History

Michael & Marion Meyers are the founders of one of Britain’s fast growing cutting edge revival ministries consisting of The River Dream Centre, The River Leadership School, GO TV, BusinessPeople and Women In Touch; all founded in the UK and have an international impact. As missionaries from South Africa, these apostolic pioneers with prophetic insight have created a 21st Century ministry.

Arriving in the UK in August 1994 with bold, courageous faith and a commission from God to ‘Revive the Church to Harvest the World’ their journey has been remarkable; especially knowing that they arrived in the UK with only a few hundred pounds, a few suitcases and no financial or institutional support. Overcoming huge difficulties and complications, they launched their ministry, travelling up to 45 weeks a year for many years and noted for its vibrant teaching of the Word and accompanying signs in demonstration of the Kingdom of God. Now 15 years later, this ministry has expanded to become a highly recognised and well respected force on the Christian front.

In 1996 the Lord spoke to Michael and Marion to expand their ministry and pioneer a church in the city of Exeter, the county capital for Devon, for a new breed of believer that desired to see the reality of the Kingdom demonstrated in and through their lives. The River Dream Centre now in its 12th year is a church noted for its uncompromising preaching; where the Word and Spirit synergise in Pentecostal power – positively transforming lives. Both Michael and Marion hold Elim Pentecostal Church ministry credentials.

A year later, in 1997, another major initiative was launched with the start of The River Bible Institute, a training centre for 21st Century ministers of the gospel who were born for a time such as this. This coincided with TRDC moving into Providence Chapel, a multi-million pound city centre facility, which has hosted revival in the city since 1853. This was also seen as major stamp of approval on Michael and Marion’s ministry and placed them firmly in the epi-centre of the life of Exeter. They have recently completed a major modernising project on the building, making it a unique, upmarket 21st century multi-media centre used by the ministry and the community.

The River’s community projects have seen it involved in demonstrating the the compassion of Christ for the needy and hurting in the city of Exeter through various initiatives such as SOAR [feeding, clothing and rehabilitating the homeless] a project championed and partnered with by the Cathedral; The Luke Baker Foundation [helping teens in crisis] an initiative given major support and promotion by the local newspaper the Express And Echo; FeedBack where thousands of young people have been engaged with the Gospel through the medium of live music and Life On The Beach, an initiative of The Cathedral where The River is a firm favourite every year by invitation of it’s Missions Cannon where people are engaged in the city in a conversation about Christ on the Cathedral green. The River’s reach has even extended further through it’s involvement in serving the community where Michael and river members have served as chaplain at the Exeter City Football Club, head teacher and governors of a local Christian school, chairman of Nooma [Exeter University Christian oranisation], as well as being a part of the prison and hospital chaplaincy teams.

This service in the community has been recognised by the leadership of the churches in Exeter where Michael and Marion have been invited to represent The River at both the Exeter Evangelical Partnership and Christians Together For Central Exeter where they recognise and promote unity among the churches of Exeter and Devon. The River has also been host to various speakers over the years such as the late Rev Wynne Lewis [retired General Superintendant of Elim Pentecostal Churches and 1st Chairman of the Pentecostal Churches of the UK], John Glass [present General Superintendant of Elim Pentecostal Churches], Dr RT Kendall [retired minister of Westminster Chapel], Dr’s Rodney and Adonica Howard-Browne [head of Revival Ministries International], Rev Chris Lodewyk [former moderater of the AFM South Africa, Governor of The South African Forum of Charismatic and Pentecostal Leaders, Chairperson of the South African Coalition for the Soccer World Cup, Chairman of the Pentecostal World Conference and director for Laussane 2010 leadership team], Mark Rylands [Missions Cannon for the Exeter Diocese], Andy Glover [former YWAM instructor], Mark Greenwood [associate evangelist of J John], David Reidy [ex-pastor HillSong Australia], Dr John Mackay of Christian Research etc. Friends of Pastors Michael and Marion and The River can be viewed on the church blog where they congratulate The River on it’s tenth birthday.

Michael and Marion in their pursuit to see the Kingdom of God advance through inter-church co-operation and unity have been a driving force to break down the barriers that divide and isolate the body of Christ. This is clearly demonstrated by Pastors Michael and Marion being invited to speak in 30 different nations from numerous national pulpits and local church pulpits of every stream and denomination. Nationally The River through it’s members co-operates with and supports Elim Pentecostal Churches, is a member of the Evangelical Alliance and helps serve Rhema Related Churches [Europe].

In January 2006, doors continued to open up to Michael and Marion around the world… GO TV launched on one of the world’s leading global Christian television broadcasting networks reaching into millions of homes in over 200 countries and territories. GO TV was the first ministry in the South West of England and 1 of only 12 ministries in the UK to go live on the television airwaves. Michael and Marion are media savvy; they have partnered with 21st century technology through their strong online presence via their website which receives over half a million visits every year.

Both Michael and Marion were born in South Africa and grew up in the Eastern Cape; they married in 1985 after having met at university where Michael graduated with a law degree and Marion with a degree in social science. They have two children, Grace and Gregory, both going to university and both love the Lord; they are totally committed to Him through their continual service in the ministry.

Marion pastors The River Dream Centre together with Michael, and is a sought after speaker across Europe. She brings to her teachings more than 23 years’ wealth of counselling experience. As a qualified Social Worker she has dealt in many foster care and adoption cases. Her experience also includes probation work, children’s juvenile and Supreme Court work; also: marriage counselling, child assessment and all forms of child abuse; substance and alcohol abuse and crises management are included in this experience.

Marion’s desire to understand the complex issues of life has led her to help many receive healing and restoration. She started counselling as part of her job as a social worker in South Africa over 23 years ago. She has extensive experience in dealing with people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds. Ten years ago Marion started teaching full-time on all different areas of emotional healing. She is an anointed speaker who through her ministry, Women In Touch, expresses her compassionate love and sincere desire to see all women raised up into the place that God has called them. Not only has she raised up a strong, vibrant local women’s ministry which is attended monthly by leaders and lay people alike from over 65 different local churches but has also mentored and helped establish women’s ministries across the UK for various ecumenical, charismatic and pentecostal churches.

Marion is the author of the highly acclaimed “ABC’s of Emotions” – available from their website, local Christian bookshops and Amazon.co.uk or .com – a unique resource for both the lay person and professional, to receive and minister healing and bring emotional wholeness to hurting people’s lives. While many books are written and messages preached from a theological and intellectual standpoint, Marion ministers and writes from the grass roots’ experience of dealing with human misery and pain which has demanded her authouring her second book called the ABC’s Of Relationships to be published shortly. As a result she was appointed in 2006 to the national leadership team of Elim Pentecostal Churches woman’s initiative called Aspire and has become a popular keynote speaker at their various national events.

As the ministry’s chief executive, Michael Meyers has travelled the globe stirring people up in over 30 nations* of the world to win their world to Christ. His zeal to see people come to Christ was evident even as a young teenager where by himself he would lead up to 23 people a day on the streets to the Lord, and later many hundreds while at university. This heartbeat of Christ for the lost has been one of the hallmarks of their ministry. Recently he mobilised the members of TRDC in Exeter and they personally prayed for 3014 to come to Christ in 6 weeks. Michael’s love for the Word and his ability to release the demonstration of the Kingdom of God, brings in a mighty harvest of souls to Christ.

Michael is the author of “The Gifts of the Spirit” – available from their website – a highly recommended handbook introducing the believer to the Holy Spirit and how to operate in His gifts. Michael’s desire to see the body of Christ mobilised inspired him to write this manual based on his own personal experience as a frustrated powerless Christian, not being or seeing anything close to what he read in the Gospels and writings of the apostles in the Bible. This hunger for God lead him to an experience with God that changed his life forever. This book was also chosen first out of all the books available on this subject to be published in the Latvian language. Michael believes that only a demonstration of the power of God makes the message believable.

Michael and Marion inspire and envision people for revival wherever they go. Their no-nonsense yet very personable style of leadership makes them approachable and appeals to the man on the street. Called “the people’s pastor”, it doesn’t matter whether he is serving as football club chaplain or preaching to tens of thousands of people; his straight forward, down to earth level of communicating with people lights fires in their hearts to see God do something great through them.

The latest chapter of this ministry has just begun with Go4GodBarnstaple Church. On the 22 June ’08, North Devon’s newest church was launched with Pastors Michael and Marion’s heart to see believers equipped in the Word, empowered in the Spirit and released to do the good and great works of Jesus Christ. Let the revival fires continue burning.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses who have borne testimony to the Truth, let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance and that sin which so readily, deftly and cleverly clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, looking away from all that will distract to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith and is also its Finisher.