STAFF

Thomas Truman - Team Leader

Thomas is from the USA - God has called him and his family to England to serve in his calling to shine the light of the Good News of Jesus to the people of Leeds and West Yorkshire as God makes the way. He oversees the LCM team and ministry, and takes part with the diverse spectrum of churches and believers in prayer and Gospel outreach that many lost in Leeds would be found in Jesus. Thomas, also serves in helping to build up God's people to help them know God better and to make Him known.

Dagmar Truman - Administrator

Dagmar is from Germany and graduated from 1 year of theological and cross cultural training at the WEC Bible College in the Netherlands. She has done several short-term mission trips to Ghana, West-Africa and Spain and other places. While her 5 children were very small, she was stay-at-home Mum for some years. Before that, she had completed studies in geography and adult education and was working with people with special needs. Also, she has trained in Christian counseling. She is excited to see Him using our family for his purposes in the city of Leeds. Dagmar loves the outdoors…going for long walks, hiking, cycling, enjoying God's beautiful creation.

 

Claire Newton - Evangelism Worker

I'm Claire. I was born and raised in Featherstone, West Yorkshire and love Rugby League and Cricket! I became a Christian at seventeen and life has had its ups and downs but God has kept his hand on me and brought hope and healing in my life and so I have a passion for seeing others brought into wholeness and healing by Gods power and grace. I have worked with people with learning disabilities, drug and alcohol issues, women's small groups and would love to see Jesus touch many lives. I also love to sing and drink coffee.

Scott Liston - Evangelism Worker

My ministry goals with LCM are threefold to engage in: Evangelism, Discipleship and Networking. Evangelism takes place through visiting homes and work in the City Centre in personal evengelism, open air or Street Church with a literature table and music. Not just content to sow seeds.  I am determined to have people to regularly disciple and I am seeing those who take hold of the Word show good signs of growth. Networking: I am developing relationships with churches involved in the Leeds City Prayer Collaboration Network and have been involved in partnering with them in outreach.

 

Akintayo Olayinka (Tayo) -Bookshop Manager

Tayo relocated with his family from Edinburgh at the end of March 2011 to begin a church plant, Pentecost Baptist Church, Leeds. He actually started coming to Leeds on weekends since December 2010 for evangelism. Within the first few weeks of its take off in April 2011, he produced 5, 000 copies of gospel tract and distributed about 2,000 copies in three months. He meaningfully engages people in discussion and witnessing for Christ.Tayo has interest in mission and always see a way where there seems to be no way. He wants to be seeing many people of every culture coming to the knowledge of Salvation in Christ and worshipping God together in the beauty of His Holiness. He is happily married to Morayo and the home is blessed with God's presence and three children.

 

ASSOCIATE STAFF

Brenda  Claxton

 I was a church person from being young and a Sunday school teacher. I was sexually abused up till the age of 15. At that time my father went to prison and I left home when I was 18. I have had 2 failed marriages. One good one. 1 daughter, 3 grand-children of which I don't see anymore. I then started to become ill in 1978, I was diagnosed with epilepsy in 1981 and then with some bowel problems in 2000. Then Asthma and then a stroke in 2003. I was so fed up with being poorly all the time. It was 1st January 2005 when I decided to come to Jesus and in June 2005, I was baptised. Now, I am healed from my sickness except the bowel problem. I am still waiting for healing for that. I will never turn away from God.

I started working in the bookshop because the Lord led me to do bookshop ministry. My pastor also thought it was a good idea to converse with other Christians. I like working with all the volunteers and helping people who come in the shop. I also found plenty of friends by working in the shop. Also, people are praying for me when I am poorly, giving me encouragement and helping me to get closer in God's love.

Jeff Robinson

As a voluntary worker with the mission I have enjoyed talking to many of its detainees in the prison cells at Bridewell Police Station, many of whom are willing to talk and take literature; even guys who have no interest in spiritual matters are reading a gospel out of boredom. We sometimes get the opportunity to pray with many who have drug or alcohol problems and of whom many are young people. The Mission needs an army of prayer warriors as Christ is still in the business of changing lives!

Julia Oldfield

Having worked in a prison, I was prayfully considering how I could become involved in prison visiting in retirement. Becoming a Leeds City Mission volunteer was an answer to prayer. I meet people from different walks of life - the clubber, the domestic violence, the asylum seeker etc. Most listen to the good news of Jesus and accept a tract and sometimes a Gospel. Only God knows what happens after a seed is sown - It is just up to us to keep sowing.

June Allen

'I am not a rabbit' said the lady, I beg your pardon I replied, somewhat taken aback, I AM NOT A RABBIT I would like to speak to you but not through a hole. The lady in question was in a holding cell at Bridewell Police Station after having a drop too much drink. She shouldn't have been there she said even though she couldn't remember just how she had got there. Visiting 'the cells' on a Sunday morning can be very eye opening, challenging, but a satisfying, rewarding experience. Some of the people we see don't want to talk to us, but most are very open to the Gospel and will chat and take a leaflet. Male, female, young or old all picked up for different reasons (mainly due to too much alcohol) on a Saturday night/Sunday morning. I am one of the team of volunteers for Leeds City Mission who go into Bridwell Cells every Sunday morning, not just to spread the Lords' word but also to show that someone cares.

Marc Whitford

Has been a Christian for 10 years and has a hunger to share Christ with people.  He serves with LCM in the bookshop ministry and on the streets.  On his first day serving in the bookshop, he passed a customer a tract with his personal testimony on it.  The very next morning, the mother of the customer rang him and he led her to Christ over the phone!

 

	Noel Setterington
	He has been a volunteer in the bookshop ministry since its beginning and has built up relationships and had opportunity to share Christ with many customers and visitors.

Gill Grant

 My childhood was marked by regular Sunday school attendance and a Father who prayed every evening with his two children. This way followed by teenage years searching for the meaning of life. On my very first day of university I came into contact with Christians who I quickly realised had something I had not. I came to understand more of God's love for me personally, my sin and how to enter into a personal relationship with God. I can testify that God is unfailing, through adverse and difficult times he is a strong rock and refuge from the strom. "Great is Thy Faithfulness." Lam. 3,23.