Founders of the Ministry

The founders of the Ministry are Rev. Alex Tana and Mrs Christina Tana. They both have extensive ministerial, preaching, teaching and counselling experience both in the UK and abroad. They combine this with a great love for God, a passion for his presence and his joy and above a strong commitment to save the lost and plant new churches.

Testimonies

Alex
Rev. Alex Tana was born in London from an Italian father and an English mother. For most of his early life he lived in Rome, Italy, where he attended school and later on university graduating with 1st class Hon in Anthropology and Sociology.

During all his early life in Rome Alex searched, at time desperately, for a meaning to his life. As a result he spent times experiencing eastern religions, being a member of a marxist-leninist party, making use of drugs and alcohol. Sadly he never found the answers he wanted. Rejected by his mother and almost ignored by his father Alex grew in a climate of almost total emotional isolation where the words love, embrace, hug, kiss did not exist. Should be no surprise then that for three times Alex to kill himself, the last time ending up in hospital in coma for nearly a week. But God had a plan for Alex and he was spared from death and any other consequence of his attempt. And over the next ten years God continued to mould and change Alex, gradually removing the scars and the wounds, healing his troubled heart and mind.

It was finally in April 1983, whilst living and working in Brighton, England, that Alex came to the Lord during an incredibly powerful personal encounter with God that was to change his life for ever. Since those early days God called him and anointed him to be a “shepherd of my flock.” Alex spent the first part of his christian journey in a free evangelical church. It was here that he was layer baptised by full immersion in water. These were formative years to establish in him a strong and solid doctrinal and Biblical foundation. It was here that Alex met Christina whom he married in 1984.

Alex was then called by God to join the ministry of Terry Virgo and NFI for several years. During that time Alex grew and matured spiritually and in leadership skills. After a few years he was appointed Assistant Pastor of the church in the east Brighton area. In 1988 both Alex and Chris received a strong call to move to Italy and join and support the work headed by Giovanni Traettino, something God enabled him to do at the very beginning of 1990.

Alex moved with his family to Pavia, joining the local church there, whilst at the same time working as an HR management consultant in Milan. In time he was appointed as an Elder (Assistant Pastor). During that time, among many other things, he was in charge of discipling new and prospect christians, leading a home group and trying to plant a church in Tortona, a few miles away from Pavia,.

However, in 1994 God called Alex and the whole family to move again, this time back to England, specifically to the Isle of Wight. Here Alex associated himself with a local Elim church where he was appointed assistant Pastor. It was here that God started to “put before him” the situations of many churches in the third world and their need for support, training and cover (something that would later form the core vision of Rivers of Joy). And it was here also that God gave Alex a burden for going to Bible School and becoming more equipped and prepared for what he felt in his heart God was about to call him to. This was confirmed quite soon after his move to London in 1996 to join the International Bible School, associated with Kensington Temple. At the same time, in a series of powerful prophetic words and confirmation Alex was directed to plant in an area of London called Putney.

So early 1996 Alex and his family moved to Putney and started the planting of the new church whilst at the same time attending the Bible School in London. Later that year Putney Christian Fellowship was launched with a team of twenty people. Over the following months and years the church gradually grew and developed reaching the number of over 90 people. Launched as an independent pentecostal evangelical church it was pretty soon placed under the apostolic cover of Brian Richardson, the pastor in church of leading the London City Church project on behalf of Kensington Temple. The church was later mentioned as an example of rapid growth in a multi ethnic social area in Colin Dye’s book on church planting and growth.

At the same time both Alex and Chris attended the first year of the Bible School. At the end of which Chris went back to work and support the family whilst Alex carried on for the second and final year. Following the successful completion of his studies Alex was ordained as a minister. In late 1997 Alex was also asked to supervise the south west area of the London City Church and spearhead the planting of new churches. Through God’s blessing and Alex hard work the area in eighteen months grew from 2 to 12.

But God was already preparing the next step. Whilst attending a Pastors Conference in Toronto, Canada, in january 1998 Alex received a powerful visitation of the Lord. God revealed to Alex the vision of Rivers of Joy Ministries, its aims and purpose, and its operational mode. Not only that but God himself gave Alex the name of the organisation by pointing him to Ps 46:4. Despite Alex’s initial opposition to accept both the vision and the calling they were both confirmed numerous times by a series of independent sources and witnesses. God had told Alex to wait though until he would give him a sign, which arrived in september.

After releasing himself from his commitments to the church he was pastoring and the responsibility with the London City Church Alex and Chris launched Rivers of Joy Ministries in january 1999. Since then the ministry, with its obvious ups and downs, has gone from strength to strength. Over the last few years Alex has travelled to more that 30 countries, many for more than once, spearheading the work of Rivers of Joy through crusades, missions, leaders seminars, church planting, ordination of new ministers and simply spending time with people of all nations showing them the tremendous love that God has for them and the joy that he wants to give to each one. In 2004 Alex also published a book on “Leadership as a lifestyle” available through this website.

In 2001 Alex was diagnosed as having a gradually debilitating eye condition, which has caused him to become partially sighted. However this has not stopped Alex; it has actually increased his efforts and commitment to what the Lord has called him to, let alone carrying on with all the many other activities he is involved in. His passion to see the glory of God fall afresh on his church has not been deterred but actually increased. In his own words "Satan cannot stop me with these tricks. I have a job to do for God. So whatever my personal health situation may be, that job needs to be completed and will be completed. The grace of God is my help to make sure that the river of God's joy will continue to flow to the ends of the earth."

Christina
Christina got saved in Brighton in mid 1983 after having been on the fringes of Christianity for some time, never however making a definite commitment to God. Since a young girl she had battled with rejection and above all with anorexia that at one point brought her very close to hospital treatment. In addition, though she had never been involved herself in occult activities, her father had been. All this left for some time a spiritual mark on her. But, once she committed herself to the Lord she was gloriously delivered from many problems and fears that had been part of her life up to then as well as from the curse of anorexia.

Christina has been working as a care assistant (elderly and brain damaged) for most of her adult life. Over the years she has developed a deep understanding of human suffering through old age and specific diseases. All this has led her to develop a very caring and compassionate attitude towards others. She carries on working providing, especially in these last few years, most of the family income. A faithful wife and dedicated mother she has been a real blessing to the whole Tana family.

The Lord has particularly used Chris to help people recover from eating disorders and painful emotional situations. She also operates in the areas of inner healing and prayer as well as ministering to women and children. She is part of the Board of Trustees of the ministry and actively supports its activities as and when she can.