Staff, Trustees & Advisors

Jim Farrell

Worship Leader

Heidi Nicklin

Administrator

Heidi has been a Christian for over 30 years and joined Sannox Christian Centre in 2017. She brings to Sannox her past experience in planning, customer services and project implementation. She comes from an international background and chose to make her home on the Western coast of Scotland in 2008. She is also connected to YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Seamill and loves to share the love of God across the globe by organising and going on mission trips when possible.

Michelle Ferguson

Housekeeper

Michelle is a key part of our team in keeping Dundarroch and the centre clean, tidy and homely. She lives locally and enjoys the peace at Sannox.

There are six Trustees of the Sannox Christian Centre: George Hazel, Andrew Clark, Stuart Carr, Moira Shirreff, Fiona Hazel and Alistair Barton. Below you will find a little information about each of them.

Dr George Hazel OBE – Chair

For over 45 years I have felt the call from God to establish a Christian centre for prayer and worship in Scotland based on the principles followed by the Celtic Christian saints. In 2010 this journey led me to Arran and the congregational church at Sannox. As I sensed that this was finally the place where such a centre was to be established I discovered that there were Christian people on the island who had been praying for same vision for many years. Since the charity established Sannox Christian Centre in 2012 amazing things have happened to confirm that fact and enable the centre to be developed.
My wife, Fiona, and our family have been visiting Arran for over 30 years and love the island. In terms of my background, I was brought up in Baptist churches in Rosyth and Dunfermline and am now a member of Central Church in Edinburgh. My main area of ministry is leading worship. I play the guitar and Fiona plays the piano. We have three children and four grand-children. I graduated as a civil engineer and have practiced in the public and private sectors and as an academic in transport policy and planning. I now work as a self-employed transport planner. I am also a Trustee/Director of Try Praying.

Stuart Carr

I first heard about the Sannox project when George Hazel approached me in 2012. The whole concept struck a chord with me and it has been exciting to watch the pieces falling into place one after the other. The opportunity to design something of a unique nature for a Christian organisation and for God’s glory is extremely rare and I have felt challenged, inspired and privileged since starting work on the design. The symbolic ideas generating the plan form and the references to early Celtic architectural forms, particularly the centrally located Beehive Chapel, have been counterbalanced by a contemporary and forward looking approach in the construction detailing and environmental and energy strategy which will ensure energy conservation, low carbon emissions and responsible sourcing of materials. I believe that this building, the Sannox site and the wonderful Arran setting will be a source of blessing to many in the years to come.
In terms of my professional life I have run my own architectural practice since graduating from Dundee University in 1984. I have won a number of architectural commendations and awards, primarily for housing design, including a Saltire award for my own house in rural Angus. In 1989 I was placed first in the Regeneration of Scotland Design Awards for my work on the restoration, conversion and extension of Stirling Baptist Church. In recent years I have headed up luxury hotel and major housing regeneration projects in London. I am an active member and lay preacher in Strathmore Christian Fellowship in my home town of Kirriemuir where I sing and play violin as part of the worship team.

Rev Andrew Clark

Ministry Team Leader

Andrew offers spiritual leadership on site at Sannox Christian Centre in a number of ways, including organising and delivering our retreat programme, and giving oversight to the staff team. Andrew became a Christian in 1995 through the ministry of The Salvation Army, and draws deeply from his evangelical/charismatic spirituality as well as from Celtic spirituality, and completed an MA in Celtic Spirituality and Mission in 2018. He is currently researching for a doctorate in leadership of missional movements. He lives on Arran and joined the team on site in July 2022 to support the development of the centre. He has over 20 years of experience in pastoral and missional leadership and also currently serves as a Baptist minister. He is a retreat leader, trained spiritual director, teacher and musician and hopes to augment the team at Sannox with these gifts and skills. He is married with three children, and in his spare time enjoys knitting, conducting the local brass band, as well as singing ‘Sacred Harp’ shapenote music.

Moira Shirreff

As a child growing up, I attended Old Gourock Parish Church with my family, and responded to the Gospel at the age of 11, when I attended a summer camp run by the local Brethren Churches.
My husband Gordon and I joined Colinton Parish Church where I serve on the Welcome Team and as a Church Visitor. I’m also involved in leading Prayer Space, a weekly prayer gathering and I’m part of the leadership team of our Lent and Autumn Bible Study Groups. In January 2018, I was appointed to the post of Pastoral Care Development Worker at Colinton and as part of my work, have trained to be a Christian Celebrant.
In 2011, a friend, George Hazel shared with us a vision God had given him, to create a place of prayer and worship where people could come and find rest and be refreshed and restored in the presence of the Living God. The amazing vision struck a chord and over these past years it’s been a tremendous privilege to be part of the ongoing journey of the development of God’s plans for Sannox Christian Centre.

Fiona Hazel

Brought up in Stirling where my family attended the Church of Scotland, I came to Edinburgh as a student and met George. We attended Charlotte Baptist chapel, which was the student church in these days. We have been members of Central Church for 44 years, where I have held many roles – starting as leader of Mother and Toddlers, going through the generations and ending up as deacon for Seniors. I was also a Pastoral deacon and caring roles have always been what I am drawn to.
I worked as a Physiotherapist and latterly was a Paediatric Physio in a special school – a job I loved. I retired early and now work as a massage therapist, mainly in palliative care, which is a huge privilege. I also offer massage at Sannox when we have Rest and Restoration times there.
I have shared George’s vision for a place of worship and prayer and visited quite a few potential sites with him over the years. However, when we came to Sannox, we both knew that this was ‘the place’. It has been amazing to see how God has provided people and finances thus far and, having joined the Board in November 2021 I look forward to the next part of the Sannox journey.

Alistair Barton

Alistair serves as Secretary and Treasurer on the board. He spent 23 years as an NHS Administrator, including 16 years as Administrator/Director of Facilities at Falkirk Royal Infirmary, then took a career change which led to my becoming a self-employed Policy Consultant working with Housing Associations and Charities. In 2006 he joined the national prayer ministry Pray for Scotland as a Trustee, was Chair of Trustees 2007-2014 and has been Director from 2015 to date. He is currently Board Chair of Almond Enterprises, a small social enterprise company providing local employment opportunities, linked to Almond Housing Association in Livingston. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Street Connect, a Christian charity reaching out to the homeless and addicts on the streets of Glasgow and surrounding areas. He is an elder at Kirkliston Parish Church of Scotland, currently leading the Mission and Discipleship Team and sharing in preaching when required. He is married to Anne since 1971 and has 2 married sons and 6 grandchildren. His ‘passion’ is to see prayer becoming a priority in every church, and to encourage ministers/pastors in every community to meet regularly, build fellowship and trust, and especially to pray regularly together – building a strong ‘net’ to contain the harvest to come!

Ken Burns

Ken was brought up in a Christian family, and soon became very involved in running Portrack Baptist Church in Stockton-on-Tees, eventually as a deacon and church secretary. It was during this period that Ken first met Roy Searle, when Roy took up his first pastorate at Portrack!

Later, after moving to Wensleydale, Ken experienced the “Toronto blessing”, became a Kinship leader in the North Yorkshire Vineyard, and after some years, the pastor of the Dales Community Church.

Ken moved to Arran in 2003, and has been involved in Christian work on the Island, but specifically at Sannox from the beginning. Ken is married to Jackie, and despite being “retired”, both are very busy, Ken particularly with part time consultancy work as a chemical engineer.

Roy Searle

Roy came from an non-churched background, came to faith in the Cairngorms of Scotland and has been involved in pioneering, church planting, pastoring churches and establishing missional communities. He is one of the founders of the Northumbria Community, a geographically dispersed new monastic community that spans the world. A former President of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Roy is now one of the denominations Pioneer Ambassadors. He is a Fellow of St John’s College, Durham and a tutor at Spurgeons College, London and visiting lecturer and speaker. A writer, mentor, spiritual director, retreat leader and popular speaker and a member of the Renovare Board, Roy brings a love of Arran, an island he has known for many years, a breadth of experience and some wisdom from his extensive ministry. He is currently engaged in writing, mentoring pioneers and advisory work with churches, communities and charities. He and his wife live in Northumbria and they have four children and seven grandchildren. A keen sportsman, having hung up his football boots several years ago, he enjoys playing tennis, badminton, golf and curling and every opportunity to sail in the Inner Hebrides. He describes his ministry as seeking to encourage people to love God, think deeply and live generously.

Gilbert McKinnon

Gilbert’s family have lived on Arran for generations and his home was in Sannox. They attended Corrie Free Church and, on occasions, Sannox Church. He and his wife attended Bible College in Berwick, a valued experience. They lived and worked in Israel for two years and he continued BD studies. He has revisited Israel in recent years and loves the land. Later, they moved south to teach Religious Studies. He wrote GCSE courses on “Christianity”, “Gospels” and “Christian Perspectives on Contemporary Issues” that went to many schools in England and he taught A-Level New Testament and John’s Gospel. They moved back to Scotland two years ago. Having been part of evangelical Churches in several places, conservative and charismatic, they have respect for the greatness of Christ’s body. Experience of the powerful Presence of God and His Hand at work created a hunger to see more of that in the life of the Church.

D G Weir

DG is a born and bred Arranach and local business owner, also involved in the life of Arran Baptist Church with his wife Charlotte.

Andy Hall

After graduating from London Bible College in 1986 Andy worked with Youth With A Mission (YWAM); serving in evangelism, church planting and training project all over the UK. From 1997 he worked as the National Evangelist for YWAM England following four years as the director of an inter-church Bible School in Guildford, Surrey, which aimed to train up pioneer evangelists and church planters.

The family moved to Scotland in 2001 when Andy was appointed as National Director for the work of YWAM in that nation. In 2007 he stepped down from this role and out of YWAM to concentrate on a full time teaching and preaching ministry alongside churches and their leadership teams. He currently lives and ministers in Yorkshire.

Maggie Lane

Maggie is a retired Church of Scotland minister, who served the parish of Kirkliston for over a decade. With husband Brian, they started attending Gillespie Memorial Church in early 2020. Maggie, with her prophetic gifting, deep prayerfulness and desire to share the saving grace of the atoning cross of Jesus, brings alive the Word of God in her preaching and ministry.