Lecture – Alex Harris

Unhindered – From Acts to Today: discovered an unhindered faith and an unhindered church

Alex will use the book of Acts to explore what it means for everyone everywhere to have a faith and share a faith that is unhindered? What, according to Acts, are those core traits in an unhindered faith and church? How do we find that ancient record of Acts as a living experience today in our churches, our lives and in our communities. Alex’s session will be interactive, using both discussion and lecture styles and accessible for both long term Christians, church leaders and ministers, and those just starting out on their Christian or theological journey.

Speaker Bio

After growing up in West Africa, Alex met Jesus while studying at University in the UK. After time in America, he was an evangelist for Christians in Sport for 7 years. This was initially amongst university students in the UK, but ultimately across Asia. After 5 years in China, Alex planted a new church on the edge of London, before leading Beacon Church in Stafford for 10 years, which both grew and evolved into a scattered approach to church planting, growing to numerous expressions.

Alongside being Director of the St Hild Centre for Church Planting, Alex is Yorkshire Baptist Association Regional Minister for Pioneering and Church Planting, specifically responsible for empowering and releasing pioneering, experimentation and innovation in gospel-planting and church creation. He is also co-leader of the Firestarters Network of growing churches helping churches to grow. Alex acts as a co-convener for the National Church Planting Network uniting denominations, networks, and streams in a collaborative desire to reach England together through planting new churches, revitalising existing churches and reimagining what church for the future will look like. As a family, they are planting Lydia House in the centre of Leeds.

Alex has a BSc (Hons) in Geography, a BTh and MA from Spurgeons College, and a DMin from Asbury Seminary, USA. His doctorate studies are in ‘Church Planting in post-Christendom Europe’.

Alex has authored or co-authored a number of books including On this Rock: Simple Lessons and Achievable Habits for Church Growth (2023), Scattered not Small: Empowering Ordinary Churches to Become Disciple-Making Communities (2024) and due out in 2025 ‘How to Start New, Simple Churches Right Where They are Needed: A Guide for Everyone and Everywhere’.