Meet our speakers.

John & Kay Hodge - Speaker Bio:

John and Kay are passionate communicators, pastors, and ministry leaders who bring a unique blend of cross-cultural experience, theological depth, and a deep commitment to Jesus’ call to peace, justice, and reconciliation.

John grew up in Nigeria, the son of missionary Bible scholars, with his early years shaped by the vibrant faith community of All Nations Bible College. A third-culture kid, he experienced life across Nigeria, Australia, and the UK, eventually studying Law in London before training as a pastor in Australia. Kay grew up in Newcastle, Australia, the daughter of church planters, and developed an early passion for global mission and the local church. She studied Community Development at Christian Heritage College, QLD and began her career with Compassion Australia.

In 2016, John and Kay moved to conflict-affected central Nigeria to work in Christian education and post-crisis response. John taught theology and mission at a Bible college, equipping future pastors to respond to displacement and violence with the hope and ethics of the gospel. He also supported peacebuilding projects that brought together Muslim and Christian youth in areas marked by religious conflict. These experiences led John to complete a Master’s in Conflict, Peacebuilding and Reconciliation through the University of Winchester.

Kay served as Project Manager and then interim-Director of two crisis response homes for children orphaned by Boko Haram terrorist violence. She developed trauma-informed care models, educational pathways, and raised up local staff to lead the Homes forward. During this time, she completed her MSc in Sustainable Development at Sussex University and gave birth to their two children, Abraham and Eleanor.

Relocating to the UK in 2020, John and Kay founded Seek Peace—a ministry equipping Christian leaders and churches in Nigeria, Ghana, Lebanon, Kenya and the UK with tools for grassroots peacebuilding. John leads on program design and impact, and Kay serves as Research and Operations Director, overseeing strategy, partnerships and a growing international team. 

In 2023, Kay joined a multi-year research team at King’s College London, funded by the Templeton Religion Trust, exploring the social consequences of religious faith for peacebuilding. In 2025, she was awarded a UKRI-funded PhD studentship to investigate the role of faith in building interreligious friendships in conflict contexts at the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University.

Together, John and Kay serve on the Senior Leadership Team of their local church as Associate Pastors overseeing teaching, missions, worship, children and youth ministries.

They are known for their clarity, passion, and ability to communicate complex theological, ethical, and justice-oriented themes in a way that is deeply rooted in Scripture and accessible to young people. They love encouraging students and churches to think deeply, live intentionally, and follow Jesus into a broken and beautiful world.

Would you like to invite them to speak? Email kay.hodge@seekpeace.co