What we do

Convinced that the local church is God’s primary means of reaching communities with the gospel - through evangelism, discipleship and community engagement - The Sychar Gospel Fund is focused on supporting churches in economically disadvantaged and ethnic minority areas in mainland Britain, among communities least reached with the gospel.

To this end the Fund facilitates the raising up and training of men and women for gospel ministry from churches in these areas.

The name of the Fund is inspired by the incident in John’s Gospel where Jesus seeks out an ‘outsider’, a woman living on the fringes of society in a town where the good news was unlikely to be heard. By radically changing her life, the gospel was taken to a marginalised community.

“Many in that town believed in Jesus because of the woman’s testimony …… now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world” 

John 4:39-42

The Sychar Gospel Fund has been set up by our Founders in partnership with Stewardship and operate the Stewardship Donor Advisory Board model for managing the distribution of its funds.

The Advisory Board is made up of 9 experienced Christian leaders, trainers and practitioners. They meet three times a year to evaluate Grant Applications and make funding recommendations to the Founders. Members of the Board also act as ‘Ambassadors’ for The Sychar Fund to help raise awareness of the Fund among churches and missions, make annual assessment visits, where necessary, to beneficiaries, and to manage the development of Policy, Assessment and Development processes.

Trevor Archer (Chair of Advisory Board)

pastored Kings Church Chessington for 25 years before serving years as the Training Director and latterly, as the London Director for the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.

Dan Strange

author of a number of books on Contemporary Culture and Public Theology Dan is passionate about making theological education accessible at local church level as the Director of Crosslands Forum. An Elder at Hope Community Church, Low Fell, Gateshead.

Mike Reith

served many years an Anglican vicar, then church planter with AMiE, on council estates in Dagenham, Essex. In retirement is now part of Peak Trinity Church, Bakewell, a FIEC church plant in the Peak District.

Kevin Appleton

served as CEO or MD in companies such as Travis Perkins, FedEx and DHL and the current Chair of Christianity Explored Ministries and Edward Connor Solicitors. Serves at Long Buckby Baptist Church, Northamptonshire as a trustee and deacon.  

Steve Levy

born and raised in Swansea, he has a passion to see gospel revitalisation in South Wales and has pastored Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in inner city Swansea for 20 years.

Sharon Dickens

on staff at Niddrie Community Church for over 17 years and since 2012 she has been involved teaching, training and mentoring women in their church planting ministry (20schemes). She is the Executive Director UK and Director of Women’s Ministries for 20schemes.

Grace Holt

grew up in Merseyside and served as a women’s worker in estates ministry in Dagenham and more recently in Liverpool. She attends Crossway Church, Stratford.

Andrew Gordon

is the Pastor of Donnington Evangelical Church, Willesden in inner London and a former Missionary with London City Mission.

Alan McKinght

is the Lead Pastor of Harper Church, Glasgow and former Chair of the FIEC Trust Board.

Simon Pillar

is a Founder and Managing Director of Pacific Equity Partners, an Australian private equity firm. He is also Chair of The Proclamation Trust, a director of the Firstfruits Gospel Foundation, a trustee of The Littlegate Trust and a founding shareholder of Kingdom Bank. Married to Rebecca they have 4 children and attend St Ebbe’s Church in Oxford.

Akeel Sachak

is a Partner, Global Head of Consumer and member of the Management Committee at Rothschild & Co, an Anglo-French investment bank. He is also a trustee of the Oxford Centre of Christian Apologetics, Word 121, 500,000 Churches, Light and a founding shareholder of Kingdom Bank. Married to Joy they have 4 children and attend Christ Church in Virginia Water.

Ben Stone

manages the Global Intrinsic Equity assets at MFS, a Boston based Asset Manager.  He is a trustee of The Proclamation Trust, and a founding shareholder of Kingdom Bank.  Married to Melanie they have 4 children and attend St Nicholas Church in Sevenoaks.

Jen Catto

has worked at Stewardship since April 2023 and now devotes most of her week to the Sychar Gospel Fund. She attends The Globe Church in South East London.