Biographical information
I was born in 1955 in the city of Turku, Southern Finland. My mother spoke Swedish and my father Finnish, so I grew up becoming totally bilingual. I have one sister who is six years younger than myself.
At the age of 15 while attending confirmation camp of the Lutheran church, I became very interested in questions about the existence of God, the meaning of life, the identity of Jesus etc. That led to a very intensive period of religious searching, including prayer and Bible reading for the first time ever in my life. My first prayers were: ”God, if you exist, make yourself known to me.”
After some very intensive months of thinking, praying and searching I was led to a religious youth meeting were I had a radical conversion experience while some Christian young people prayed for me. I met Christ as a living reality, and it completely changed my life. I bought my first Bible and started reading it through. I joined a local church Christian youth group and started going out in evangelism.
Two years after my conversion I got into a period of serious doubt and questioning of my faith. Through an extended period of soul searching, discussing with different people and a lot of reading, I came out of it with a strengthened conservative evangelical Christian conviction and a newfound great interest in Christian apologetics. That interest has been with me to this very day.
After graduating from high school I went to a small conservative theological seminary from which I got my first theological degree, the BA level Candidate in Missiology. Later in life I received a Master in Theology degree from the University of Helsinki. I also have a degree in Christian leadership from a University of applied sciences.
In 1980 I started working full time for the evangelical conservative mission and revival movement The Finnish Lutheran Mission which has about 60 workers (preachers, pastors etc.) in Finland and 70 missionaries abroad.
After graduation I first worked in Christian youth work, and in between for a short time as a missionary in Italy during the 1980s. After that my main three areas of work have been:
Christian media: editor-in-chief of the Christian weekly Uusi Tie (New Way) for more than 20 years, radio work for about 20 years and TV work for 10 years.
Christian communication: Bible teaching, evangelism and apologetics.
Writing: I have written six books. (See CV below)
At present I continue to work as the editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper Uusi Tie, which has about 8000 subscriptions. In addition, I conduct a weekly talk show on the Christian TV7 network in Finnish which is also subtitled in Estonian and in Swedish, and I have an itinerant Bible teaching ministry. During the last 30 years I have held Bible teaching seminars in over 200 churches in over ten countries.
Since 1981 I am happily married to my wife Irene. We have three grown up children and seven grandchildren.
My CV:
Education:
Candidate of Missiology, Institute of Missiology and Theology, Ryttylä, Finland, 1984
Master of Theology, University of Helsinki, 2001
Special Degree in Leadership (Finnish JET degree), 2010
Fluent in following languages:
Finnish
Swedish
English
Employment history:
Assistant youth secretary, Finnish Lutheran Mission, 1979–1983
Area coordinator, preacher, Finnish Lutheran Mission, 1983–1985
Missionary in Italy, Finnish Lutheran Mission, 1985–1987
Leader of youth work, Finnish Lutheran Mission, 1989–1993
Editor in chief, Uusi Tie Christian weekly newsmagazine, 1993–1999, 2001–2003, and 2005–
Director, Theological Institute in Finland, Helsinki, 2004–2005
Bible teacher, Finnish Lutheran Mission, 2005–
Ordained pastor in Ingrian Lutheran Church, Russia 2012–
Books:
Perusteltu usko (Apologetics)
Jeesus (Christology)
Miten menee (Evangelistic)
Laskettu aika (Commentary of the letters to the Thessalonians)
Rakkaus, seksi, seurustelu (Ethics)
Alkaen Mooseksesta (Beginning with Moses, Biblical theology)
Raamatun punainen lanka (The Red Thread of the Bible, Biblical theology). Translated into Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, and Russian
Over 40 000 copies of these books have been sold altogether.
Articles in the following edited Finnish books:
Uuden lääketieteen uhrit (Victims of New Medicine)
Jumalan sana, inspiroitu ja erehtymätön (Word of God, Inspired and Inerrant)
Positions of responsibility:
Member of the Nordic Inner Mission Council, 1997–2010, Chairman 2001–2005
Member of the Committee of Evangelism in the Finnish Lutheran Church, 1996–2002
Member of the Board of the local Church in Janakkala, Finland 2007–
Member of the Synod of the Finnish Lutheran Church 2004–
Contact:
Phone +358 50 5563 813
leif.nummela@uusitie.com