John Farren
John and Rachel have known each other from birth and were baptised on the same day as teenagers by Rachel’s father. John received a degree in biochemistry, and Rachel trained as a nurse.
They went to Nigeria as a young family - Timothy (18 months and Alison 6 weeks) - where John had done a gap year before their marriage. John taught Chemistry and Scripture in a mission school, and Rachel worked in a bush dispensary (rural pharmacy) later moving to Jos to be houseparents at a school for missionary kids.
After leaving Nigeria, John went back to University to read theology and also taught at a seminary, while Rachel went back to nursing. This was followed by moving into pastoral ministry in two different Baptist churches until retirement in 2007. During these pastorates, John studied for both a Masters Degree on healing in the Nigerian church and a Doctorate, with his thesis being Muslim/Christian relationship in the middle belt of Nigeria. In the later years, ministry began to open up in various countries around the world (at least 10) which led eventually to them getting in contact with ACTION in 2015. Both John and Rachel joined the UK Board, and eventually John became the UK Chairman and was appointed the International Executive Chairman in 2019.
