Friends Of The Garden Board Members

President – Paul Keeys

Paul and his wife Jane are currently living in the southeast of England, far from their northern roots. After ten years teaching Mathematics in secondary schools Paul has invested the last ten years as Regional Director of Walk Through the Bible in Western Europe. He loves to teach large chunks of scripture in short interactive sessions, especially whilst traveling through the land of the Bible.

Paul’s main hobby is listening to audiobooks, so he can often be found with his headphones on, walking down by the beach. As an avid football fan, sadly his team bring him little but frustration, but each season he keeps coming back hoping for better.

Treasurer – Dennis Braner

Dennis and his wife Sharon first visited Israel in 2006 and became volunteers at the Garden Tomb in 2018. Dennis retired in 2020 after spending fifty years in the Aerospace Industry. He and Sharon were both active in Bible Study Fellowship International for over twenty years. They feel very fortunate to be able to serve at the Garden Tomb and witness the world coming to a place to Worship the risen Lord.

Dennis and Sharon have been married for 49 years, have two grown sons and nine grandchildren. They live in Frisco, Texas and are active members of Stonebriar Community Church.

Secretary – Bob Maddox

Bob Maddox and his wife Brenda served as a pastor and pastor’s wife for 34 years. They have served in state and national church leadership for twelve of those 34 years. For 3½ years Bob has provided oversight to an accredited institution of higher education. His writings were first published in various Christian periodicals in 1982 and Bob’s first book was published in 2012.  Bob has published eleven books.

Bob and Brenda hosted their first of three Israel Tours in 1997. They continue to visit the country regularly exploring various Biblical sites. Bob first served as a volunteer at the Garden Tomb in 2017. He considers time at the Garden Tomb as a very significant part of anyone’s visit to the Holy Land.

Bob and Brenda have been married for over 50 years. They have four children and nine grandchildren. They reside in Ozark, Missouri.

Kieran Ryan

Kieran Ryan is a retired Army Officer (Irish Defence Forces) who has served in senior staff appointments both in Ireland and overseas in the Middle East region. He came to personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ while serving as a junior officer and was actively associated with the Association of Military Christian Fellowship (AMCF) during his 35 year career. He is an MA graduate, in Applied Theology, from the Irish Bible Institute, Dublin and has held many leadership positions in Independent Bible Churches and Youth ministries for over thirty years in Ireland.

He and his wife Laura, lives in Kilkenny city. They have one son Steve, who lives in London with his wife Fiona. He has been serving in the Garden Tomb since 2011 and as Deputy Director from 2017 to 2019. He is delighted to be back on the Board.

Charles Hoare

Sir Charles Hoare is a British Baronet whose family was among some of the notable evangelicals making a difference in Britain and overseas 200 years ago.

He is related to Louisa Hope, one of the main people behind the establishment of the Garden Tomb as a Christian pilgrimage site in 1894. He has been a regular visitor to the Land and the Garden over the years and believes it represents one of the most significant opportunities to share the good news of Jesus Christ in Israel.

Sir Charles was a political intern in the early1990s, and says that really changed his perspective on Christian engagement and what it means to serve the Lord Jesus in his generation. After university he helped set up a number of charities and now works as a consultant in the voluntary sector. He is married to Eleanor and they have three children.

Alison Laing

Alison lives in Inverurie, a rural town in North-East Scotland. She taught in a number of local primary schools before going to teach in Kenya for 5 years, and in Jerusalem with C.M.J. for 6 years, before returning home to care for her elderly parents. Alison then qualified as a teacher of the Deaf and taught hearing impaired nursery children. She is a member of Kintore Community Church which is a recent church plant of Hillview Community Church, Aberdeen. Alison is a member of a Ladies Intercessory Prayer Group and arranges and hosts the Scottish Conference twice a year. Her hobbies include gardening, rambling, reading and cycling.