Welcome to Charis Training

Charis Training reflects the teaching and training ministry of Tony Horsfall. Tony is married to Jilly, and between them they have four children and seven grandchildren. They live in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England.

Tony became a Christian at the age of 14, being converted in the Methodist Chapel in the village where he grew up in Yorkshire, England. After studying at London Bible College, where he graduated with a BD (Hons), he completed his teacher training at Carnegie College in Leeds (CertEd).

After a short spell of teaching, he worked in a church planting ministry in Sarawak, Malaysia (1975-83) with Overseas Missionary Fellowship, before returning to England to pastor a church in West Yorkshire until 1993. After this he became a full-time trainer with EQUIP, a missions training programme based at Bawtry Hall near Doncaster.

In 2000 Tony began to explore contemplative spirituality, seeking to integrate its insights into the evangelical and charismatic framework. Convinced of the importance of intimacy with God as the foundation of all effective ministry, he moved into a freelance ministry in 2002, with the intention of helping others to experience the grace of God in their lives and to be drawn into a closer fellowship with Him.

Tony was involved in the leadership of Ackworth Community Church for many years, and has travelled extensively to preach and lead retreats, especially in S.E. Asia and Africa. He is a prolific author, having published more than a dozen books with the Bible Reading Fellowship, and contributed to several devotional resources. Nowadays Tony & Jilly love to lead retreats together.

It is the aim of Charis Training to enable individuals (and especially those in full-time Christian ministry) to experience the wonderful grace of God in a personal way, and as a result begin to enjoy the kind of intimacy with God that is promised to us in the Bible, and which leads to a fruitful and effective life.