George Reid- Director and Chairman

 

I am chairmain of the Board of Directors and have been, more or less, for about 8 years.  My dear wife Sheena is Dove's co-leader along with Susan.  Two years ago I retired from teaching having taught Modern Studies and Geography in Secondary School for 31 years.  I became a Christian as a teenager and for many years was heavily involved in the Boys' Brigade and other Christian youth work.  In the late 60s I was, for two years, full-time Assistant Secretary to the International Committee of the BB at Brigade HQ in London before returning to Glasgow to go to university and then into teacher training.  In my later years in teaching I became more involved in Scripture Union activities running a weekly group in my school and going as a staff member on SU summer and weekend camps.  My Church is Kenmure CoS, Bishopbriggs where I have been Session Clerk since 1998.  In the course of my association with Dove it has been my privilege to see God at work in the lives of individuals through the ministering of Dove's counsellors.  It is good for us to remember that there are no 'quick fixes' in this ministry; it demands patience and perseverance, wisdom, compassion, much love and understanding all under-pinned by sound  application of biblical principles.  I deem it an honour to be involved in this work and have the very highest regard for all our staff, my fellow Directors and all of you, our faithful supporters.

Sandy Purdie- Director

  I was born in Edinburgh and in 1972 became a born again Christian.  In 1996 I married Gwen (nee McDowell) who originally founded Dove Christian Counselling.  After a season of prayer in 1987 I sensed a call from God to work with the poor and needy.  This took me to Hong Kong the following summer to work in the ministry to heroin addicts which Jackie Pullinger founded.  Upon my return to Scotland I knew that God had touched and changed my life.  When my phone rang one day and someone invited me to help set up ACET (Aids Care Education and Training) in Edinburgh it was actually the Lord calling me onto the next season of my life.  I worked with Aids sufferers for just over two years and then went on to work in a rehabilitation unit for addicts run by Bethany Christian Trust in Edinburgh.  It was at Bethany that I met Gwen and toether we heard the Lord calling us jointly to a ministry of counselling.  We have been nvolved in this ministry for almost eleven years now.  I feel enormously privileged to serve as a Director at Dove and it is exciting to work with the other Directors and staff as together we seek the will of the Lord for His ongoing purposes for this important ministry. 

Rev Peggy Roberts- Director

 I was born in Germany, but have lived in Scotland for the past 30 years.  I am now a Church of Scotland minister in Clydebank.  The first time I encountered Dove was in the early 1990s in Glasgow when I heard Gwen McDowell speak about Christian Counselling.  A short time later I trained with Dove as as counsellor and was privileged to see lives changed and people healed in front of my eyes.  I am convinced that Dove's particular kind of discipleship counselling is vital for the growth and nourishment of the Church in Scotland in the 21st century.  That is why I am delighted to be a member of the board of Dove at this very important time.