Meet the team

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.

Steve Clifford served as general director of the Evangelical Alliance for 10 years from April 2009. He is chair of HOPE Together and has previously been international chair of March for Jesus. Steve continues to give advice and support to churches and has worked in a variety of church roles, including many among the Pioneer network of churches. Currently, he is a member of the leadership team at his local church.

Mike Royal is the General Secretary of Churches Together in England CTE (from 1st May 2022). He is the former Co CEO of The Cinnamon Network, helping churches with their community engagement and former pioneer at award winning education charity Transforming Lives for Good TLG. Mike has an academic background in urban planning & black theology. He has been in ordained ministry since 1993 and was consecrated a Pentecostal Bishop in 2016. He is also a Forensic Mental Health Chaplain who lives in Birmingham and is happily married to Viviene

Ayo Adedoyin is the community action lead at Jesus House and has worked across several sectors, though primarily centring himself in the not-for-profit world.

Ayo is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of an International Human Rights and Social Justice charity, PSJ UK, which mobilises African diaspora communities into a cohesive voice to advocate against escalating insecurity and injustice throughout sub-Saharan Africa. PSJ UK’s current focus is on Nigeria, a country perplexed by multiple threats to societal stability and prosperity.

Preethy Kurian, serves as apostolic leader of Capstone Church, a Spirit-filled church in London. She is an ordained pastor, commissioned prophet, and a member of the international apostolic team with Harvest International Ministry. Based in London with over 25 years in Christian ministry, she has travelled to over 20 countries, reaching the world with her practical wisdom, prophetic insight, and leadership tools. Preethy is a Computer Engineer and is the director and CPO of a global financial technology company called CrossPay which offers digital payments solutions.

Chine McDonald is head of public engagement at Christian Aid and the incoming director of Theos think tank. She previously led in fundraising and communications roles in other faith-based charities, including as Director of Communications, Fundraising & Membership at the Evangelical Alliance. She read theology & religious studies at Cambridge University before training as a newspaper journalist and over the years has written for several newspapers including the Guardian, Independent, the Times, the Daily Mirror and the Big Issue. Chine is a regular contributor to BBC Religion & Ethics programmes, including Thought for the Day on Radio 4’s Today programme, the Daily Service, Pause for Thought and Prayer for the Day. She also sits on a number of charity boards, including Greenbelt Festival and Christians in Media. Chine regularly speaks and writes on issues of race and faith. Her second book God Is Not a White Man & Other Revelations was published by Hodder & Stoughton in May 2021. Her first book – Am I Beautiful? – explored body image among Christian women.

Henry Lu was born in Xian, China. His spiritual journey began with a simple prayer with a house church sister in China at a young age. He then went through many years of seeking/growing spanning 3 continents. After a teaching career where he engaged with university students and served in local Chinese churches in the USA as a lay leader, Henry and his family moved to the UK in 2007 to join Chinese Overseas Christian Mission (COCM) as missionary. Since then, Henry and the COCM team have been focusing on reaching out to the Chinese diaspora with the Gospel, equipping them, and further encouraging the Chinese Christians to be a blessing to the local communities and beyond. He has a MA in mission leadership from All Nations and is currently COCM General Director.

Samuel Cueva holds a PhD in Theology from the University of Wales, and a MA in Mission Studies from The University of Birmingham. He is a missiologist, writer and mission consultant promoting two-way mission bridges to every continent for the fulfilment of God’s mission, and developing a mission theology of reciprocal collaboration. He currently is a member of the Latin American Theological Fraternity, and a council member of the Evangelical Alliance (UK); advisory member of One People Commission (Evangelical Alliance UK); board member of the Centre for Missionaries from the Majority Segoe UI World (African initiative), board member of the steering committee of the Equip7: Learning Community (Asian initiative). He has been a Visiting Lecturer in Missiology at the University of Roehampton (UK), His most recent publication is Mission Partnership in Creative Tension. He currently lives in London.

Aaron is a Student Mission Developer at Fusion, supporting local churches help students find hope in Jesus and home in the local church. Aaron is passionate about equipping the local church to raise the next generation to know Jesus, and in particular, has the heart to invest in and serve the cross-cultural churches in the UK.

Shantelle Richardson currently works with London City Mission as their head of communications and serves as part of the leadership team. She’s had over 10 years’ experience working within communications and marketing with a particular focus with the charity sector. She spent several years volunteering and ministering on the Church of God of Prophecy Youth and Missions National and local teams and is currently serving as a worship leader at her local church, Jubilee Church London. Shantelle has a huge passion for seeing people realise their skills and gifting and supporting them to use them to grow God's kingdom.