• Dave Toycen

    Friday April 13, 1:00pm in Sanctuary (Men On A Mission)
    Saturday April 14, 7:00pm in Sanctuary (Plenary)

    As president and chief executive officer of World Vision Canada, Dave Toycen heads Canada’s largest humanitarian relief, development and advocacy agency. In his 15 years as president, he has guided the organization into dramatic growth in its efforts to serve the world’s poor.
     
    In addition, he has led World Vision Canada into significant justice and advocacy work, in areas such as child and maternal health, the rights of girls, and the protection of children in armed conflict. He has spoken before the World Bank and has met with heads of state, key global executives and development leaders to discuss the well-being of the world’s children. His unique position as head of a faith-based agency has given him opportunities to encourage church leaders and congregations to serve and advocate for the poorest of the poor. Toycen’s book, The Power of Generosity (Harper Collins, 2004), draws from his wide experience and calls readers to become more engaged in the world and to develop a more generous way of life.
     
    Toycen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lawrence University in Wisconsin, a master of divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in California, and honorary doctorates from Tyndale University College and Seminary in Toronto, the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California and Wycliffe College, University of Toronto. He is a member of the Order of Ontario.

  • Nigel Paul

    Friday April 13, 6:30pm in Sanctuary (ENGAGE Youth Plenary)
    Saturday April 14, 4:00pm in Sanctuary (Plenary)

    Nigel Paul is the founder and director of MoveIn, a movement of teams of Christians who bring transformation to high-needs neighbourhoods through prayer, presence and action.  He lives in a high-needs East Toronto neighbourhood with his wife Jessica.

    Nigel grew up in Zambia, Pakistan, Kenya and came to Canada to attend the University of Waterloo. He graduated with a degree in Internet Business.
    In 2006, Nigel served as the travelling assistant to the Founder of Operation Mobilization, George Verwer. Upon his return to Canada, Nigel joined another ministry in an unreached neighbourhood where God gave him the vision for MoveIn.

    An entrepreneur at heart, Nigel runs a small online book distribution and publishing business while leading MoveIn. He uses his passion for the Kingdom of God, prayer and discipleship to encourage regular Christians with jobs to move into the least-reached communities of Canada and beyond to bring transformation.

  • Majed El Shafie

    Saturday April 14, 10:00am in Room 8 (Moving Beyond Barriers Workshop) – ‘Persecution/Justice’
    Saturday April 14, 1:15pm in Sanctuary (Plenary)

    Born in Cairo, Egypt into a prominent Moslem family of lawyers, Majed too chose to become a lawyer. Through the witness of his best friend, Tamir, he experienced the love of Christ and made the decision to give his life and service to the Lord.
     
    He began the mission to bring the Christian community into the same legal rights as the Moslem community in Egypt. Majed started a ministry that in just two years grew to 24,000 Christians plus two churches built inside mountains, a bible school and medical clinic. He established a newspaper to request from the Egyptian government the same equal rights to the Christian community. The Egyptian government did not tolerate this and Majed was arrested and taken to the torture section of the Abu Zaabel prison in Cairo.
     
    During his time in the underground prison, Majed underwent severe torture for seven days. He experienced everything from having his head shaved and placed under hot and cold water, being hung upside down, being burned with cigarettes. He experienced a miracle when the attack dogs were silenced and did not attack him. He was tortured during the last two and a half days with a mixture of salt and lemon to anoint his wounds.
     
    Through the intervention of Amnesty International and the United Nations, Majed was released from prison and became a free man in Jerusalem, Israel. Since then he has relocated to Toronto, Ontario, where he started his own ministry, One Free World International. Majed also has two Christian Arabic radio programs, “River of Love” reaching the Middle East and North Africa, and “Encourage Iraq”.
    Majed’s passion is to help the persecuted Christians around the world and be their voice when their voices are not heard.