Garden Tomb Trustees

Chairman – Stephen Bridge

Stephen lives in Frinton-on-Sea a coastal town in the East of England. He trained as a boat builder and ran a joinery business before becoming a church planter, and involved in the leadership of churches in the Essex area and later in South East London. He is married to Sue and they have two sons and a daughter, three granddaughters and a grandson. He has a long connection with the Garden as his father, Donald was the Director in the 1980s, and both he and Sue have served as volunteers and on staff in Jerusalem. He served as Director of the Garden for many years until his retirement in 2022. His heart is very much for evangelism and equipping Christians for discipleship. Stephen became Chairman in April 2026 along with his duties as Chair, He spends his time teaching and preaching.

Kieran Ryan

Kieran is a retired Army officer (Irish Defence Forces) who has served in senior staff appointments both in Ireland and in the Middle East. He came to personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ while serving as a junior officer and was actively connected with the Association of Military Christian Fellowships (AMCF) during his 35-year career.

He is an MA graduate in Applied theology from the Irish Bible Institute in Dublin, and has held many leadership positions in Independent Bible Churches and Youth ministries in Ireland for more than 30 years. He and his wife Laura have one son, Steve, who lives in London with his wife Fiona. Kieran has been serving at the Garden Tomb since 2011, including being Deputy Director from 2017-2019. He is delighted to serve on the Board.

Steve King

Steve lives in Sandhurst, Berkshire, and is a part-time voiceover artist with over 100 audiobooks to his name. He volunteers as a hospital radio presenter and is an active preacher and church member. Steve is married to Maureen, and they have three daughters and seven grandchildren. He previously worked in the insurance industry and has taken part in a range of charitable activities, including trekking the Great Wall of China, the Sinai Desert, and several long-distance cycle rides.

He first became a Trustee of the Garden Tomb in 2011, having earlier served as a Trustee of the Christian charity Faith & Football.

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.

Fiona Saunderson

Fiona is a wife and mother of four based in Cambridge, UK. She and her husband are members of Holy Trinity Cambridge and actively involved in the churches work with university students. She is a member of the Lords and Commons Child and Family Protection Group, and more recently has helped run one of the UK’s first city “Parenting Teenagers Course” which has attracted parents from 22 different schools.

She has a love for Israel, Jerusalem and the peoples from the Land. She still vividly remembers her first visit to Jerusalem in 1978 (her uncle was based in the city for many years) and her first visit to the Garden Tomb. She has returned many times since, including on her honeymoon in 1995.

Paul Mayo

Paul first visited the Garden Tomb when he was 13 and found it a very significant place to reflect on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Paul has returned many times whilst leading tours for Oak Hall Expeditions. He is honoured to serve as a trustee and prays that many will discover the truth about Jesus at the Garden Tomb. Paul is part of the leadership team of Oak Hall Expeditions, an organisation that takes people on adventures and seeking to show them Jesus in the Bible. He also serves in his local church at the foot of the North Downs in Kent. Paul enjoys reading old books full of theology, but most of all he loves reading and talking about Jesus with his four children.

Honorary Officers

President – Paul Weaver

Paul was elected Chairman of the Garden Tomb (Jerusalem) Association in 2017, having previously served on the Council for three years. He was raised in Birmingham, UK. After working as a Procurement Officer in an engineering firm, he felt a call to Christian leadership and left for London to study theology.

He pastored two churches for 36 years before leading the Assemblies of God as General Superintendent in the UK for 13 years. Paul lectured for 20 years at Mattersley Hall, an AOG bible college, with a focus on training leaders. He has also served on many Boards including the Evangelical Alliance, Together in Mission, World Assemblies of God and the Pentecostal World Fellowship. Paul has also authored and co-authored books and discipleship courses. He is an artist and enjoys playing golf.

He and his wife Jenn have two children, Sally and Joel, and six grandchildren.

Treasurer – Lesley Grundy

Lesley is a retired accountant, living in the West Midlands area of the UK with her husband Phil. After spending her working life in industry she now enjoys being able to use her time to assist in her local church, and support Christian charities that are close to her heart. Her leisure time is spent walking, reading and cross-stitching.

As a much younger Christian she was inspired by an elderly friend talking about a trip to the Holy Land. In the days when the opportunity, and time for foreign visits was limited, she could only dream of following in her friend’s footsteps. After a wait of over 25 years she finally persuaded her husband that it was time to make that trip. Just as her friend had described, the experience was ‘awe-inspiring.’ The Garden Tomb was her friend’s favourite place to visit, and so it is with great pleasure that she is now able to serve in her role as Treasurer to the charity.

Director – Simon Holland

Prior to his appointment as Director, Simon served as Deputy Director of the Garden Tomb for three years.  Simon was ordained in the church of England in 1991 and served in a variety of churches. Before coming to the Garden Tomb in 2019, he was Warden of Lee Abbey Devon, a Christian community and conference centre for mission and discipleship. He is married to Anne who serves at the Garden. They have two children and two grandchildren. When in the UK they live on the Isle of Wight.