Lionheart Festival Isle of Wight
- 27th-28th July 2024
- Isle Of Wight
- Give To The Ministry
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Lionheart Festival Isle of Wight
Lionheart Festival wouldn’t have happened without our dedicated team of staff members & trustees!
Founder and Director
Joe is married to Becca, and grew up on the Isle of Wight attending different churches and ministries. Joe has a heart for the church and is currently a Worship Pastor at St Matthew’s Church Worthing.
During his school years, Joe started a worship band and was involved with many other Christian organisations. He attended a City Church Cardiff while at university which was a season God really opened his eyes. He then was employed as a Worship Leader at City Life Church Portsmouth, and God then led him and Becca to St Matthew’s.
Joe’s heart is for unity between believers, and to create a space that allows people to experience God’s love for the first time. He was blown away by the first Lionheart and is believing for more!
Co-Founder and Operations Manager
She has a son and her church family is True Vine Church. Laura has lived on the Isle of Wight since 2005 although holidayed here since she was young child. Laura’s parents retired here and grandparents honeymooned and holidayed here so the Isle of Wight has always been a very special place for her and her family.
Laura says “If you had said to me 15 years ago I would be part of the lead team organising a Christian Music Festival on the Isle of Wight, be devoted to God, having Jesus Christ as my best friend and Saviour I probably would have just laughed!! I always known ‘of’ God and Jesus but I never really knew Him or had a relationship with Him until I surrendered to Jesus after years of addiction / mental health issues and was set free”
Laura often wondered why she has had such a strange and random mix of jobs and careers over the years – it seems she was being prepared for this role! ha ha ha. Praise God! Laura goes on to say “I am blessed, honoured and excited to be part of Lionheart UK and really hope that Lionheart can help spread the ‘Good News’ of Jesus to others, especially to show that life with Jesus is not boring or dull. 🦁❤️🙌✝️
Trustee
Rob lives in Cowes with his wife Cath, together they offer prayer counseling using the Immanuel approach. He used to work for the County Council as a Psychiatric Social Worker.
Rob is part of the Isle of Wight Church and for many years led a congregation in Cowes. He helped develop the Wight Church Network and originated the Wight Church events newsletter which he still edits and distributes twice monthly. He was also responsible for setting up Street Pastors on the Island. He regularly meets with congregational leaders across the Island and is active in promoting unity, partnership, and transformation.
Trustee
Paul, whilst also being a trustee of Lionheart is also the pastor of Ryde Elim Church on the Isle of Wight. He is married to Rachel and has two girls. Paul likes playing squash, eating cake and drinking coffee!!!!!
Trustee
Having retired after running an Agricultural and civil engineering ground works business for over 40 years I enjoy gardening and bee keeping. I love Jesus and am very involved with the church and with my wife Pat head up the pastoral care team of True Vine Church here on the Island, we have four grown up children. I am also part of the Wight Church Network team. I fully support the Lionheart vision and am encouraged to see young people on fire for Jesus stepping out in faith.
Trustee
It was an honour to be asked to be a trustee for this exciting project. I have been a member of the Wightchurch team since its inception and believe strongly in ‘One Island ,One Church’. Ever since we had the Hope 08 celebrations at St George’s Stadium I have hoped there would be a Christian festival on the Island. I had the privilege of being a trustee of Isle of Wight Youth for Christ for several years and found being with the team and young people an inspiration and joy. I was also a trustee for Isle of Wight Street pastors for seven years and found working with folk from different churches and all over the Island a real blessing.
Trustee
Stuart lives with his family in Newport having lived and worked on the Isle of Wight since 2010 in a local secondary school. He moved into teaching from spending 10 years as a Youth Minister with an ecumenical youth project in Somerset.
Over the last year, he has been worshipping at True Vine Church, after spending 8 years at Castlehold Baptist Church. Whilst at Castlehold, he spent much time supporting the youth ministry of the church.
Having spent many years attending festivals like Soul Survivor, New Wine and Spring Harvest he shares the other Trustees vision to bring a Christian festival that encourages spiritual growth to all on the island.
Trustee
I show my heart & love for missionaries through the experience/training I have had having served as a short-term missionary myself BUT also to show that my main experience/training has been that of networking with pastors/leaders across the UK and EU with a specialty in Business Administration/Event Planning.
I am known to never give up when I believe God is in it. I know how to set up crusades from start to finish for major ministries as well as laying all groundwork from start to finish before the speaker and team would arrive.
Treasurer & Trustee
Growing up in Latin America as a Missionary’s child since the age of six shaped my unique background. I was raised bilingual in Spanish and English, and started teaching my first Bible class for children at the age of seven.
By the time I turned 12, I began preaching and guiding young individuals to uncover their life’s purpose. I am deeply passionate about people, particularly young adults aged 16-35.
Having appeared on various television networks in the USA and Latin America, I was honoured with the “Most Outstanding Woman of the Year” award in 1988. I have authored two training manuals and hosted television programs for young adults.
As an international teacher/speaker, my ultimate goal is to witness individuals fulfilling their life’s purpose and being sent out. Ordinary individuals with extraordinary aspirations who commit to uncommon goals can positively impact an extraordinary number of people.
Prayer Ministry
Richard and Rajinder Buxton have been in ministry together for over 40 years, having given up their professions as a solicitor and a nurse respectively.
Richard came from a non-christian background and Rajinder, growing up in Malaysia, from a Sikh background. After giving their lives to Christ, and training together in Bible College, they served as missionaries for many years, first in Tanzania, where Richard was sent to set up, teach in and oversee as Principal, a residential Bible College training pastors and evangelists, and secondly, in Malaysia where they were evangelising among Sikhs and Hindus. They also conducted many mission trips to Nepal, training church leaders and workers.
Prior to moving to the Isle of Wight in 2022, they led a large international church in West London for 25 years. During that time, in addition to help establish missions works in different countries, they developed a 24/7 Prayer Centre that touched the lives of hundreds of people each month, over 20 years.
With their passion for prayer, they have now been appointed by the Wight Church Network to be their Prayer Mobilisers for the Isle of Wight. In addition, they oversee the prayer ministry of Lionheart.
