and abroad. Carla enjoys engaging in events and projects that encourage her love for all things creative.

John joined the Evangelical Alliance in June 2022 as the director of finance and operations following 12 years on the leadership team of Frontline Church in Liverpool. As well as responsibilities for services and worship, John was also the CEO of the trust behind the church which gave him primary responsibility for finance, operations and governance. John is the founding trustee of Imagine If Trust and loves creating structures that enable people to bring their best and most transforming contributions. John is married to Nicky and they have three children and four grandchildren – ‘Grampa’ is definitely one of John’s favourite titles! John loves playing golf, watching football and playing guitar.

Hil is responsible for all things people and culture here at the Evangelical Alliance. She is passionate about establishing the Evangelical Alliance as a great place to work, championing its ethos, culture and values. She joined us from the world of education, where most recently, she set up and led the HR function across a group of four London schools following an 18-year career break. In addition, she brings almost 30 years of experience of leading churches with her husband Jem prior to his sudden death in November 2020. She is a self-declared chocoholic, charity shop addict and loves to play and watch netball. She is happy to be the mum of the office especially now her four grown-up children have all left home!

Wendy has a deep love for the UK church and a passion for unity. Her career has been wide-ranging and varied, encompassing roles such as bank manager, financial adviser, life coach and fundraiser. She is an ordained minister and co-leads a fantastic church in rural Buckinghamshire with her husband Marcus. Wendy is a very proud mum to three children, as well as being an avid foodie and movie fanatic.

Jon joined the Evangelical Alliance in 2019 having previously been at New Wine and a small accountancy firm prior to that. He manages the finance team and is responsible for ensuring the money in and out is recorded correctly. Jon is on several teams at his local church and has served at the Soul Survivor summer events either in the chat room or on the prophecy team.

Stefan joined the Evangelical Alliance as facilities administrator in June 2019 after almost two years at a private company where he worked as an operations executive. An English, Film and Television graduate, Stefan has a huge passion for writing and movies. Since October 2016, he's served as youth editor on Christian magazine Majestic. He has a heart for young Christians and leads the youth ministry team at his local church.

Aimee joined the Evangelical Alliance in March 2022 as a part of the finance and membership teams. Prior to this she trained in ministry for a year in Bristol where she spent lots of time working with students adapting to university life during the pandemic. She studied mathematics at the university of Bristol where she met and married her husband Michal. Aimee enjoys cooking and is always on the search for new recipes to test.

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 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 lives and worships on the Ards peninsula, with her husband Peter and their three daughters.

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. 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.

Danielle lives on the north coast of Northern Ireland with husband Graham and three teenage kids. She joined the team in Northern Ireland in October 2020 and has become part of the team through the wonders of online connection. Previously, Danielle worked in administration and finance in retail and local church, but after completing a masters in communication and PR, she was keen to pursue a role in political engagement.

In her role as public policy officer she hopes to highlight a broad range of issues that matter to the church and christians in Northern Ireland and to encourage Christians to engage in these issues with a voice of hope that reflects the good news message of Jesus.

Em joined the team in April 2016 as the Welsh administrator. She grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and moved to Cardiff in 2011 to study Religious and Theological Studies at Cardiff University. Em is married to Cam and they have a little boy who, let’s say, keeps them on their toes.

Nathan joined the Evangelical Alliance in October 2020 on the graduate scheme after completing an English literature degree earlier in the year. Nathan, who also works part-time for Alpha, is passionate about the discipling of the next generation of church leaders and equipping churches to be missional in their communities.

Being a Welsh speaker, one of his interests involves sourcing the best that Welsh language music has to offer. Nathan is also a keen wild swimmer wherever and whenever possible, and is a big fan of Everton FC.

Fred has been an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland for more than 20 years. He has led both traditional and new churches and has a postgraduate degree in missional leadership and a diploma in pastoral theology. Fred is passionate about storytelling, the power of prayer, the gospel, and unity for extending the kingdom of God. He is an author and writer and has led conferences on new church in various countries. Fred seeks to give focus to the prayer support that is so vital to the work of the Evangelical Alliance.

Kieran joined the Evangelical Alliance Scotland team in 2012. Prior to this he worked for MSPs at the Scottish parliament for three years, with spells in both Edinburgh and Inverness. Before this he spent a number of years working in youth and community work in the housing estates of his native Glasgow. Kieran helps the Evangelical Alliance connect with politicians in Holyrood and local government, connects with national and local media, and also provides support and encouragement to churches, organisations and individual Christians trying to engage with wider Scottish society.

Chris joined the Evangelical Alliance as public policy officer, Scotland in 2021. Originally from Northern Ireland, he completed degrees in both Geography & Politics and Public Policy in Scotland. He is passionate about bringing the transformative perspective of the gospel into the public square for the flourishing of culture, communities and politics across Scotland. Outside of work, Chris loves playing sport, the West Wing and coffee shops with lots of space – a true extroverted introvert.

New to the team, Cara lives in Glasgow with her husband Alex and five young children. She is a member of Newton Mearns Baptist Church and helps out with their activities for children and young people. Previously, Cara has worked in administration in both retail and finance and has also worked in the lobbying sector in Scotland. She has a degree in politics and a masters in public policy.