The International Council

His ministry began in a local church context, after gaining a degree in business and then a theological degree and pastoral diploma from Spurgeon’s College. For 14 years he oversaw remarkable church growth as Senior Pastor of Stopsley Baptist Church, Luton, before spending 12 years as Senior Minister of Gold Hill Baptist Church in Buckinghamshire – one of the largest Baptist churches in England.

During his years as a local church leader Stephen was also President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain (1994-1995), which enabled him to engage with leaders of other denominations as well as those in the political and business arenas. This role opened up a number of strategic opportunities that grew Stephen’s passion for preaching and teaching internationally and laid the groundwork for the ministry of Clarion.

Alongside this ministry, Stephen is also hugely involved in a wide variety of Christian initiatives, both in the UK and internationally. He is a Vice-President of the Bible Society and an Ambassador for the Haggai Institute. He holds positions on a number of Councils of Reference, both as a member and as Chair, including Open Doors, Jews for Jesus and The Rooftop International Ministries. He works closely with Agape Europe in an advisory capacity. He’s also Patron of Viva – an international organisation that works with vulnerable children round the world.

A prolific author, Stephen has written more than 20 books, edited a variety of Bible study series and small group resources and authored numerous articles and blogs. His first book, It Makes Sense, an accessible, humorous and compelling intro to Christian faith, has been translated into several different languages and sold more than 100,000 copies. He has recently written and recorded 7 DVDs entitled ‘God’s Amazing Book’ for Community Bible Study International. These have been translated into over 25 languages and distributed around the world!

Stephen is also a keen Man Utd supporter, loves Boxfit (!) and is an avid reader of political biographies. He enjoys spending time with his family – his wife Janet, their three adult children and their four grandchildren.

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I grew up in the southeastern United States attending large Baptist churches, surrounded by followers of Christ and spiritual teachers and good examples from birth.  Nearly a decade in the US Army exposed me on a large scale for the first time to much of the world that did not know Jesus or know anything good about churches.

Over the last 33 years, I have worked in the music business, the financial services industry, the petroleum industry, the rail transportation industry, and the defense management consulting business, concurrently serving as a lay servant and leader wherever needed in my church.

I have also served with The Rooftop for over 5 years now as part of the US Board of Directors and the International Advisory Council in various roles.  My focus is bringing a business and strategic planning perspective to these organizations to expand and diversify the organizational strategy as informed by the vision of our many ministerial members.

Marion Spencer joined the Rooftop team in 2016 as a member of the International Council. Currently serving as International Director of Ministry, Marion works closely with Dennis Pethers in the day-to-day operations of the ministry.
Marion’s heart has always been to serve others. Starting a relationship with Jesus Christ as a teenager, Marion expressed his desire to serve others through careers in law enforcement and as a paramedic for over twenty-five years.
Feeling a call from the Lord to ministry, Marion has served God’s people in a variety of roles including youth pastor, associate pastor, senior pastor and missionary to Asia and Ukraine. Marion is a strong advocate for mentoring relationships in the church. He credits a dear friend for greatly helping him on the path to Christian maturity and ministry through close discipleship and providing a living example of what it means to serve Jesus Christ.

Currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee, Marion and his wife, Vicki, are active members of their local church. In addition, Marion pastors a home-based church fellowship and the two minister together at a local shelter for women and children in Nashville. Both Marion and his wife plan to retire in 2020 looking forward to more time to focus on ministry opportunities.

John Whaley serves as the Executive Pioneer and North American Pioneer for The Rooftop. Prior to serving with The Rooftop, he served for 21 years as a pastor in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and North Carolina.

Over the years, God has opened doors for John to preach throughout the United States and across the globe in Romania, France, Poland, Austria, South Africa, and South Korea.

In addition to a passion for teaching the Word, God has also given John a passion for prayer.  While pastoring in Alabama, he led a Pastors Prayer Movement across the county through which God brought pastors together across denominational lines to pray and pastor the city together.

John’s passion is to see every local church awakened to the Priority of Prayer, the Passion of the Father, and the Power of the Gospel.  To see pastors in a city come together as one, praying with and for each other as they pastor the city together.  To see Christians move beyond the walls of their church buildings, homes, cultures, and comfort zones transforming their city with the Gospel, making disciples who make disciples.

John is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.  He and his wife, Susan, live in Hickory, North Carolina.  They have two children and two grandchildren.

Mike grew up in a Christian family and made a commitment to follow Christ in his youth. He followed his father’s footsteps in studying to be an engineer and has worked in that capacity with Ford Motor Company since graduating. He lives in South-East England with his wife & 2 daughters when they are not away studying at university and came to know of The Rooftop through serving on the Mission Team at his church.

He has served as Chair of the UK Board since 2016 and has been part of the International Council since 2017. He describes himself as a ‘details person’ and hopes to be able to contribute to the team alongside others who are gifted in seeing the ‘big picture vision’. When not busy with work, church and family, he can often be found out enjoying the countryside, cycling, taking photos and listening to jazz music.

I want to share with you a bit of my history, I was born in El Salvador, in the 80s I traveled to the United States, in that trip God worked powerfully in my life, I changed my perspective of life totally. I was called to the pastoral ministry in 1990, I have been a pastor for 30 years in the city of Los Angeles.

He also held the position of Hispanic Director of the Los Angeles Baptist Network Association. Over the years God has opened doors in different areas of ministry, we are working with different churches and in different countries and cities. Because of what God has done in my life I love helping, teaching and sharing.

God gave me a new position, a new purpose and showed me that he is capable of changing anyone, I am convinced that if God could make those changes in my life he can do it with anyone else. God gives us more than we deserve and always gives us the best.

God has blessed me with a beautiful wife and three beautiful children with whom we serve God as a family. I know several missionaries who in some way impacted my life through their dedication and fidelity. I believe that it is now up to Hispanics to impact the world with the powerful message of the Gospel; So the importance of joining God in the mission that he is already doing.I met Brother Dennis a few years ago and when he shared the rooftop vision I realized that it was exactly the great commission; and it is for that reason that I decided to do something else, accept the challenge of working with the churches of Latin America. I am convinced that God will give us the equipment and tools to fulfill this great mission.

We need to prepare and wake up to a great revival that God will do in our midst. I invite you to join me in dreaming and working to join Christ in the mission that he is already doing. Imagine what will happen.
Blessings, Pastor Esau.

Dr. Debra Wolfrey is an adjunct professor for Gateway Seminary and a retired Education minister for an association of 75 churches, where she has led more than 25 international mission trips.  She and her husband, Dr. Jeff Wolfrey, live in both Arizona and Virginia in the U.S.  “I love seeing God change the lives of believers as they seek His face and feel blessed to be a part of  a ministry like The Rooftop Int. that shares this passion.  Life Verse:  Here am I send me.  Isaiah 6:8b

Brian Ragan lives in middle Tennessee in the United States with his wife of over 29 years.  Together they have two boys, ages 25 & 21.  Two years ago, their older son Bryson married Jessica, adding a daughter to the family.  Bryson and Jessica live in nearby Nashville, where Bryson is a Financial Analyst and Jessica is a nurse.  Spencer, their older son, is currently finishing his bachelor’s degree at Middle Tennessee State University, and he is planning to go into the Journeymen program with the International Mission Board in the summer of 2021.

Andrea is a preschool music teacher, and Brian is currently developing a private consulting practice focused on pricing strategy and execution after leaving a 25-year plus career in April 2020 with a large global manufacturer.  Brian, Andrea, and Spencer have attended Northside Baptist Church locally, where they have served in various roles over the past 16 plus years of membership.  Brian’s favorite passage in this time of transition has been Psalm 37:7a, “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.”