Board Members

Ronke is an ordained Deaconess in the Methodist Church Nigeria and a registered nurse as well as a registered psychiatric nurse. She serves as Health Secretary of the Methodist Church Nigeria, where she oversees fifteen clinics and hospitals, mainly located in rural areas. Alongside her professional role, she is deeply committed to her calling as a deaconess, working especially with young people of both genders through advocacy, and with women through seminars and workshops.

She is passionate about the Deaconess Order and strongly supports the education and training of deaconesses. Ronke lives in Lagos, Nigeria. Since September 2023, she has been serving as President of DIAKONIA Region Africa Europe and is also a member of the DIAKONIA World Executive.

In her leadership role, she is committed to strengthening connections within the region and beyond through the global network of the DIAKONIA World Federation. She works to raise awareness of the organisation among diaconal workers, to encourage broader membership across denominations, and to support the development of shared training standards. A key focus of her work is to empower African members to share their experiences and challenges, fostering mutual learning, exchange, and support.

Deacon Armin Raunigk has many years of experience in international diaconal work. Together with his wife, Deacon Gabriele, he served as manager of the Faraja Diaconic Centre in West Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, under Mission OneWorld, until 2019. During this time, they supported the development of the centre, which has been built up since 1994 in cooperation with the Rummelsberg communities through the sending of deacons and their spouses.

In 2019, responsibility for the centre was successfully handed over to Tanzanian leadership, marking an important new chapter. Today, the Faraja Deaconry is led by a local team and continues its wide range of diaconal services, including supporting children with disabilities, providing medical care and caring for vulnerable groups.

Since September 2022, Armin Raunigk has been serving as Head of the Southern Regional Office of Mission EineWelt. In this role, he acts as a key contact person for deaneries and congregations in southern Bavaria that maintain partnerships with churches around the world. Through his work, he continues to strengthen international cooperation, exchange and sustainable partnerships in diaconal and church contexts.

Sister Gunhild Heidke grew up in an Evangelical Free Church parish and since the beginning of her training as a nurse Diakonieschwester at the Evangelischer Diakonieverein Berlin-Zehlendorf e.V.. After studying educational science, psychology and philosophy at the Freie Universität zu Berlin, she lectured until October 2023 as a qualified teacher and coach at the education centre of the Ev. Diakonieverein in Berlin and many places throughout Germany. Her focus was on pedagogical and social science topics as well as topics as well as leadership and management issues.

In the Ev. Diakonieverein and in particular its Diaconal community, she has been involved for many years with commitment and pleasure in their development and representation. Since 2001, the World Assembly in Brisbane, she has been in contact with DIAKONIA., delegate of the Zehlendorfer Verband e.V. in the following years and has been a member of the DIAKONIA-DRAE ExCo since 2017. She has been secretary there since 2019.

She can sink into books and loves to see the world through a photo lens. In addition to people, animals have always accompanied her life.

Sr Birgit Marciniak is a member of the board of DIAKONIA Region Africa Europe and brings many years of experience in diaconal work. She is widowed, has three grown-up children and two grandchildren, and worked for many years as a children’s nurse. Since 2015, she has been retired. In the same year, she was ordained as a deaconess and joined the Kaiserswerth sisterhood.

Within the sisterhood, she supports and helps organise events for sisters and staff. She is also involved in the ecumenical convention, where she serves as a contact person for the Ntoma project in Tanzania. Leading regular devotions is part of her work, as well as her training as a lay preacher in her Protestant home church in Duisburg.

She is passionate about supporting people and sharing the Christian faith in a way that connects with everyday life. In her role on the board, she works to strengthen international partnerships, encourage exchange, and support member organisations in facing global challenges.

Deaconess Tina Earl is a member of the Sarepta Sisterhood, a community founded in 1869 in the tradition of Kaiserswerth. She has two grown-up children and a grandson. Sister Tina serves as a psychiatric nurse in Bethel, Bielefeld (Germany).

Having participated in several international ecumenical committees in Bethel and with the United Evangelical Mission (UEM), she has developed a strong connection to the global Christian network. Within the former European Baptist Convention (now the International Baptist Convention, IBC), she served for many years in church planting, as well as Music and Sunday School Director.

Today, her home church is a Lutheran congregation in Bielefeld, where she is actively involved in the band and several choirs. 

My name is Sr Marie Louise Niyonsenga. I am a Diaconess and the leader and legal representative of the Communauté des Diaconesses Abaja ba Kristo (CD-ABK), in Rwanda. I coordinate and support the community’s programs, guiding its vision and  mission, projects, and daily activities. I also promote teamwork, training, and service in different areas of our ministry.

CD-ABK is a Christian diaconal community. Our main focus is evangelization, diaconal service, and social support for vulnerable people through health, education, and income-generating activities, as well as support to churches and communities. Our vision is a transformed and compassionate society where people live with dignity and hope. Our mission is to serve God by serving people in need through practical love and compassion. Our values are: honest, compassion, integrity, cooperation, and excellence.

Deaconess Mable Kifwabantu Sichali serves in the United Church of Zambia and has been Head of the Department for Community Development and Social Justice since 2014, based in Lusaka. In this role, she works closely with some of the poorest and most marginalised communities in Zambia. Her work focuses on promoting social justice, addressing gender-based violence and child abuse, and supporting responses to the impacts of climate change.

Mable holds a Master of Social Work in Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, as well as a degree in Social Work and further qualifications in development studies, diaconia and psychosocial counselling. She is also an experienced trainer, supporting others in areas such as organisational capacity building, child safeguarding, gender justice and community-based development approaches.

In addition to her national responsibilities, she contributes to the global diaconal movement as a member of the DIAKONIA World Justice Committee. Through her work, she is committed to empowering communities, strengthening justice-oriented approaches and supporting sustainable development within church and society.

Karen McBride is a Deacon in the Methodist Church of Great Britain with many years of experience in ministry and social work. She began her circuit ministry in 1995, following work in various social care settings. In 2009, she became Pastoral Secretary of the Methodist Diaconal Order (MDO), later serving as Deputy Warden and, from 2016, as Warden of the Order.

She is deeply committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, which shape both her work and her approach to leadership. Known for her collaborative and thoughtful style, she engages with people and challenges in a way that is both sensitive and constructive. Her life and ministry reflect a strong sense of service and a deep spiritual grounding.

Karen McBride has extensive knowledge of the Methodist Church and has contributed to theological dialogue on mission and ministry, especially in the area of diaconal work. She has also been involved in international diaconal networks, including Diakonia, supporting exchange and cooperation across European and African contexts.

Sebastian Haupt was confirmed as a Deacon in Neuendettelsau in 2022 by the Diaconia and Evangelical Church of Bavaria and has been a member of the Diakoneo Gemeinschaft Neuendettelsau since then. He had already worked for many years in his parish with children and young people. After studying education, he accompanied young adults during their voluntary social year. After this, he then worked in the field of adult education. Since 2022, Sebastian has been working as a Deacon at Diakoneo, which is one of the largest health and social enterprises in Germany. As part of this role, he is also the Representative for Financial and Law (RFL) for DIAKONIA World Federation e.V. For him it is important to create a network of Christians, to exchange ideas with each other, to support each other with his own gifts, to live in community and to try to introduce young people to the Christian faith in a modern way.