WCA UK & Ireland Board of Trustees

Wallace Pepper, Chairman of the WCA UK & Ireland Board

1953 - a good year - Queen's Coronation, Hillary conquered Everest & Wallace was born on a farm in Ulster.

Wallace married Margaret in 1981 and has 3 children: Susanna who is married, Kathryn who is due to be married next year & Edward student in Edinburgh. Has one grand daughter Charlotte born this year!

Wallace qualified as a Chartered Qunatity Surveyor in 1977, set up his own practice in 1980 and started several companies since. Currently MD of a family property investment company, he also administers a family pension scheme & charitable trust. Has other business interests and is also interested in horses, rugby, gardening and outdoor stuff generally.

Wallace gave his life to the Lord in 1988 and is an Elder in the local Presbyterian Church. He joined the Board of Willow in 2000.

Alasdair Black, Senior Pastor
Stirling Baptist Church

Alasdair Black is the Senior Pastor of Stirling Baptist Church, a growing church community in central Scotland. He studied at New College, Edinburgh and Regent’s Park College, Oxford before working in the south-east of England, Holland and USA. He is married with two teenage children. He has been involved with the Willow Creek association since 1991 and has a real passion to see the local church being a transforming presence in the life of its community.
 

John Kearns, Senior Pastor
Old Road Baptist Church

John was born in Liverpool within shouting distance of Anfield ( actually went to his first match at seven months old, as his mum was expecting…) On leaving school served an apprenticeship in engineering and then at aged forty, God called him to theological college. In 1995 he was called to the position of pastor at a church plant on the outskirts of Liverpool. After meeting in a school gymnasium for 18 years the fellowship has recently bought a school which is being converted to a multi-purpose centre with a youth centre, children’s centre, café etc. John’s passion is to see the church reach far beyond its walls and impact the community with the Gospel. John has been married to Linda (his much better half!!) for 27 years. He has been a part of the Willow story since 1992.

Chris Lane, Senior Pastor,
The Vineyard Church, St Albans

After an early start in business, Chris Lane went into the Anglican Church and was ordained a priest in 1982.  Five years spent in inner city Leeds, were followed by an invitation to join the staff at St Andrew’s Chorleywood.  During this period Chris, and his wife Fliss, felt called to church planting and subsequently founded the Vineyard Church in St Albans, and helped pioneer the Vineyard movement in the U.K.

Twenty years later, the Vineyard Church in St Albans has over a thousand members, has initiated seven further church plants and partners with a number of other ministries both at home and abroad, including one of the Willow Creek Association Global Leadership Summits.

Delroy Powell, Senior Pastor, New Testament Assembly

Rev Delroy Powell serves as Senior Pastor of New Testament Assembly as well as Lead Pastor of Junction Community Church London.  He was born in Jamaica and grew up in London. After leaving college he worked as a Credit Broker until 1991 when he was ordained by the New Testament Assembly (NTA) into the ministry.

Pastor Powell served as a Prison Chaplain and has over a decade’s experience of mentoring young offenders. He is former Director for The Foundation Training Company a leading provider of pre release training programmes for prison inmates.

Pastor Powell has a special interest and a passion for Leadership Development, Mission and the local church. He is a Trainer for John Maxwell Equip Million Leaders Mandate.

Pastor Powell is married to Marcelle and they are the proud parents of three children Rafael, Aaron and Simone.

Sarah Richards, Senior Leader, Cornerstone Church, Swansea

Sarah Richards has been in full-time ministry since 1985. From a background of itinerant evangelism and working within church planting initiatives, Sarah pioneered Cornerstone Church Swansea in 1991 with her husband Julian. Her main church responsibilities include:

Strategy and implementation of vision

Leading the congregation into new territory

Training leaders and mentoring new talent

Preaching and teaching

Public outreach events

Overseeing Cornerstone Church Centre and conferencing

Sarah’s passion is for the church to go increasingly beyond the meeting mentality into creating Acts 2 community and radical devotion to Christ. Sarah is concerned to see groups traditionally marginalised within church ministry, such as children, youth and women, to have their leadership and ministry potential nurtured, developed and released wherever relevant. In summary Sarah has a passion for the church to be built up in order to reach out.

Gary Schwammlein, Executive Vice President, WCA International

Gary joined the Association in 1996 after 28 years in the marketplace. Even though it seemed like a "step down" in the eyes of some (and in many ways it was, i.e. salary, perks, recognition…), it was the best move he ever made:

'The years that I've been with the WCA have been the best years of my life. Seeing churches catch fire for God, reaching out to seekers, and growing believers into fully devoted followers of Christ is better than anything the world can offer.

All of us at the WCA are here to serve you, full time staff as well as volunteers in our affiliate countries. We will continue to offer events and resources that have been developed and tested at Willow Creek Community Church and at other churches around the world to envision, equip, and encourage churches everywhere to prevail.'