Stephen Sizer
Stephen is the vicar, or senior pastor, of Christ Church, Virginia Water. He became a follower of Jesus Christ at university (1973-1976). After graduation, he served for four years as an evangelist and student counselor with Agape in the UK and Eastern Europe (1976-1980). In 1980 he was accepted for training for the Anglican ministry and studied at Trinity College, Bristol (1980-1983).
Originally from Lowestoft in Suffolk (the most easterly point in England), he was ordained in 1983 and has served as a curate in St Leonard’s on Sea, Sussex (1983-1986) and then as Rector of St John’s, Stoke, Guildford in Surrey (1986-1979). He was appointed vicar of Virginia Water in 1997.
He is a member of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA), formed at the Global Anglican Futures conference (GAFCON) in Jerusalem in June 2008. He has endorsed the Jerusalem Declaration and supports the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and the Third Province Movement.
Stephen is a Trustee of the International Bible Society – Send the Light (IBS-STL) Ministries Trust, who sponsored and publish the New International Version (NIV), the most widely read Bible translation in English.
He is an Advocate (trainer) for the Christianity Explored Course and has assisted in the launch of the Buganda and Swahili translations of CE in Uganda and Kenya.
He is a member of Anglican Mainstream. He supports the Fellowship of Word and Spirit, New Word Alive, Reform, Keswick and UCCF. He is a member of the Executive of the Guildford Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship and Guildford Diocesan Synod.
He is a Patron of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD-UK), a founding member of the Institute for the Study of Christian Zionism (ISCZ), a member of the Advisory Council of Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding (EMEU) and the UK Board of Reference for the Mar Elias Educational Institutions, in Ibillin, Galilee, founded by Bishop Elias Chacour.
He has Press Accreditation as a photographer from the Palestine News Network (PNN) and Holy Land Trust. His photos may be viewed here
He co-authored the Jerusalem Declaration on Christian Zionism for the Heads of Churches in Jerusalem in 2006, and the Bethlehem Evangelical Affirmation, endorsed by participants at the international Christ at the Checkpoint conference sponsored by Bethlehem Bible College in March 2010.
He is coordinating a Leaders Tour to Israel-Palestine hosted jointly by World Vision and the Willow Creek Association with the assistance of the Holy Land Trust in March 2011. He is also a consultant and contributor to the film With God on our Side and the Bible study guide that accompanies the film.
He is a contributor to Bridges of Faith, the international Evangelical-Muslim Dialogue Group. He has attended and contributed to their four annual consultations in Chicago, Tripoli, Pasadena and Toronto.
He is Mayoral Chaplain of Runnymede Borough Council (home of the Magna Carta) and also chair of governors of St Ann’s Heath School, Virginia Water.
Stephen gained his BA in Geography from Sussex University in 1976, a Diploma in Higher Education (Dip HE) in 1983 from Trinity College, Bristol, and his MTh (with distinction) from Oxford University in 1994. In 1998 he was awarded a doctorate of membership in Action Learning (DPhil) by International Management Centres Association (IMC). In 2004 he was awarded a PhD by Oak Hill College and Middlesex University. His thesis examined the historical roots, theological basis and political consequences of Christian Zionism in Britain and the USA from 1820.
Stephen has served as an external examiner for post-graduate degrees (MPhil and PhD) awarded by the University of Wales, the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS) and also Tyndale-Carey Graduate School, Bible College of New Zealand.
He is the author of three books, In the Footsteps of Jesus and the Apostles, (Eagle, 2004) Christian Zionism: Roadmap to Armageddon (IVP, 2004) and Zion’s Christian Soldiers: The Bible, Israel and the Church (IVP, 2007). He also writes occasionally for various journals and magazines.
He has an extensive international ministry, teaching regularly in churches, seminaries and universities in the USA, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
In his spare time, he enjoys photography, painting and golf, although not very well, and walking Wentworth Dilly the family dog.
