Meet the team
Staff
Lars Due-Christensen
Lars (M.Phil) is an experienced pastor and leader, who has led in various contexts for over 30 years in Denmark and London. He is the author of 5 books and has run STEPS courses since 2006. Lars is CEO of STEPS Global. He is married to Mette and has three adult children and four grandchildren.
Polly Rowsell
Polly is the Director of STEPS Global. Following a career in law with Linklaters as a fraud and anti-corruption litigator, she has spent the last number of years working in church ministry, on a paid and voluntary basis. With a heart for worship and people, she is passionate about seeing people live life to the full, and sharing the tools of STEPS with others. She is married to Arran, has two wonderful children and Bailey the dog.
Mette Due-Christensen
Mette is a senior researcher at Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, with a focus on psychosocial challenges of Type 1 diabetes. She has a background in nursing and a PdD from Kings College. Mette co-founded the STEPS Course with Lars in Denmark back in the mid 2000s, and has been active in STEPS since its inception. She is married to Lars and has 3 children and four grandchildren. In her spare time she enjoys walks in nature and sewing.
Louisa Richards
After a career in Human Resources, Louisa currently heads up Pastoral Care at Christ Church London. She is passionate about the church being somewhere people can experience emotional healing and faith,and has personally experienced transformation through STEPS and so is passionate about others experiencing the same. She is married to Dan and has three children.
Adam Purcell
Adam is a full-time Product Manager in a customer-focussed tech startup having spent most of his career working for a large highstreet bank. He’s dedicated to his local church in London and involved in service leadership and teaching. He first encountered The Steps Course in 2016 which had a significant impact on his life and wellbeing. He regularly hosts and facilitates Online STEPS Courses and Facilitator Training. He is married to Faith and has two children.
Trustees
Ross Bull
Ross Bull is chairman of STEPS Global board. Following a business career with Deloitte as a chartered accountant, he spent 15 years in church ministry. Married to Joy, with three children and five grandchildren, Ross is now enjoying country life.
Helen Marasha
Helen is the Co Founder of youth charity BIGKID Foundation and now leads the Christ Church London Stockwell service alongside her husband Shaninga. She has experience as a Governor to the Leathersellers Federation of Schools and is passionate about helping young people fulfil their potential.
Cheryl Jacob
Cheryl Jacob is the managing director of REASONATE, a global development consulting firm specialising in strategy and innovation. Her previous role was Head of Social Entrepreneurship at E Squared Investments where she invested in social enterprises addressing youth un/under-employment. Cheryl has worked at Oxfam, UNDP. VSO-UK and a number of other development agencies, and currently sits on the board of various social enterprises in South Africa.
Tafi Mazikana
Tafi Mazikana is the Co-Founder and CEO of mental health app Vimbo, which aims to offer stigma-free and affordable mental health treatment in Africa. His journey in mental health began with his participation in the Steps programme whilst living in London, which gave him the courage to also seek other forms of mental health support. His experience of the transformative nature of the STEPS course and seeking help for mental health difficulties, had led him to be passionate about making similar help available to others.
Tonny Jacobsen
Tonny Jacobsen is the Pastor in Vejle City Church, Denmark, where they have been running STEPS Courses for a number of years. Tonny serves as the Chairman of the Free-Church Network which is the largest network of churches outside the Lutheran State Church in Denmark. He also serves as Vice-Chair of the Danish Council of Churches, which counts every major church denomination among its members. His experience has been in church leadership, church-planting and he was Principal of a Bible College. Tonny is married to Rita, and they have four children.
Scott Pannell
Scott is a Consultant currently focusing on communications and operations across various christian ministries. Most recently he was Associate Pastor and Head of Operations at Grace Church Exeter. As someone who has found tremendous help using the STEPS process, his heart is to find innovative ways to make STEPS known and accessible. He is married to Miriam and has three children.
