The Team

Chris Duffett

Chris is a Baptist minister and evangelist, founder of The Light College and Collective. Formerly Baptist Union President (2012-13) he currently serves as co-principal of the Light College which offers a practical FdA and BA in Theology, mission and evangelism, validated by the University of Chester. The Light Collective is a growing network of people who exist to reveal Jesus. Chris is an artist, a mission enabler, co-leader of the Lighthouse Café in Great Gransden and involved in his local church in Cambourne, near Cambridge.

Yinka Oyekan

Yinka is the senior pastor of The Gate, a Baptist church in Reading, and recently served as the President of the Baptist Union (2020-21). During his ministry at The Gate, Yinka has spearheaded The Turning, the evangelistic street mission which began in 2016 and has now taken place in dozens of UK towns and cities, as well as further afield. Yinka has a long history in equipping and training individuals in evangelism and mission.

Simon Goddard

Simon is a Baptist minister and former regional minister. He is director of RiverTree, an organisation he set up in 2018 to catalyse, cultivate and collaborate to enable fruitfulness in the mission of God. The fruit of recent collaborations include the #missionaladventure podcast,  the Godsend app and the recently launched book “21st Century Christian: Following Jesus where Life Happens”. Having previously planted a fresh expression of church in rural Cambridgeshire, he is part of the national FX leadership community. He serves as a mission enabler across East Anglia and is one of the three Pioneer Ambassadors for Baptists Together. With Chris Duffett he co-authored the book ‘Big Hearted: the gospel of simple words and a large heart”.

Suzie Abramian

Suzie is part of the RiverTree team, helping to administrate the 123GO initiative after recently helping to deliver the #missionaladventure project for the Baptist Union.

She lives with her husband and young son in Northwest Norfolk where together they are pioneering a network of missional communities for younger generations. She is an experienced musician and former music teacher and above all has a passion to share the good news of Jesus with everyone!