Bringing a long history of rural living to the international stage, IRCA-Europe bridges the barriers of history, culture and language to come to together to share our experiences and challenges.

IRCA Europe Leadership Team

IRCA Europe contact person: Irena Stefanova

Rev Matt Jeffrey, UK, Chair of IRCA Europe and CEO of the Arthur Rank Centre

Rev’d Matt is Chief Executive Officer of The Arthur Rank Centre, a national charity in the UK dedicated to supporting rural churches, farming, and rural communities across all Christian traditions. Having led churches for several decades, he is deeply committed to ecumenical working. Rev’d Matt brings extensive experience in rural mission, leadership development, and pastoral support. His ministry focuses on equipping local clergy and lay leaders, fostering vocational calling, and creating practical resources and spaces for reflection that help rural leaders and congregations flourish. He has a passion for spiritual depth, creative storytelling, biblical reflection, and building collaborative partnerships that advocate for the flourishing and well-being of rural life across Europe and beyond.

He says: “I am honoured to have been elected European Chair of IRCA, and look forward to developing wider connections across the European Churches. We have such a breadth of history and experience, and stories of hope and transformation to share, as we each seek to serve Jesus in our regions. At a troubling time, my prayers are for the continent, that we might bring light into the darkness and peace into turmoil.”

Irena Stefanova, Secretary of IRCA Europe.

Irena is a Licensed Methodist pastor from Bulgaria. She is ministering in North Macedonia with small rural communities, working with elderly church members, visiting people in their homes, preaching, organising training for women from Macedonian and Serbian districts, and seeking new ways of mission amid a declining population and limited resources.

She is a proud mother of three and a grandmother of three.

Alice Kyarimpa, Treasurer of IRCA Europe.

Alice Kyarimpa is an accountant, certified chaplain and author based in London. She is also the mother of two lovely twins.

As Treasurer of IRCA Europe, she is committed to responsible financial stewardship that supports the network’s growth, development and long-term sustainability.

She says: “I am honoured to serve as a Treasurer on this committee, dedicated to managing our financial resources to drive growth, innovation, and lasting value for IRCA Europe. It’s a privilege to represent the rural community that is so close to my heart. I deeply value IRCA because it unites people of all faiths, backgrounds, and heritages into one powerful community.”

Rev Márk László Gyula, Consultant of IRCA Europe and Representative for the Hungarian Churches in Romania;

He is a Transylvanian Reformed pastor and a member of the European branch of IRCA since 2010, who has already served as a speaker at several IRCA conferences or participated as a member. He serves in Eastern Europe, Romania, in one of the Hungarian Reformed churches belonging to the Transylvanian Reformed Church District. He also served in a rural environment for several years. 

The father of 2 daughters, he has served as a pastor for 27 years, and he has always been interested in rural church service and improving the quality of service and life of pastors serving in the countryside. He is open to learning and discovering new things and to ecumenical relationships. He considers the service of Christ, the commitment to the service of other people, to be his important task.

Rev Dietrich Galter, Consultant, IRCA Europe

Dietrich Galter is a pastor from Romania and serves as a consultant to IRCA Europe.

Vas Jozsef, Youth representative of IRCA Europe.

Vas is 21 years old, he is a Romanian Reformed theology student in Kolozsvár (Cluj, Romania) and comes from a small village in Transylvania called Bözöd. He is currently preparing for ordained ministry, and he has a deep interest in the life and future of rural congregations.

Serving as the Eastern Europe youth representative for IRCA Europe, he believes that tradition and renewal together can strengthen the rural communities.