Meet The Team

Chris Jones International Missions Director Having had a passion for and been involved with missions for as long as I can remember, I have the privilege of doing a job that I love, working alongside a team that makes my role so much more enjoyable. I have a great family and I always say that my two children (one working as a youth pastor in New Zealand and the other at uni), keep me young and up to date with things, but on the other hand I think they just make me feel really old! Sport is a passion for me and I love to watch and participate as much as I can, although having managed to complete the Belfast marathon again this year, I have promised myself this really is the last! Being a Welshman brings with it many blessings and of course the joy of following our great rugby nation is just one!

Kathy Cooper PA to Chris Jones I have been in Elim Missions since Noah was a boy – well it seems like that sometimes! I first joined the Department back in March 1988. Missions has been close to my heart ever since my parents (Tom and Ruth Walker) used to go to Elim places overseas and come back and show me slides (anyone remember those?) and tell me all about their visits. This made me want to play my part in some small way to serve and support those ‘doing the job’ at the sharp end. My role is PA to Chris Jones and also Missions Office Manager. No one day is ever the same and it is a privilege to be involved in Christian ministry. My most favourite thing is when all my family is together - I have two sons and three grandchildren. And Dave and I get away as often as we can in our motorhome – Croatia is the furthest we have been; a destination most people would fly to, but we drive!

Paul Hudson Development Director Having been an Area Missions Director for West Africa for a few years, in January 2009 I was invited to take on a new role as Missions Development Director. I have been creating a strategy for training abroad, both for our missionaries and the many pastors and leaders Elim is in relationship with, plus developing mission training in the UK. It means I get to meet many people which I love. I also love food - all kinds apart from olives! I also love my wife and my two kids, even though they think they can beat me at sports. I became a Christian when I was 8 years old when watching the film 'Thief in the Night', a film about Jesus' second coming and the rapture of the true church. I am pastor of a great church in Dewsbury which really is great. My three top dreams (aside from being part of the rapture) are:1. Attend U2 concert (done that one - awesome) 2. Run a marathon (done that one too - I ran the Belfast Marathon in 2010!) 3. Learn to play the trombone. Twitter: @missionspaul

John Martin Creative Design After graduating with an Art and Design degree I really didn’t give a second thought to missions, it was just guys in sandals going to Africa to ‘convert people’. How wrong I was! Of course that is part of it, and actually sandals in Africa are quite a good idea as it gets hot, but please lose the socks!! But I can truly say I am a sold out missions nut! In my spare time I like to drastically increase the size of my elastic band ball and also read all guns blazing, action-packed, spy, crime books and watch TV shows of a similar nature, as well as the West Wing along with my wife Cara. My heart and passion is split between releasing people to know that they can be all that they think they might be and using all my skills to show God’s creativity. Twitter: @_johnmartin

Christina Barron Administator I have always felt that mission is in my blood; both my grandparents and great grandparents were missionaries and I am still unearthing new stories that they had to tell. Opportunities to travel on several short term missions in Europe and Africa have also changed my own perspective on the world. Still, it is an unexpected surprise to find myself working for Elim Missions since April 2010, but one which I feel is full of God’s call. Currently, my spare time mainly involves gazing in awe at the beautiful views around the Elim International Centre, but I can also be found escaping into a book or film or watching a good game of practically any sport. I love spending time with people, travelling, listening to decent music and being outdoors- show me mountains and water and I’m a happy girl! Twitter: @ChrissieRBarron

Naomi Davidson Finance I joined the missions team in March 2012, and am enjoying dealing with all things finance. In fact, I think some members of the team are becoming increasingly perplexed by my genuine love for numbers. World mission has been on my radar for a long time, as my grandparents were missionaries in D R Congo for over half a century. So, having now found myself working for a missions organisation, I feel particularly blessed to be part of a team that helps people to demonstrate the love of Jesus across the globe. A lot of my time outside work is spent on youth and children’s work, helping international people living in Worcester to learn a bit more English, and generally getting stuck in at my local church. I also love playing board games, watching sci-fi/action films, singing constantly, and being outside experiencing (and snapping endless photos of) God’s glorious creation.

Mandy Campbell Applications and Lifelink Director I joined the Elim International Missions Team in October 2007. My role involves setting up and organising mission placements for people who want to have a ‘mission experience’, I also direct Lifelink. When I am not working I love to spend my time with family. My husband Dave and I enjoy days out at the coast, eating oriental food or curling up on the sofa to watch endless episodes of Spooks! We have two grown up daughters Sophie and Amy, and two scrumptious little granddaughters, Nevaeh and Lily. We also have a great son in law called Jamie. One of the greatest passions in my life is my football team Derby County. I grew up in Derbyshire and remember being taken to football matches with my Dad from the age of about 10. I have followed the ‘Rams’ ever since, and go and watch the home games as often as I can – usually dragging Dave along with me!!

Sophie Lavery Lifelink Administator After completing an Applied Theology BA HONS at Regents Theological College I joined the team at Elim Missions in August 2009. I originally joined the team as an administrator which gave me an opportunity to be involved in missionary work from a different angle. For many years I have been involved with a wide variety of missions work overseas and in the UK and feel passionate about being able to serve those working on the mission field and connect people in the UK to those overseas. Since my husband was appointed as pastor of the Elim Church in Hoddesdon i have relocated and consequently changed my role at Elim Missions. More specifically now I focus on the administration side of things for Lifelink. I love being a part of a ministry that helps fundraise for life changing projects and working alongside the Lifelink ladies who are full of ideas and passion for God.