LEADERS
Pastors Gerri and Michelle Di Somma arrived in the UK from South Africa with their family in 1995. Having bought one-way tickets and convinced that God had instructed them to go to the UK, they did not contemplate the possibility that they would fail in their call to do God’s work here, that in obeying God their mission would meet with success.
Back in South Africa, Pastor Gerri had been a successful businessman who, with Michelle, became a member of Rhema Bible Church, one of the fastest growing churches in South Africa. In 1985 they attended Rhema Bible Training Centre and graduated two years later after which he was invited to become a lecturer and pastor at the Centre. Two years later he became Director of Faculty, a post which he held for five years, taking responsibility for about 500 students.
Pastor Gerri’s pastoral responsibilities included work among the 18,000 strong Rhema Bible Church with the additional responsibility of becoming Director of Christian Men’s Network for South Africa during this time.
Having arrived in the UK they were specifically directed by God to move to Bristol where they started a church in October 1996. Pastor Gerri’s first church members were his own family. They started a Bible Training Centre in September 1997 and as the church grew, they moved to a warehouse on a trading estate near the centre of Bristol.
In October 2003 another move was made to meet the ever expanding ministry that was growing under the name of carmel: ministries international. Having moved into and reconstructed another warehouse, the 500 strong church became a force to be reckoned with in the city of Bristol. Standing firmly on Bible truth, they are influencing the community through publications, evangelism, community projects, church meetings and the facilities available at carmel: centre.
Pastors Gerri and Michelle Di Somma lead a work which is now reaching out into other parts of the UK, and they are now being called on internationally to share their ministry insights and wisdom when sharing the Word of God.
