The General Secretary of the Evangelical Alliance in Scotland has announced that he is to leave his post at the Alliance to take up a new commission in a post overseas.

|TOP|Rev Mike Parker will look to take up his new position, after April 2006, as the Middle East Director of a Christian mission agency that is carrying out various works with Arab churches.

The Evangelical Alliance Scotland’s General Secretary has held his position for three years, and has decided that a new calling has been given to him to undertake from next year in the Middle East Christian Outreach (MECO).

Rev Parker, who is an Anglican minister, has held a passion for the Middle East mission since he undertook VSO gap year in Lebanon in 1972-73.

Since that time, Rev Parker and his wife have continued to develop their relationship with MECO, and a strong bond towards the mission in the region has grown after the EA representative took a number of opportunities to visit teams and meet Arab Church leaders.

|AD|After the announcement was made, Rev Parker commented on his clear calling into his new commission: “This appointment is a dream fulfilled, bringing together many of our joint experiences and interests. We believe this is a highly significant moment for churches in the Middle East and those who seek to work with them. We are delighted to respond to this clear call.”

The Evangelical Alliance has stated in a press release that it is “sad to lose a valued member of staff who played a significant part in encouraging faithful Christian witness to Scottish culture and society.”

The General Director of the Evangelical Alliance UK, Rev Joel Edwards added, “Mike is an incredibly talented person and we’ll miss his insight and passion for his work. Even more, we’ll miss a good friend and Godly man. We wish him all the best in his new post and know our loss is MECO’s gain.”

The new position awaiting Rev Parker in 2006 will see him pastorally care for other MECO workers, as well as working directly with Arab church leaders, with an aim to bring encouragement and support to the many growing and developing churches in the region.

Rev Parker’s background is hoped to make a new way for new partnerships to be built between the Middle East and Western churches, and he will look to successfully match recruitment for the churches to fulfil the specific needs of the churches.

Rev Parker will depart officially from his post at the Evangelical Alliance Scotland in April 2006, and initial plans may see him make a move to Cyprus in May 2006.