Alpha International Annual Review 2015
CONTENTS 03 Letter from the Chair 04 Why Alpha? 05 What is Alpha? 06 Alpha Through the Years 08 2015 in Numbers 09 Alpha Stories 10 Revitalisation of the Church 12 Alpha's Global Footprint: 2015 14 Reaching the Next Generation 15 Alpha Innovation 16 Alpha Film Series 17 Global Alpha Campaign 18 The Marriage Courses 19 Bible in One Year 20 Financial Review 22 Board of Trustees
The assumptions behind Alpha International’s 2015 data estimates have been validated by Barna Group.
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR I am delighted to present to you Alpha’s Annual Review for 2015.
England and Wales. They spoke of their mutual trust and support for each other and the growing unity between their communities.
In 2015, 2.2 million people experienced Alpha. Over 41,000 churches, schools and prisons ran 84,000 Alphas.
Across the world, we have been privileged to see God using Alpha to join once divided communities, denominations and societies in ways previously unseen.
To date, 29 million people have experienced Alpha in 169 countries and 112 languages. We believe the projects launching in 2016 will position Alpha for substantial future growth.
We are looking forward to growing Alpha in 2016 and we are particularly excited for the launch of the new Alpha Film Series and the chance to invite the world to experience Alpha through the first ever Global Alpha Advertising Campaign with Bear Grylls.
A unifying force
But there is more to Alpha than just the numbers. The impact reaches far beyond the individual, the single course or church – we are seeing transformation in the communities in which we operate. In 2015 I was particularly struck by how God is using Alpha to bring together the global church – serving as a unifying force across borders, cultures and denominations. At our Leadership Conference in May, we were privileged to have Nicky Gumbel interviewing Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the leader of the Catholic Church in
Alpha International Annual Review 2015
Thanks to the generosity of you, our donors, together with our volunteers, staff and partners around the world, 2015 was an amazing year. Your prayers, time, serving, sacrifice and support make this global transformation possible and we could not do this without you. We look forward to our continued partnership during 2016. With best wishes,
Ken Costa Chairman of Alpha International
03
WHY ALPHA? At Alpha, our vision is to see the evangelisation of the nations, the revitalisation of the church and the transformation of society. Such change will come only through Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe everyone should have the opportunity to explore the meaning of life by asking their questions in the context of a local church community where they can come and see Jesus, community and love at work. We work to equip the local church on a global scale with the free and simple tools to share God’s love and are seeing individuals, communities and countries transformed at an everincreasing rate. Thank you for all you do.
Revd Nicky and Pippa Gumbel
E M M A N U E L’ S STORY Pariti Emmanuel participated in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. While in prison for the murders he'd committed, fellow prisoners invited him to try Alpha. 'I went, but struggled to engage, unable to cope with the things I had done. I realised I needed to tell the truth and wrote a letter asking for forgiveness from the relatives of those I had murdered. Life was so hard after being released from prison. I found my wife with two children that weren't mine and I faced many heartbreaking situations. I didn’t know how I was going to live with the genocide survivors after what I had done. My heart was filled with agony, loneliness and fear. Remembering Alpha in prison, I decided to try it again. I learned that Jesus forgives and experienced love in a way I had never known before. With the help of a local pastor, I went to find Vincent, whose mother and grandmother I had killed, to ask for forgiveness. I now live in a village built for genocide survivors and perpetrators. Vincent lives in the same village. We have formed a friendship and I now experience peace like I haven’t experienced before. Day to day life continues to be a challenge, but I have found forgiveness and healing for the things that I’ve done.'
I experienced love in a way I had never known before
04 alpha.org
WHAT IS ALPHA? Alpha is an opportunity for anyone, anywhere, to freely explore their unique questions about life, faith and God. Alpha is a series of interactive sessions exploring the Christian faith, typically run over eleven weeks. Each session includes food, a short talk looking at a different question of faith, and a small group discussion. Alpha is run all around the globe, and transcends social, geographic and denominational borders. It can run almost anywhere – in cafés, churches, schools, universities, homes, bars, prisons.
What Alpha offers, and what is attracting thousands of people, is permission, rare in secular culture, to discuss the big questions: life and death and their meaning.
T H E GUA R DI A N
JHON HENRY’S STORY At only twenty-six, Jhon has been involved in one of the most violent drug cartels in the criminal underworld of Medellín, Colombia. Shot twice and left for dead, Jhon faced a long recovery. It was during this time he was invited to try Alpha. Living in poverty, it was the promise of warmth and food at Alpha that kept him coming back. ‘I was living on the streets so the food for me was like a taste of heaven.’ But at Alpha he found much more than a warm, safe place; he found people who would become his family. He started to share every moment of life with them. They began supporting him in bigger ways: raising money to help him start selling sunglasses to get back into work, taking him into their homes and giving him clothes. ‘Alpha gave me the confidence to tell my own story. The group were never afraid and they did everything out of love.’
The group were never afraid and they did everything out of love
Embraced and accepted by the group, Jhon saw what true forgiveness and love could look like. ‘Now I know that my past doesn’t matter to God and that he wants to have a personal relationship with me.’
Alpha International Annual Review 2015
05
ALPHA THROUGH THE YEARS
1995 1990 Nicky Gumbel takes over the running of Alpha at Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) and repositions it for nonchurchgoers
06
1991 Four churches are running Alpha
1993 HTB holds the first national Alpha conference attended by 1,000 church leaders
1994 Tricia Neill, now President of Alpha, joins the team and rolls out an international strategy
First international conferences are held in Africa, Europe and North America
alpha.org
2015
29,000,000
people have experienced Alpha in 169 countries and 112 languages
2008
10,000,000 people have experienced Alpha
1999
1,000,000
1998
people have experienced Alpha
10,000 churches are running Alpha
Alpha International Annual Review 2015
07
2015 IN NUMBERS
41,745 Churches *ran Alpha*
6,069
2,215,319
83,943
Alpha participants
253
Alpha courses
4
Participants per day
Participants per hour
Participants per minute
FOCUS AREA GROWTH
11%
33%
Alpha – Prisons
Alpha – Catholics
* Includes 2,302 schools, prisons and other organisations which ran Alpha. These Alphas are often affiliated with a local church.
08 alpha.org
ALPHA STORIES
STEFA N’S STORY
GERRI’S STORY
NETHERLANDS
SINGA PORE
'It literally saved my life'
'I felt absolute peace'
Growing up in an abusive home, Stefan spent his teenage years in and out of foster homes, shelters and youth prisons. Dealing drugs, and increasingly psychotic, Stefan’s problems led to a breakdown following an armed robbery he had committed. In prison he was invited on Alpha and, although reluctant at first to attend, he describes the transformative impact it has had on his life: 'Alpha gave me another chance – a chance to meet God. It literally saved my life. Alpha helped me with my questions and doubts about faith, and also helped me handle my fears about my release from prison and what the future looked like. My group leader was the first person in years who believed in me and because of that my self-confidence grew. After Alpha, I was much more open to God and I found a relationship with him that changed me. I wanted to make something of my life. In the past I built a wall around myself but now I’m open and I want to help others.' Stefan and his wife now run a foundation helping people coming out of treatment for addictions or prison to reintegrate into society.
Raised in Singapore under the teachings of a rare Japanese cult, Gerri was subject to oppression for ten years, manifesting itself in anxiety attacks, physical shaking and deep-rooted fear. As a young adult, she drifted away from the practices of the cult and felt a desire for a more positive religious presence in her life. This led her to Alpha. 'I found it hard to believe what I heard at first – that someone else could die for my sins. It sounded too good to be true and I could not accept that believing in Christ would be enough. I wondered how there could be something as good as this, offered freely to anyone who would accept it. But one evening, later in the course, I was overcome again by anxiety, shaking and fear. It became so severe that out of desperation I prayed, "Jesus, if you are real, please save me from this." With those words, all the horrible feelings instantly disappeared. For the first time in my life, I felt absolute peace. I was amazed by this experience; it was God’s way of showing a sceptic like me what the truth was, by demonstrating his power so undeniably. That night, I became I Christian.'
'We know, as well as anyone, that everybody deserves a second chance.'
Alpha International Annual Review 2015
09
REVITALISATION
EMPOWERING THE LOCAL CHURCH Alpha uses the local church to create global change. We train and equip local leaders to run Alpha and as they do, not only are guests’ lives transformed, but the churches themselves are changed, renewed. A culture of evangelism, hospitality, openness and invitation develops, leaders are released and congregations grow.
'It is amazing that 95% of our Alpha participants stay on and grow with us in church. They are eager to listen and learn the truth together with our church community.'
'Alpha has radically altered the DNA of our church. People go through Alpha, then they invite their friends, and then they lead. It’s been an unbelievable revival.'
'Alpha encourages my parish to be evangelisers, to form disciples who joyfully live out the mission of Jesus Christ. They become the mission.'
Revd Tan Cheng Huat, General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Singapore
Carolyn Haas, Co-Lead Pastor, Substance Church, Minneapolis, USA
Father James Mallon, Pastor, Saint Benedict Parish, Halifax, Canada
10
alpha.org
of
THE CHURCH
A UNITING FORCE
'I especially appreciate the ecumenical spirit of Alpha. There is no pressure on anybody to join a different denomination, but just to join Jesus.' Father Raniero Cantalamessa, Preacher to the Papal Household
Alpha is uniting the church in ways unseen for centuries. In 2015, we saw a visible sign of the ever-increasing unity Alpha is inspiring. Over 25 years of Alpha’s work across every major denomination of the global church was encapsulated in a single moment on stage during our 2015 Leadership Conference. In front of 7,000 people, from over 100 countries and 30 denominations, the UK leaders of the Catholic and Anglican Church – Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Archbishop Justin Welby – stood side-by-side on stage and prayed together for global Christian unity: ‘the hope for the world’.
Alpha International Annual Review 2015
'Alpha makes us feel part of a global family. It connects us with Christians across the globe who share the sole objective of lifting and glorifying the name of Jesus.' Gerardo Muniello, Senior Pastor, St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Buenos Aires, Argentina
11
ALPHA'S GLOBAL FOOTPRINT: 2015
UK
9,500
churches ran Alpha
USA
FRANCE
517,000
240
people did Alpha including over 70,000 youth
schools ran Alpha
AFRICA
42%
growth in Alpha participants
COLOMBIA
177%
growth in Alpha in a Catholic Context: 4,750 participants
LATIN AMERICA
62%
growth in Alpha Youth across Mexico, Colombia, Argentina and Brazil: 17,182 participants
12
alpha.org
KEY Office (57) Hub (6) HQ
SYRIA
ALEPPO
Throughout the war, Alpha ran in Syria’s capital
INDIA
700,000
KENYA
participants •
10,000
38,000 leaders
youth did Alpha through a partnership with Compassion International
trained
MALAYSIA
40,000 people
did Alpha
ZAMBIA
58 prisons ran Alpha: every prison in the country
Alpha International Annual Review 2015
AUSTRALIA
39%
growth in youth and university student Alpha participants: 13,563 people
13
REACHING THE NEXT GENERATION WHY THIS GENERATION? Almost half the world’s population is under twenty-five, and increasingly disconnected from the church. As more and more young people turn away, some believe the church is in danger of losing an entire generation. Engaging young people is essential to ensure the future of the church and for subsequent generations to grow up knowing Jesus. International research confirms this. The Barna Group has found that 59% of American 18–29 year-olds who went to church as teens drop out after age 15. In the UK, research carried out by the Evangelical Alliance revealed that 96% of church leaders believe reaching those aged 18–30 outside of the church is a top priority, but only 11% feel well-resourced to do so. Alpha offers the tools, training and technology to reach the next generation. We work to envision and equip a new generation of Alpha leaders, empowering them to champion Alpha amongst their peers. We know that as the most digitally-connected group in history, they are the catalysts who can spread the gospel faster and further than anyone else, to people of all ages.
EMILY ’S STORY Twenty-four-year-old Emily Tata was born and raised in the streets of Nairobi, Kenya. Abandoned by her father, Emily and her mother were forced to fend for themselves, depending, quite literally, on the generosity of others to survive daily life. At the age of fourteen, Emily was raped and became pregnant with her first son. Committed to this boy and her two children to follow, Emily’s daily fight for survival on the streets is what would eventually lead her to Alpha.
'The first true love I received from people came from the Alpha family'
What began as a draw to refuge and support would eventually lead to a relationship with God through her openness to stay and listen to the Alpha talks. Since Emily’s personal experience with Alpha, she has run Alpha in four secondary schools, two primary schools, and in a number of small groups back in the community she grew up in. Having experienced transforming love for herself, she now leads others into this relationship with Jesus. She is a powerful, young, local leader transforming the streets of Nairobi.
14 alpha.org
ALPHA INNOVATION
INVITING A GENERATION
Campaigns to target a new, younger demographic to Alpha
ALPHA.ORG
31 national sites 12 in progress
ALPHA APP
Find and lead Alpha anywhere
ALPHA BUILDER Equipping leaders with online tools
ALPHA LABS
Developing leaders through training
ALPHA YOUTH FILM SERIES
12 episodes to engage 11–18 year-olds in a conversation about faith, life and God
ALPHA FILM SERIES 200 CONTRIBUTORS 38 INTERVIEWS 12 COUNTRIES 3 PRESENTERS 1 NEW GLOBAL PRODUCT
The Alpha Film Series (AFS) is a major part of our strategy to engage the next generation with the good news of Jesus Christ. It covers the whole Alpha content in an interactive, innovative and engaging format, comprising a 16-episode series of fifteen 30-minute sessions and one 10-minute introduction to the weekend, as well as two 30-minute training sessions. Nicky Gumbel, Gemma Hunt and Toby Flint are the three presenters of AFS. We catch up with new faces Gemma and Toby to find out more about the project.
T. I head up Alpha at HTB Church, and was involved in the early stages of planning the project. When it came to the filming, it was somehow left to me to fill the spot next to Gemma! How would you describe AFS?
When did you first come across Alpha? T. I moved to London after university and my new church was running Alpha. I’d always found telling friends about my faith a bit awkward but I decided I’d give it a shot and invited one friend, Nick, who came, bringing along his girlfriend, his mum and another friend too! Seeing the huge impact on each of their lives, I realised what a great way Alpha was to introduce people to faith. G. I first did Alpha when I was a teenager at my church, and many years later did it again as an adult. How did you get involved with AFS? G. I had to come in and audition! I remember having to stand on a crate next to Toby, ‘Mr. McTall’. If I’m honest, this isn’t the normal type of job I’d go for – my background is in children’s TV – but I felt God was calling me to do this. Out of obedience to him I agreed, and it’s been amazing.
16
G. It’s Alpha like you’ve never seen it before. It takes the same incredible content that’s been put together over the years, but the delivery is so much more effective for a younger, global audience. T. The result is powerful. It’s compelling to hear from such a range of inspiring individuals. Shane Taylor for example – previously one of Britain’s most dangerous people and prisoners – tells his story of how his life was completely transformed through Jesus on Alpha. We also had the privilege of hearing from world-leading experts and Christian leaders, with Oxford Professors John Lennox and Alister McGrath, for example, discussing the question of science and faith. What are your hopes for AFS? G. My prayer and my hope for this project is that people’s hearts are opened to experience this amazing, awesome God on a level they’ve never experienced before.
T. And I hope thousands of new churches and Christians will be inspired to share this life-changing, unchanging message of God’s love with others through this new tool. How did you find the filming process? T. The more I read my lines and the more I said them on film, the more I realised: This is true! This is amazing! This is lifechanging! I was talking to myself as much as I was to those who will be watching this at Alpha. G. I was picking apart what I was saying, I wanted to fully understand every word and my heart was changing through each line. It was like our own three-month Alpha course! What was your highlight? T. We shot in so many places, but my personal highlight was Jerusalem – from filming on an arid but beautifully wild hilltop where Jesus told The Parable of the Good Samaritan, to walking the same streets in the old city that Jesus himself would have walked 2,000 years ago. G. Wherever we went, it felt like we were breathing the same air as those in years gone by, reliving their stories. It was a real privilege. AFS launches globally on 14 April 2016, with events in Kuala Lumpur, Cape Town, Johannesburg, London and Vancouver.
alpha.org
GLOBAL ALPHA CAMPAIGN Alpha’s first ever global advertising campaign to invite the potential guest to try Alpha will launch in September 2016 across continents, countries, cities, towns and villages around the world. In the campaign, Bear Grylls, a British adventurer, writer and television presenter with over 1.5 billion fans worldwide, will tell his personal story of finding faith and true adventure on Alpha and invite millions to do the same. Sixty-one countries have signed on to participate in the campaign, with advertising planned across TV, cinema, radio and digital.
Bear has extraordinary global reach, particularly among the younger generation – those furthest from the church. He is recognised from New York to New Delhi and his biggest market is now China, positioning the campaign for huge global success. The campaign will invite a new audience to try Alpha, inspire an invitational culture among churches and leaders, and engage the world in a new conversation about faith. Provided for free, together with the Alpha Film Series, churches worldwide will be equipped with the most effective set of tools to invite, welcome and share the gospel with this new generation of Alpha guests.
My simple faith has so often brought light to a dark path, warmth to a cold mountain and strength to a failing body. I remember crawling onto the summit of Everest and clearing the snow from my mask to see the curvature of the Earth at the edges. But finding a simple faith that empowers my life? To me that’s been my greatest adventure.
Alpha International Annual Review 2015
17
THE MARRIAGE COURSES
A central part of Alpha International’s strategy to transform society takes place within The Marriage Courses – two courses designed to help couples grow closer and build a strong, loving relationship that will last a lifetime. The Marriage Preparation Course began in 1985 at Holy Trinity Brompton, taking a very similar format and approach to Alpha – a meal, a talk, and discussion as a couple. Soon after, The Marriage Course began and, together with The Marriage Preparation Course, their affinity with Alpha was clear. Like Alpha, The Marriage Courses equip the local church for social transformation, giving churches a tool to reach out to their communities and help couples with or without a Christian faith. In this way, Alpha and the The Marriage Courses serve as gateways between one another and into the local church. Over 1 million people worldwide have attended The Marriage Courses to date, in 127 countries and 46 languages. In 2015, The Marriage Courses underwent a rebrand in order to increase their public synergy with Alpha. This strategic positioning of The Marriage Courses alongside Alpha will allow for a bigger, united impact globally, seeing lives transformed both relationally and spiritually.
'The Marriage Course offers couples a great opportunity to experience the love of God. It is a real tool for evangelisation: couples discover the beauty of their loving relationship and recognise and call this love by name: God’s love.' Monsignor Renzo Bonetti, Famiglia Dono Grande Foundation, Italy
18
W ESLEY A ND SUZ A NNE’S STORY The Marriage Preparation Course was the start of Wesley and Suzanne’s journey to marriage, church, and a joyful, infectious faith. Wesley, who wasn’t a Christian before the course, describes their experience: ‘The Marriage Preparation Course helped us understand how our upbringings and families affected our communication styles and we can handle this in love now, instead of finding tension in our differences. As well as the content of the course, there was something special about the experience: the setting, the food, the people, the community. When Suzanne invited me to try Alpha after the course, I was open and willing, as I’d so enjoyed the similar experience of The Marriage Preparation Course. Alpha offered relaxed friendship and deep discussion that helped me form my own opinion on faith for the first time. I learned so much from the others in my group and during the course, I chose to ask God to be part of my life. I want to share the love and peace I’ve found with others so I’m leading Alpha myself. I invited my mum and now she’s in my group, discovering faith for herself.’
alpha.org
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
Bible in One Year is a free daily Bible reading resource with commentary by Nicky and Pippa Gumbel. Available via YouVersion, app, email and online, Bible in One Year provides readers of any faith background with the understanding and ability to read and apply the Bible’s teaching to their lives. Since its development in 2009, Bible in One Year has had over a million unique downloads and subscriptions in 200 countries, many of these readers coming from Alpha.
'In the midst of a really tough time for our family, Bible in One Year helps us to get through each day. We have found this app a huge blessing as we start our walk with Christ. The commentaries help us to study God’s word and give us new perspective and strength to deal with the difficulties we face. It's the first thing I do in the morning. Our children listen to it before breakfast and my husband has read the entire Bible with the help of the app.' Beverly, Phillippines
The fifth session of Alpha explores the question, ‘How and why should I read the Bible?’ and Bible in One Year is introduced as part of this. Thousands of Alpha guests worldwide, many of whom have never before read the Bible, have already found this to be a simple, practical and inspiring resource to deepen their growing faith. In 2015 we began work to expand the Bible in One Year’s reach and appeal. We translated the resource into Mandarin, ready for launch in January 2016, and developed an audio version of the content in response to overwhelming demand from our current readership. Going forward, we plan to make Bible in One Year available in the world’s top five languages, translating it into Hindi, Spanish and Arabic. With such success already as only an English-speaking resource, we anticipate significant growth as more Alpha guests and readers worldwide are able to access this powerful tool for evangelism and discipleship in their own language.
Alpha International Annual Review 2015
19
FINANCIAL REVIEW TOTAL FUNDS 2015 (£)
TOTAL FUNDS 2014 (£) RESTATED
INCOME DONATIONS Donations under Gift Aid
285,370
250,840
Other donations
8,758,917
7,583,690
Total donations
9,044,287
7,834,530
1,344,329
1,250,382
10,388,616
9,084,912
682,952
447,004
821,333
830,407
605,409
827,666
1,661,760
1,911,286
2,831,825
2,458,380
790,639
888,429
388,197
533,852
1,507,411
1,330,064
8,606,574
8,780,084
Total expenditure
9,289,526
9,227,088
NET INCOME / (DEFICIT)2
1,099,090
(142,176)
Income from resource sales and conferences Total income EXPENDITURE Fundraising and Communications (including allocated support costs)1
CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES
(including allocated support costs)1
Strategic Leadership
Global strategy and oversight
UK Development
UK hub costs
Media and Publications
Technology and innovative resources
International Development
Establishing localised infrastructure and training
Alpha Context Development
Tailoring Alpha for different contexts
Other Ministries
The Marriage Courses, The Prayer Course, God at Work
Conferences
Equipping global leaders
Total charitable expenditure
1
Support costs make up 15% of total expenditure.
2
hanks to the generosity of our donors, together with careful cost controls, Alpha International finished 2015 with a surplus. As we have T traditionally operated from a very low level of financial reserves, this puts us in a more stable financial position and helps us to manage our cashflow; this is particularly important in a year where we have the Alpha Film Series and the Global Alpha Campaign to deliver. The figures above are summarised from the charity’s accounts, audited by Mazars LLP, for the year ended 31 December 2015. A complete set of the accounts is available on request, or can be downloaded from the UK Charity Commission Website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission.
20
alpha.org
Total Income £10,388,616
Donations from Individuals
60%
Donations from Trusts and Foundations
22%
Donations from Churches Income from Resource Sales and Conferences
Total Expenditure £9,289,526
Donations by Location £9,044,287
13%
Fundraising and Communications
7%
Strategic Leadership
9%
UK Development
7%
Media and Publications
18%
International Development
30%
Alpha Context Development
9%
Other Ministries
4%
Conferences
16%
North America
37%
United Kingdom
32%
Asia Pacific
30%
Other
Alpha International Annual Review 2015
5%
1%
21
ALPHA INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES Ken Costa is Chairman of the AI Board. Ken is active in the financial sector and served as Vice-Chairman of UBS Investment Bank where he worked for over thirty years before being named Chairman of Lazard International. Ken is Dean of the Leadership College London and author of the book and film series God at Work.
David Segel is an American businessman, investing in financial services and media assets. In 1999, he founded Mako Global which has become one of Europe’s leaders in options market-making. He is also an Executive Partner in MPower Pictures, Telescope Magazine and the Video Genome Project, and sits on the Alpha USA board.
Nicky Gumbel is Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB), an Anglican church in central London with ten Sunday services over four sites and a regular attendance of around 4,000 people. In 1990, Nicky took over the running of Alpha and repositioned it for those outside the church. He has led Alpha's global development for the last twenty-five years.
Ramez Sousou is Founder and co-CEO of TowerBrook Capital Partners, an international investment firm. He was previously co-Head of Soros Private Equity and, prior to that, served as a senior member of the Principal Investments Group of Goldman Sachs.
John Mackay is a founding principal of the Strand real estate organisation based in Vancouver, Canada and working throughout North America. John is a board member of Alpha International, Alpha USA, and Alpha Canada. John has been active in a number of charitable and community organisations including the United Way of Vancouver, the British Columbia Children's Hospital Foundation, Streetohome Foundation, and the St James Community Services Society. Sandy Millar practised for ten years as a barrister before being ordained into the Church of England, joining HTB as a curate and becoming Vicar in 1985. He oversaw the growth of HTB to the largest church in the Church of England and was involved in leading Alpha from a small local parish resource to one used by thousands of churches around the world. Tricia Neill is the President of Alpha International. Tricia joined HTB in 1994 from News International, where she headed up News International Exhibitions. Prior to that, she worked in the Middle East for Shell. Tricia sits on the boards of numerous Alpha offices worldwide. Chris Sadler is the National Director of Alpha USA and from 2004 to 2013 was Chairman of Alpha Asia Pacific. Chris is a Non-Executive Director of Daniels Sharpsmart Group (Healthcare). Prior to 2004, he spent twenty years working in several leading international investment banks.
22
Rebecca Stewart is the founder and CEO of Goldstar Partners, which offers executive search and consulting services to clients in the non-profit sector. From 2003 to 2015 she served on the staff at HTB and Alpha International in a variety of roles, including Head of Alpha UK, Chief Operating Officer, Chief of Staff and Group CEO. Rebecca started her career in the City, initially in banking and consulting and then as a headhunter. Michael Timmis was senior partner of Timmis & Inman LLP lawfirm and the co-founder and Vice-Chairman of Talon LLC, a privately-owned company with extensive interests in manufacturing and real estate. Michael serves or has served on the boards of many charitable organisations and foundations including: St John Healthcare Systems, Cornerstone Schools, Inc., The Navigators, New Canaan Society and Prison Fellowship International (Chairman). Hong Yeoh is the Executive Director of Malaysian conglomerate YTL Power Generation, one of the largest international utility businesses in Southeast Asia. He is also Director of both holding company YTL Corporation Berhad and Wessex Water. Kathleen, Hong’s wife, is a qualified barrister and is Chair of the Alpha Asia Pacific Advisory Board.
alpha.org
We believe 2016 will be the most strategic year in Alpha’s history. We are at a pivotal moment in our journey and are positioning ourselves for significant future growth. The projects released in 2016 have the potential to reach millions worldwide with a message of God’s transforming love and grace. We anticipate that by the end of 2018, 40 million people will have done Alpha. But we need your help to make this possible. Partner with us today as we begin the next stage of Alpha's journey.
Tricia Neill President of Alpha International
Our Alpha Partners’ generosity and prayers enabled 2.2 million people to experience Alpha in 2015. Join us in giving Alpha to millions more this year.
Give transformation Give life Give here: alpha.org/give
Alpha International is a registered charity in England and Wales (1086179) and in Scotland (SC042906) Alpha International, HTB, Brompton Road, London SW7 1JA, England