Rev Israel Oluwole Olofinjana is announced as the Evangelical Alliance’s new One People Commission director

The Evangelical Alliance is delighted to have appointed Rev Israel Oluwole Olofinjana as our new One People Commission (OPC) director. From 1 April he will work with the Evangelical Alliance’s OPC network of key national church leaders across ethnic backgrounds to support and equip the UK church as it seeks to become more integrated, effective and unified.

Gavin Calver, CEO of the Evangelical Alliance, commented on the appointment: “I’m really excited about this fantastic appointment. Israel will bring so much to the work of the OPC and the wider Evangelical Alliance. I so look forward to serving together in the years ahead and am praying for him as he prepares to take up this role.”

Rev Israel is an ordained and accredited Baptist minister and senior pastor of Woolwich Central Baptist Church in London. He is the founding director of Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World, which aims to help Christians, churches, pastors and missionaries from different ethnic backgrounds, cultures and countries work together in mission.

Rev Israel is an honorary research fellow at The Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education and is on the executive team of Lausanne Europe, advising them on matters related to diaspora ministries in Europe. He has also authored several books on themes such as reverse mission and is highly experienced in networking and connecting Christians for mission, training, and resourcing mission organisations and other ministries.

Rev Israel said: “I am very excited about my appointment to the role of OPC director. I strongly believe in my heart that it is a calling from God at this critical moment in history. We have a window of opportunity to speak prophetically with one voice as a church, to address racial inequality in both church and society, and to exercise holistic healing in a world that is divided. The OPC is positioned as one of the best models of intercultural church unity movements in the UK, and I look forward to building on this pioneering legacy.”

Dr Tani Omideyi, chair of the Evangelical Alliance board, said: “In the last 10 years the OPC has spearheaded the Evangelical Alliance’s drive and made enormous strides in bringing together church leaders of different races and cultures across the UK, but there is so much more to be done. We are excited about the unanimous appointment of Rev Israel Olofinjana to this newly created role of OPC director and believe that the next season for the commission is in good hands.”

Rev Israel is married to Lucy. They have a son, Iyanu, and are based in London.

Notes to editors

Any media enquiries, please contact Helen Locke, h.locke@eauk.org

About the Evangelical Alliance

We are the Evangelical Alliance. We join together hundreds of organisations, thousands of churches and tens of thousands of individuals for the sake of the gospel. Representing our members since 1846, the Evangelical Alliance is the oldest and largest evangelical unity movement in the UK.

We love Jesus and we want everyone in the UK to be given an opportunity to know Him.

We love His church, and we will do all we can to unite evangelicals, building confidence in the gospel and speaking as a trusted voice into society to see it changed for Him.

Working across the UK, with offices in London, Cardiff, Glasgow and Belfast, our members come together from across denominations, locations, age groups and ethnicities, all sharing a passion to know Jesus and make Him known.