Guynn and Sarpiya, Training Leaders for 2011 ICC

We are pleased to announce On Earth Peace's Matt Guynn and Samuel Sarpiya as leaders for "United by the Cross of Peace," the educational training session to be offered during the 2011 Intercultural Consultation and Celebration. More detail will come soon about the training's purpose and objectives.

Matt Guynn is program director and coordinator for peace witness for On Earth Peace, equipping peace and nonviolence leadership within church congregations across the United States. He works with congregations and community groups across the United States and around the world, building leadership for nonviolent grassroots peace building. He previously served as co-coordinator of training for Christian Peacemaker Teams, and was part of CPT’s project in Chiapas, Mexico, providing unarmed accompaniment for political refugees. For the last fifteen years, he has been part of Training for Change, an international social change training center based in Philadelphia, PA. Matt lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife Sarah Kinsel.

Samuel Sarpiya is currently a Church Planter and Pastor for Rockford Community Church of the Brethren in Rockford, Illinois, where he lives with his wife and three girls. Samuel is the coordinating organizer for Rockford Partners for Excellence, which addresses issues of poverty and racism in Rockford through creative community leadership. Samuel previously served as a missionary with Youth With A Mission (YWAM University of the Nations) and Urban Frontiers Mission. In YWAM he served as Course Facilitator, Community Development Program Coordinator, Computer System Administrator, and Delegate to the United Nations' Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), as well as the UN Council on Indigenous Peoples Affairs. With Urban Frontiers Mission, Samuel served as Evangelism & Missions Director, helping to pioneer different Urban Ministries all over West Africa. Samuel is a Nigerian-born South African national.