Norwich's Barrie is elected FGB national chairman
Norwich FGB president, Dr Barrie Lawrence, has just been elected as Chairman of the National Council of the Full Gospel Businessmen UK & Ireland (FGB UK & Ireland).
Barrie’s new role involves heading up FGB in the UK and Ireland, chairing meetings of the National Council, organizing and coordinating events such as conferences nationally and regionally, speaking on both sides of the Irish Sea, and representing the fellowship abroad (visits to Ireland and China are currently in the diary).
Founded in the 1950s by Demos Shakarian, a Californian dairy farmer, with the object of reaching men with the gospel, and seeing them committed into the churches, it is now established in over 130 nations. In Nigeria alone, there are over 3,000 ‘chapters’ (local fellowships) meeting. The focus is to reach men through testimony and an appeal, and also to encourage one another in the faith.
Barrie has been president of Norwich FGB since 2012, and regional director for East Anglia since 2017. Norwich FGB meets most months, generally over a dinner, with numbers exceeding 100 three times last year.
Barrie said: “The fellowship expects to see the Holy Spirit move in similar ways to those recorded in the Bible and experienced by the Church in New Testament times. Our God has not changed, and so miracles, especially of healing, are expected and testified to.”
Barrie lives just outside Norwich. Before retiring in 2007, he had a Christian bookshop and a dental practice. He says he ‘sold holy books and filled holey teeth’. He is also the author of six books, and speaks widely, especially within FGB. He is married to Wendy, with six daughters and 19 (soon to be 20) grandchildren living in five different countries.
“As FGB enters a new season, motivation is key,” said Barrie. “I believe that inspiring and envisioning are top priorities at this time, but also to raise our profile within the wider Church, and to sharpen our focus to reach men with the gospel. If women and children get saved along the way, that is not a problem – but our focus is to reach men!”
Read more about Norwich FGB.