Our Leadership Team

Pastor Phelim and Nicola Doherty have served in the apostolic church in Irish street over the last 20 years. Since 2004 they have had pastoral responsibility for the assemblies in Derry and Strabane. Local leadership is accountable to a regional pastors council comprising ministers from the other Irish apostolic churches who meet on a regular basis and also to the national leadership team of the Apostolic Church UK (see www.apostolic-church.org).

Phelim and Nicola are both veterinary surgeons and met while training at the Royal Veterinary College in London. Shortly after coming to faith in Christ, Nicola was miraculously healed of a chronic debilitating illness and God blessed them with four wonderful children.

Gareth and Jennifer O’Keefe have been faithful in service to the local churches in Strabane and Derry for many years. Gareth is an elder in River City Church and he and Jennifer lead a home group as well as being involved with other ministries in the church.

Jennifer is from Donegal and Gareth from South Wales and in recent years they have helped lead youth mission teams from River City Church to Gareth’s home village in Wales, ably helped by their son and two daughters.

Adrian and Carolina Curry have also been very involved in the youth mission work of River City Church over recent years. Adrian’s work as an elder in the church involves leading meetings and preaching, but he and Carolina’s heart is for evangelism. 

Adrian is from Derry and Carolina from Indonesia and they travel regularly to Dungannon to minister to folk there who have come from Indonesia. This year Adrian also led a church mission to Malawi to support the apostolic church there. They have one son.

Pastor Ribu and Raymol Thomas are originally from Kerala in South India. They have been leading a group of Indian believers in the city for several years and this group of mainly Malayalam speakers meet in River City Church each Sunday afternoon and in homes throughout the week.

In 2011 Ribu’s calling as a pastor was recognised by the Apostolic Church and he was ordained at River City Church where he continues to serve as part of the eldership. Ribu and Raymol have three children.