From Lebanon we have the Director of the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr Martin Accad. With a Lebanese father and Swiss mother, Accad views himself as a bridge between cultures: an interpreter of Arab-Middle-Eastern complexities to a Western audience, and of Western complexities to an Arab audience.

Karl Henlin, former president of the Jamaica Baptist Union, will be joining us as British and Jamaican Baptists celebrate 200 years of association.

From the United States there will be exclusively recorded interviews with esteemed theologian Professor Walter Brueggemann, who is widely seen as one of the most influential Old Testament scholars today, and with Father Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest known worldwide for his teaching on Christian mysticism. Also from the USA will be President of the Baptist World Alliance Dr John Upton.

Based in America but originally from Croatia, Catalyst Live’s keynote speaker will be renowned theologian Professor Miroslav Volf, whose book Exclusion and Embrace was named as one of Christianity Today’s 100 most important religious books of the 20th century. Also from Europe is Lithuanian Dr Lina Andronoviene, Pro-Rector at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague. Presenting Catalyst Live this year is Helle Liht from Estonia, who is Assistant General Secretary of the European Baptist Federation.

From the UK we will have Sir John Houghton, past Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Dr Tanya Walker, an apologist at RZIM Europe and Tom Price, Academic Tutor at Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. Dr Rob Ellis, Principal of Regents Park College will be talking about sport and Glen Marshall, Co-Principal at Northern Baptist Learning Community will be sharing his love of jazz. Dr Stephen Holmes, Senior Lecturer in Systematic Theology at St Andrews University, who spoke at the first Catalyst Live, will be back for a second year, appearing in Reading.

BMS Communications Director Mark Craig, is excited about this year’s line-up. 'Where else can you hear so many world class speakers and have lunch for under £30?' he said. 'Like last year, Catalyst Live 2014 is not be missed.'


Catalyst Live is happening on 23 October at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield and on 24 October at the Concert Hall in Reading. For more information and to book go to bmscatalystlive.com