Bible Fellowship Church
Intersection of Rt 131 and Brickyard Rd, Thompson, CT 06262(Note, use the link below, Google and Mapquest show the wrong location.) Get Directions
Steve Atkerson resides in Atlanta, Georgia (USA), with his wife and two teenaged sons. He also has a daughter who is married and walking with the Lord. Steve graduated from Georgia Tech and worked several years in industrial electronics distribution before heading off to seminary. After receiving a Master of Divinity degree from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, he joined the pastoral staff of a Southern Baptist Church. After seven years in the traditional pastorate, Steve resigned to begin working with churches that seek to follow New Testament patterns for church practice. Steve is now an elder at the house church he helped start in 1990, is president of NTRF, is editor of two books, Toward A House Church Theology and Ekklesia: To The Roots of Biblical House Church Life, has written two works (The Practice of the Early Church: A Theological Workbook, and The Equipping Manual), and contributed to the tape series Searching For The New Testament Church. www.ntrf.org
Murelee Kanagalinga
My name is Kangalingam Muraleetharan (Muralee) and I serve the Lord as a Missionary (local/indigenous) in Sri Lanka. I came to know the Lord from a staunch Hindu background through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit in 1982 in my home Town Jaffna, Sri Lanka through the ministry of a renown organization called “Youth for Christ”. I got involved in youth evangelism after I came to the Lord, and then I went to a University in India to minister among young adult people. later I took up the pastorate and missionary ministry. By the sheer grace and calling of God I have been involved in evangelizing, church planting, teaching, preaching and training the saints and servants of the Lord in the local church context in Sri Lanka – (especially in the North, East and Middle part of Sri Lanka being based in “Church in Trincomalee which is a Bible believing non-denominational church). I have been responsible for ten churches (almost all are house churches, small to medium in size with predominantly Tamil speaking saints) which regularly gather on the Lord’s Day. I have also done some pioneering works in some parts of Eastern Sri Lanka. The Lord has called me to be a counselor, encourager,and discipler to other ministers who are not under our purview as well.
The Lord has graciously and providentially brought Justina Julayka (working as Secretary of Eastern Provincial Council, Trincomalee) into my life in 1993 as my help-mate. We now have five children all are now school-going. (Eunice Gloria (18), John Nehemiah (17), Beulah Evangeline (14), Luke Josiah (11) and Joanna Christina (9).
Matthew Durning
Matthew Durning was raised in a Christian Home. He has lived in Connecticut for most of his life. In the early 1980's, his parents were early pioneers in the home school movement. He was home schooled K-12. At the age of sixteen, he felt a call from the Lord to go into the ministry. He served one "tour of duty" at Bob Jones University and majored in Pastoral studies. After returning home, he married the love of his life Karen. Today they reside in Putnam Connecticut. They have four children and are home schooling all of them. Matthew has been involved with the House Church movement for nine years now. He is the organizer of the annual New England House Church conference and is a recognized Elder in the local fellowship he is a part of. Before that, He was active in the institutional Church with teaching, preaching, evangelism work, and he also helped plant a church. Matthew and his wife Karen are very heavily involved in the Gideons International Bible Ministry. He has served as President of the Northeast regional camp for the past five years. As a representative of the Gideon ministry, he enjoys many opportunities to speak and preach in area churches. He is a partner with his father in a new home/log home construction business. He can be contacted through email at mkdurning@juno.com
