Men making a difference – Keep The Faith ® The UK’s Black and multi-ethnic Christian magazine

Britain’s Black Christian community boasts an abundant supply of men who are providing exemplary leadership in their churches, encouraging others with their professional successes, and are serving their local communities and wider society. Keep The Faith shines a light on a few such men, who are making an impact. Have a read and be inspired.

REV ALEX AFRIYIE
President-Elect, Baptist Union of Great Britain
Rev Alex Afriyie is a Baptist minister, who has recently been elected to serve as President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain. He will preside in the role from 2026–2027. Rev Afriyie has been the pastor of London Network Church for over 33 years. With a passion for evangelism, discipleship and church growth, he has been working and praying for revival in the UK amongst Baptist churches and other networks. He has built a multigenerational and intercultural church that represents the populations of London. Alongside his passion for the local church, Rev Afriyie has been involved in the leadership of the London Turning which has seen thousands of people say prayers of commitment to Jesus and start discipleship journeys in the last six years. He is also involved in raising up and coaching the next generation of Kingdom leaders. His theme for his presidential year is “Walking Worthy” in which he is calling Baptist churches to remain true to their foundations of being Bible-based and Spirit-led.
Visit www.lnc.org.uk

BISHOP MELVIN BROOKS
Senior Pastor, New Jerusalem Community Church
Bishop Melvin Brooks is Senior Pastor of New Jerusalem Community Church, a well-known and popular church in Aston, Birmingham. He is a passionate leader, with decades of experience in ministry. Known for his heart for people and his vision for transforming lives, Bishop Brooks is dedicated to empowering individuals to fulfil their God-given potential. He serves as Deputy Presider and Chief Operating Officer of Jabula New Life Ministries International (Europe and Asia), providing leadership and spiritual covering to churches across the globe. With a strong foundation in faith, teaching and pastoral care, Bishop Brooks continues to inspire and guide people from all walks of life to live a life of purpose and abundance. Together with his wife, Pastor Yvonne Brooks, they provide marriage guidance and counselling.
Visit https://www.newj.church/

NATHAN DENNIS
Co-founder, First Class Foundation; Co-lead, Legacy Consultants
Nathan Dennis is having an impact not only in his hometown of Birmingham but much further afield. Alongside his wife, Sabrina, he runs First Class Consultants, a charity that empowers Black youth, and Legacy Consultants, which works with NHS Trusts and statutory partners on equity and inclusion strategies. Aside from his businesses and community work, Nathan is very active in his church, New Jerusalem Community Church, where he has served in various roles, including vision coordinator, youth leader, youth pastor, deputy youth leader and trustee. He has delivered workshops and talks at churches and ministries across the UK, sharing how his life, once entangled in street culture, is now led by faith in Jesus Christ. Nathan has plans to publish Transformed: Faith of a Skippa – a book that will focus on faith, leadership, and personal transformation – later this year. For Nathan Dennis, influence is not about status; it’s about service, purpose, and lifting others as he climbs.
Visit www.legacyconsultants.co.uk

SHANE BOWES
CEO, Pentecostal Community Bank
Last year, Shane Bowes made history by leading the rebrand of the Pentecostal Credit Union into the Pentecostal Community Bank (PCB) – Britain’s first Black-owned community bank – heralding a new era for Black finance in Britain. Shane has been at the helm of the PCB since 2016. For decades, it has been responsible for enabling church leaders to buy buildings to house their members, and has also provided loans for business owners keen on growing and scaling their businesses. Shane is viewed as a pragmatic, visionary leader, committed to leading the team in delivering the PCB vision of economically empowering its members.
Visit www.pcbank.co.uk

DR SOLA FOLA-ALADE
Visionary Pastor, Liberty Church Global
Though originally trained as a medical doctor, Dr Sola Fola-Alade answered the call to spread the Gospel and is now respected internationally as a pastor, prophetic voice, author, publisher, conference speaker, coach and mentor to various business, social, political and spiritual leaders. PSFA, as he’s fondly known, is Visionary Pastor of Liberty Church Global, and co-leads with his wife, Abimbola. They have planted four churches in the UK, one in Texas, USA and the other in Lagos, Nigeria. Dr Sola Fola-Alade has touched thousands of lives around the world. He equips people to impact their generation and exercise their leadership influence in society. He has written over 15 widely-acclaimed books, including The Secrets to Winning Your Invisible Battles, The Making of an Effective Minister Volume 1, The 4 Pillars of Great Relationships – co-authored with Pastor Bimbo Odukoya – and his best-selling prophetic prayer books Prayer Fire (Volumes 1 & 2) and Prophetic Prayers for Every Season (Volumes 1 & 2). He also hosts the podcast Beneath the Surface, where he interviews relevant voices in ministry and beyond.
Visit www.thelibertychurchlondon.com

SUPERINTENDENT GEOFFREY FOLKES
Bishop-Elect, Calvary Church of God in Christ (COGIC)
Superintendent Geoffrey Folkes is currently the lead pastor of Calvary Church of God in Christ (COGIC) in Northumberland Park, Tottenham – a role he has held for 14 years. The church runs a local food bank and provides a safe space for women and girls fleeing domestic abuse. In addition, Superintendent Folkes works with Pathway, a Christian charity that partners with local churches to provide Christian education in assemblies and after-school clubs in primary schools. He is also active in his local community and a board member of the Safer Neighbourhood Board Haringey, Haringey Giving, and Haringey’s Multi-Faith Forum. He was recently appointed as Bishop-Elect to serve alongside Bishop Blake, leader of COGIC UK. Superintendent Folkes has been a member of COGIC since his youth and has faithfully served his leaders. Alongside his many roles, he is currently a director of the Pentecostal Community Bank.
Visit www.cogic.org.uk

BISHOP JOHN FRANCIS
Senior Pastor, Ruach City Church
Bishop John Francis is one of the UK’s most well-known church leaders. He is Founder and Senior Pastor of Ruach City Church, and has three congregations based in Kilburn, Walthamstow and Birmingham, and a new location in Streatham, south London. The church also recently held a major event in Dubai – it’s first ever in the Middle East. Ruach City Church is renowned for its lively worship and for winning new converts to the Kingdom. Due to the high regard in which Bishop Francis is held, he is regularly invited to attend events dealing with issues of importance to the Black community, such as policing and youth crime. He is also an international speaker and has garnered a large following across the globe as a result of his dynamic preaching ministry and TV broadcast, Order My Steps.
Visit www.ruachcitychurch.org

BISHOP CLAION GRANDISON
Administrative Bishop, New Testament Church of God
Bishop Claion Grandison presides over the New Testament Church of God (NTCG), the largest Pentecostal denomination started by the Windrush Generation. Bishop Grandison oversees NTCG’s 11,000 members, 130 churches and 350 ministers. He also oversees the denomination’s 82 cross-cultural churches. Since his appointment to the role in 2022, Bishop Grandison has been on a mission to see NTCG become relevant and relational in how it connects; and open to the leading of the Holy Spirit in reimagining how its members see church and do church. He is one of the few Black denominational leaders who regularly uses social media to connect with church members. A lover of poetry, he published his book of poems, Our Story Retold: The Black Experience Unveiled Through Poetry, last year. He is currently spearheading arrangements for the NTCG’s annual National Convention that will take place at the International Conference Centre, Birmingham from 1–3 August 2025.
Visit www.ntcg.org.uk

PASTOR ABIMBOLA KOMOLAFE
Senior Pastor, Jubilee Church, Manchester
Pastor Abimbola Komolafe is the senior leader of Jubilee Church, one of Manchester’s most well-known churches. It is part of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), one of the fastest growing Pentecostal denominations in the UK. Pastor Komolafe is the visionary behind the largest non-denominational Christian worship gathering in Greater Manchester – Festival of Praise (FOP). This free annual musical extravaganza attracts over 10,000 believers and non-believers alike, bringing together people of diverse backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures to worship God. Pastor Komolafe has a heart for the less privileged, and demonstrates this through various church-led initiatives, which include providing financial support to widows and single mothers and running a food bank. He is also involved with the annual turkey hamper project, which expresses the love of Christ to the vulnerable during the Christmas period. Pastor Komolafe is committed to his God-given mandate to preach Christ and has touched countless lives with healings and miracles via the power of the Gospel. He has authored two books, Join the Dreamers World and 50 Nuggets of Praise.
Visit www.jubileechurchmanchester.org

PROFESSOR PAUL MORRISON
UK & Ireland Education, Non-Profit and Charities Lead, Zoom
Professor Paul Morrison is an award-winning, globally recognised leader in technology. His work at Zoom entails driving strategic innovation and digital transformation across the public and third sectors. Renowned for his work at the intersection of education, technology and community development, Professor Paul is an ambassador for The Open University and Global Ambassador for Elevate Africa – a non-profit organisation founded by the 21st Olu of Warri Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III CFR, and Her Royal Majesty Olori Atuwatse III, Queen Consort of Warri Kingdom – which promotes and empowers the next generation through education, storytelling, and leadership development. Professor Morrison is a judge for numerous awards, including the National Diversity Awards, and is Professor at the University of the West of Scotland, where he plays a key role in shaping future leaders and educators. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Professor Morrison serves on the pastoral team at This Generation Ministries in Wembley, north-west London, and is Founder of Idare2inspire, a programme that empowers young professionals through personal and professional development.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-morrison-education

NICK MYERS
Chief Strategy Officer, Oliver UK
Nick Myers is currently Chief Strategy Officer of Oliver UK, considered one of the UK’s leading marketing companies with 1,200 staff and a turnover of £110m. Nick has been listed in the BIMA’s (British Interactive Media Association) list of Britain’s Top 100 Digital Marketers and in Campaign magazine’s ‘40 Over 40’. Although he’s a professional powerhouse, his work and life are undergirded by his faith. Nick is Founder of Faith In Advertising, which connects the industry’s few believers; Founder and Chair of the Data Marketing Association’s Black Marketers Council; and serves as a trustee for the Marketing Skills Trust, opening doors for the next generation. He also uses his skills and talents to market Christian endeavours. He led the rebrand of Premier Gospel and shaped the brand strategy for the UK’s first Black-owned bank, the Pentecostal Community Bank. He is Assistant Pastor at The Well Bethel in Crystal Palace, south London, serving a community shaped by the Apostolic Pentecostal Windrush Pioneers’ Legacy, which he chronicled through his book Bethel Begins, where he preserved their story of resilience, ensuring it inspires a new generation.
Visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicklbmyers/

DR TUNDE OKEWALE OBE
Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers
Award-winning barrister Dr Tunde Okewale is part of the legal team at Doughty Street Chambers, a world-class firm providing legal services in criminal, civil and public law. His clients include global athletes, CEOs and multi-national corporations. Dr Okewale is a “working-class boy done good”. Raised on a Hackney council estate, he was the first person in his family to attend university. He qualified at the Bar in 2007. His achievements include founding a charity, Urban Lawyers, in 2010, which has transformed access to law for underrepresented communities, and serving as Legal Adviser to the Citizens Inquiry into the Tottenham Riots. In 2019, Dr Okewale was elected as the youngest-ever Governing Bencher of the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple in its 650-year history.He was awarded his MBE in 2016 for services to disadvantaged youth, and made an OBE in 2024 for his outstanding contribution to social mobility and criminal justice. Dr Okewale is also a thought leader on LinkedIn, influencing people beyond the field of law on issues of success, diversity and career progress.
Visit www.tundeokewale.com
Follow on Instagram www.instagram.com/tundeokewale/

REV DR ISRAEL OLUWOLE OLOFINJANA
Director, One People Commission; Founder, Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World
Rev Dr Israel Oluwole is Director of the One People Commission (OPC) – an intercultural network of the Evangelical Alliance – and an African public missiologist. An ordained Baptist minister, he is also Founding Director of the Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World, a network that provides cross-cultural training to reverse missionaries in Britain. Dr 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 of the Society for the Study of Theology (SST). He is on the Christian Aid Working Group of Black-Majority Church leaders, exploring the intersection of climate justice and racial justice, and a member of the Tearfund Theology Committee. He lectures at Christ Theological College on themes related to World Christianity and is a visiting lecturer at All Nations Christian College and the London School of Theology. He has published several books, including his latest, co-edited title, Polyphonic God: Exploring Intercultural Theology, Churches and Justice (SCM 2025). He is currently editing a book on intercultural theology, due to be published by SCM in 2025.
Visit https://israelolofinjana.wordpress.com

PASTOR ADE OMOOBA MBE
Co-founder, Christian Concern and Christian Legal Centre
Ade Omooba has been a mover and shaker within Britain’s Black Christian community for over 35 years. He is Co-founder of Christian Concern and the Christian Legal Centre, organisations that provide support and legal representation for Christians who need to defend themselves against unjust laws, preventing them from living out their faith. He is also Chair and Director of the NCLF (National Church Leaders Forum), an organisation committed to facilitating a Black Christian voice in the UK. To date they have produced two manifestos to action. Ade Omooba is also Co-founder of Christian Victory Group – ICARE Projects, which has played a part in setting up over 100 social action projects. He is a member of the Apostolic Team of Connection Trust, a global network of churches. He was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List 2019. 
Visit www.christianconcern.com and www.nclf.org.uk

NATHANIEL PEAT
Entrepreneur, international speaker, business coach, pilot
Nathaniel Peat is one of the most well-known Black entrepreneurs and charity leaders in the UK. He is Co-founder of GeNNex Solar, which provides innovative renewable energy products in Africa, and Founder of The Safety Box – a CIC that provides training and development programmes aimed at reducing violence and helping young people develop key skills in leadership, communication and conflict resolution. Nathaniel is an Honorary Fellow of Brunel University; was also a former trustee and co-founder of EY Foundation (part of Ernst & Young Global) and now acts as a Patron to the charity. In 2020, he became board member of the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council UK South, serving as consultative advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Jamaica on investment, trade and sustainable development. In 2024, Mr Peat spoke at COP29 on harnessing the power of financial institutions to fight climate change within diaspora markets, and was the winner of the UK Power of a Man Awards, held in 2024.
Visit www.nathanielpeat.co.uk

BISHOP TEDROY POWELL
National Leader, Church of God of Prophecy, UK, Holland and Belgium
Bishop Tedroy Powell is Head of the Church of God of Prophecy, one of Britain’s oldest denominations founded by the Windrush Generation. He has been at the helm since 2017, and currently presides over 70 churches, 5,500 members, 430 ministers and 35 church buildings, providing guidance on governance, pastoral training and the general direction of the national church. Aside from his leadership of COGOP work, Bishop Powell also serves as President for Pentecostal & Charismatic Forum within Churches Together in England (CTE), providing ecumenical leadership through CTE, and collaborating with significant para-church organisations and occasional government advisory panels.
Visit www.cogop.org.uk

BISHOP MIKE ROYAL
General Secretary of Churches Together in England (CTE)
Bishop Mike Royal has become a key figure in the Christian community through his role as General Secretary of Churches Together in England, an ecumenical organisation that helps churches work together better. Prior to his appointment, he was co-Chief Executive of The Cinnamon Network, a charity helping churches across Britain and Ireland with community engagement and social action projects. He is a founding trustee and former National Director of award-winning charity Transforming Lives for Good (TLG), which works with children and young people at risk of exclusion from school. He is also a part-time Forensic Mental Health Chaplain with Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust. Mike has an academic background in urban planning and in Black theology. He has been in ordained ministry since 1993 and was consecrated a Pentecostal Bishop in 2016. 
Visit www.cte.org.uk

PASTOR MIKE WHITE
Senior Pastor, The Tab, London
Pastor Mike White leads The Tab, one of London’s most well-known and fastest growing Pentecostal churches in London. It’s a thriving, transgenerational, and multicultural church, attracting in-person and online followers. The Tab has a philanthropic commitment to engage in blessing the community practically, through various church social programmes and initiatives. A graduate of both the London Bible College and Spurgeon’s Theological Seminary, Pastor Mike has a special passion for ‘the local church and leadership’. This has led to him serve as a church consultant to several local churches and national church organisations within the UK, providing guidance and training on Contemporary Leadership and Transitional Leadership. An in-demand speaker, Pastor Mike is regularly invited to speak at conferences and churches throughout the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa, the USA and the Caribbean. He has also featured regularly on Christian media networks, such as TBN and Premier Gospel Radio. Mike currently serves on the Board of Borough Deans, offering consultation and advice to the mayor and other council leaders on social and religious issues.
Visit www.thetab.org.uk