Meet Our Teachers

Lars Bo Olesen

Lars has been at the helm of Acts Academy since August 2020 and has led the school through an exciting transformation process. He is also the lead pastor of Open Church Herning and global leader of a growing network of churches with the same name and heart. Since its inception in 2008, Open Church has been driven by a passion to be church for those who do not yet attend church and to make the supernatural natural. The church should not be an isolated island, but a storehouse for the people, where faith, community and action go hand in hand. Prophecy is not just a church activity - it is a lifestyle that can help spread hope and the Kingdom of God to all parts of our society.

Stig Hagen

Stig is the Academic Dean of Acts Academy with a master's degree in leadership and theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is an entrepreneur with years of experience as a manager, organizational leader and pastor. Stig is also deeply involved in mission in Eastern Europe and East Africa, and has served as a missionary to Tanzania. His passion is to see people discover and develop their potential, and experience a deep relationship with God. Sometimes you will also find Stig leading worship. He is married to Sara, who also teaches at the school, and together they have 3 grown children.

Karen Harvey

Karen has a passion for seeing people flourish and become all that God wants for them. She is Danish but has lived in England for 16 years, 10 years in Wales and 6 years in Surrey near London. Karen is a trained educator and has worked as such for many years. She has recently qualified as a therapist and has worked for a charity in this capacity for the last few years. Alongside this she has been a minister at Equippers Church in Surrey, focusing on pastoral care and mentoring.

Neil Harvey

Neil is from Wales. He has worked as a pastor of the Apostolic Church in Wales for 10 years and later for Equippers Church Surrey for 5 years. He holds a BA in Christian Ministry from Bangor University and an MA in Missional Leadership from For Mission College In England.

Heidi Ravn

Heidi is from Denmark and a trained coach. She leads our course "Spiritual Intelligence". Where she teaches and activates the students. The Holy Spirit has given us all gifts to minister to people and show God's love. Life becomes exciting when we are available to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and boldly step out and activate the gifts to bring God's presence here on earth. Heidi also leads our Morning Devotions, mentoring and People Tools person profile. Heidi has been associated with the school for over 15 years.

Kate Favre Guldberg

Kate is from Switzerland. She is responsible for 'The Imprint' Communication & Storytelling. In addition, she teaches leadership and other topics around personal faith. She is a skilled and sought-after communicator. Kate is also studying theology.

Esben Dulwich Engholm

Esben is educated in creativity and innovation, he is an experienced worshipper and songwriter. With 22 years of experience in praise management and head of creative teams, he will equip the students to make an impression. Esben has a great passion for promoting praise nationally as well as internationally. In addition, Esben has a great ability to do this in both theory and practice, so they come together.

Samuel Christiansen

Samuel is from Denmark and trained as a teacher. He works as a worship leader at the high school and in Kirkeibyen. Samuel leads the 'One Heart' network, which brings together worshippers from all over the country. He was previously a student at Bible school and spent a year in North Carolina at the Morning Star School & Ministries.

Lene Olesen

Lene has always had a heart for people, to see them succeed. She has worked in orphanages and been a support person for a single mother. In addition, she is married to Lars Bo Olesen, who has been a pastor in Åbenkirke for 25 years, and as a pastor's wife she has been very involved in church work and has enjoyed the fellowship with many different types of people. Lene is a trained municipal assistant and has worked with accounting for over 30 years. Lars and Lene have 5 children and 4 grandchildren.

Sara Hagen

Sara Hagen has worked for many years with people from the youngest nursery children to young adults and vulnerable women. She loves to walk with people and see them grow in faith in God and faith in themselves. Sara is a trained Educator and is the lead teacher of Life Skills at Acts Academy. In addition, she is married to Stig Hagen and they have 3 grown children together.

Dan S. Jacobi

Married to Mette and father to Josefine, Oliver and Camille, who are all married and in education. I am grandfather to Clara and Magda. Lead pastor at A2 Aalborg City Church for 19 years, where I was also youth pastor when I was very young before I was pastor in Copenhagen for a few years. A2 is a church that loves the prophetic and has a DNA of spiritual renewal and revival. We are hungry to see Jesus raise up prophetic ministries in all generations and thirsty to experience more of the prophetic Spirit.

Peter Prothero aka P3

Peter Prothero is an internationally renowned Bible teacher who is particularly passionate about building a strong, local church that can be a resource for other churches around the world, as well as for training and equipping young leaders. Peter Prothero is married to Jacqueline and they have 6 children together.

Lavanya Dua

Dr. Lavanya Dua is an ordained minister from Equippers Church Surrey in England and is involved in leadership and pastoral care in the church. She practiced as a medical doctor for more than 30 years before entering full-time ministry in a church setting. Lavanya has exceptional knowledge in the whole area of good mental health, healing and deliverance. She has an anointed ability to help people into the freedom God has for them and to teach and equip others in this area of ministry. Her passion is to help people to physical healing, freedom from anxiety, depression and negative thought patterns through a combination of powerful biblical truths, the latest science and by experiencing the healing power of God. Lavanya has traveled around Europe and Asia sharing this life-changing message in conferences, seminars, workshops and local churches, and is a personal coach to many.

Christine Larkin

Christine has traveled for many years with her teaching and prophetic ministry. She is the founder and director of Restoration House, a relational network of churches in the UK, Ireland and the USA. Christine is part of Kingdom Connections, an apostolic relational team that provides strategic support and mentoring to churches, leaders and ministries. Christine has a passion for building relationships across church denominations. She is married to John, who provides pastoral support to Restoration House churches. They have three grown sons and seven grandchildren. www.christinelarkin.org

Laurent Favre

Active in the financial industry Laurent Favre is bringing the word to the world aiming at making disciples at the service of one God and all men and women.<br>He is the founder of MLKZDK, Melchizedek Ministry which comprises more than 100 ministers who are acting as intercessors and oracles of God in more than 20 different countries.<br>He is also the co-founder of AIME, a ministerial international platform gathering, equipping and sending men and women into the mission field.<br>More than anything else he has been married to Bernalyn for more than 35 years. They have three daughters that are also in the Lord.<br>“As for me and my house we shall serve the Lord” is the one and common proclamation of their whole family.

Thomas Hansen

Thomas, together with his wife Katherine, serves as a senior pastor at Hillsong Church Denmark, a vibrant, growing church in the heart of Copenhagen and with locations in Malmö, Sweden and Aarhus. Thomas is a gifted speaker and preacher of the word and a leader of leaders, and he is committed to seeing people find Jesus and empower people to reach their potential and bring the message of Jesus Christ to their world.

Jesper Oehlenschläger

Jesper Ertmann Oehlenschläger is Development Director at Samfonden, author and lecturer. He holds a Master of Theology from the University of Copenhagen and has previously worked as a parish priest and teacher. He is the initiator of the Arrow leadership program in Denmark and a mentor for leaders. He is married and father of two teenagers.

Johannes Hansen

Johannes is a theologian with a master's degree in theology and a bachelor's degree in Religious Studies from the University of Aarhus. He has been in full-time ministry close to 35 years. Involved in church planting and leadership of several churches. He is a former national leader of the Apostolic Church in Denmark and co-founder of "Frikirkenet". Besides being a pastor and supervisor, he also serves as an international leader and mentor for RCCM churches in Pakistan, a network of 212 new churches in Pakistan and the Middle East.

Kenneth Decker

Kenneth is part of the pastoral team in the Apostolic Church "KBH Frikirke" as Executive Pastor. Kenneth is a unique combination of an orderly person with attention to detail and quality and a prophetic ministry. He is passionate about people finding the gifts God has placed in them and using them. He is co-responsible for the Prophetic Workshop in KBH Frikirke. Kenneth is married to Julie. Together with Julie, he was a student at Acts Academy in 22/23.

Niels-Peter Hedegaard

Niels-Peter Hedegaard, a passionate pastor with a heart full of commitment and a mind full of systematics, has a life story that has taken him from Vejle to Herning and into the heart of the Apostolic Church community. In 1997, together with his wife May-Britt, he took the bold step of moving to Herning and leading the start-up of a new church in the city. Even before this adventure, Niels-Peter had already made a name for himself as an assistant pastor in the Apostolic Church in Vejle, and his commitment to church life was evident in a variety of leadership roles. The new church in Herning became part of the same network and later joined forces with another church in the city to form what would become the "Open Church" network. The ability to create an overview and a systematic approach is characteristic of his thinking and work. You will often find him in the church, enthusiastically working to improve or rethink different aspects of the church community. In addition to two years in the leadership program at ACTS Academy, Niels-Peter has studied a Master of Applied Theology at Harvest College (Ma.Min). For 16 years, Niels-Peter has been an active part of Apostolic Church Denmark's national leadership and has been responsible for rethinking Mission and SummerCamp in the network. As part of his ministry style, Niels-Peter is known as a team player who brings humor and an unpretentious approach to his tasks. His sermons are practical, relevant and show insight into both the Bible and the challenges of today. On a personal level, Niels-Peter and May-Britt have celebrated 31 years of marriage and have three children who have long since left the nest. Their home, Lille Bassumgaard, on the outskirts of Herning, is the center of community where both church members and guests hang out. In addition to his ministry commitment, Niels-Peter finds time to play squash every week, although he often immerses himself in books in his man cave. His favorite genres range from non-fiction to science and theology, and while fiction is not his strong suit, his passion for learning is undeniable.

Thomas Christensen

Together with his wife Christina, Thomas spearheads OpenChurch in Copenhagen. They've both devoted over 20 years to pastoral ministry and have made their home in the heart of Copenhagen with their three daughters, Celine, Natalie, and Emmelie, as well as their sons-in-law, Simon and Marcus.

He's always remembered for his ever-present smile, great humor, and captivating stories. In 2017, he began witnessing miracles – the blind seeing, the deaf hearing, and the lame dancing with joy. And while OpenChurch Copenhagen has just turned 4, they're already branching out to plant a new church in Hillerød in North Zealand. Thomas also travels extensively, speaking at conferences, retreats, and church events, all with the aim of equipping churches to live with passion, purpose, and power.

Tobias Haslund-Thomsen

Tobias is from Aalborg. He has been a pastor in the Apostolic Church for 5 years and since 2021 he is the lead pastor in Haven Aarhus. He holds a Master's degree in theology from Aarhus University, is part of the Apostolic Church's ministry team and sits on a number of boards in Christian organizations such as TGC Norden.

Julie Lindell

Julie Lindell is a Danish pop/gospel singer with great national as well as international experience and is described by many Danish singers as one of Denmark's most technically skilled singers. She has become particularly popular for her participation on the tour "Anne, Sanne and Lis" in 2019 and has also been a regular choral and lead singer for Anne Linnet since 2013, when she as a soloist has sung Sanne Solomonsen's solos. Julie is also internationally recognized as a voice coach in complete vocal technique and as a singing coach for many of the greatest Danish artists and in TV talent shows such as X-Factor DK, Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, Eurovision Song Contest, Go' Morgen Danmark.

Sem Schaap

Sem Schaap is a keyboardist, producer and songwriter. Born in The Netherlands, Sem served as the Music Director at LIFE Church in the UK for over 9 years and has a deep passion for building the local church and its worship teams.

Andreas Mathew

Executive Producer & Marketing Director at Musik Hus (Aalborg), CEO & Creative Director at By Matthew, Creative Consultant at Gate to Natur, and forms regional European producer at Global leadership Network.

Jacob Viftrup

Married to Jeanett and father of four. For daily senior priest in Copenhagen Free Church which houses 3 locations - Frederiksberg, Lyngby and Valby. Head of the service team in the Apostolic Network.

Joachim Hejslet

Joachim has over 20 years of experience in writing and producing music for both Danish and foreign artists, both within and outside the church. These include music for the Kardashians, several American TV series, Julie Lindell, Linda Andrews, Arvid, Simon Pedersen, Flying Superkids, DR, TV2 and much more. And since 2014, he has been behind an annual publication of children's songs, starting with King's Children. Joachim has been employed as a worship leader in Aalborg Valgmenighed since 2009 and continues to be so. Here he has also written songs, and also has a passion for putting new melodies into old hymns. Joachim also has a big heart for the next generation of worshippers and songwriters. In private, Joachim is married to Gitte and is the father of four children between the ages of 12 and 23, and he loves American football :)

Tyron Ivins

Tyron is passionate about God and all things creative, especially music and production. Some of his event highlights and roles included: Event Co-ordination &Production AriseFest New Year's Festival with an attendance of 1500 – 2500 people (2009 &2010) Production Manager at many sold out events at the 4500-seater CityHill Auditorium in South Africa Production manager on the only two Bethel Music Tours to South Africa (2015 &2016) Production Assistant, Jesus Culture Tour to South Africa (2012) Baptist World Alliance, Music Team Leader at this 3500-delegate conference hosted at the International Convention Centre in Durban. (2015) Training and consulting Between 2009 and 2019, a worship training ministry in South Africa called Arise Worship that offered training and consulting to hundreds of churches around South Africa and abroad. Arise Worship was a registered dealer of all major sound brands and offered installations and sales for churches ranging from small 100-seater venues up to thousand-seater venues. Music When it comes to music, he has a deep passion for both playing and creating. Some of his highlights include: Multiple tours with different bands around Africa and Europe Recording and releasing over 43 original songs Recording and producing various other artists. Development of Sonar Music Denmark.

Matt Hill

Matt Hill is the worship leader in ! Audacious Church in Manchester UK. Where he is under the leadership of The Reverend Glyn and Sophia Barrett, Matt has been a key member of the church team since the church was planted in 2007. He is an acclaimed songwriter and musician, Matt has played guitar in recent years along with well-known artists like Noel Robinson and Phillippa Hanna, all the while gaining a reputation as one of England's best in worship recording and mixing engineers, right now he mixes FOH for former Delirious? Front figure Martin Smith. Matt has had the great privilege of being studio techniques and co-producing Martin's live record 'Love Song For A City' (recorded in travel around the world), as well as several live worship albums from Worship Central, Bright City, Soul Survivor and Kathryn Scott to name someone. Matt is married to Elena, they are together in Manchester with their two children Judah and Coco.

Andries Van Heerden

Andries Van Heerden and his wife, Christiane, are senior pastors at Emmanuel Church in Louis Trichardt, Limpopo, South Africa. He has a recognized prophetic service both in South Africa and in other countries. He is an accomplished communicator with great understanding of people, the local church and has prophetic influence. Andries is part of South Africa's prophetic 'Round Table', which publishes the book, 'God Said', every year.

Arvid Asmussen

Arvid Asmussen is a songwriter, writer and eulogy priest in Silkeborg Oasis Church. Arvid is married to Elise and together they have 3 children.

Silas and Arja Rosenskjold

Arja and Silas have been leaders of Creative teams in Hillsong for many years. They helped build the Creative team from scratch when Hillsong Malmö started, and today they are in charge of the creative team at Hillsong Aarhus. Arja is a worship leader and Silas is MD, they have many years of experience training others in this collaboration, for which they both have a great passion. They love to talk about Creative teams and music, and watch people step into things far bigger than what they even thought was possible.

Steffen Bay

Steffen Bay is a passionate musician, songwriter and choirmaster and has for the past 15 years led Kolding Sommergospel. Steffen is the worship leader in Teglgårdskirken, Middelfart, where he also leads two gospel choirs. In addition to being a producer and songwriter for other Danish artists, he has also released the album "All Blessings" with 12 of his own songs and has just this year released the EP "Let's Get Together" with his new group "Steffen Bay &The CC Singers". Steffen is educated at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen.

Rishiban Rudratheesan

Rishiban is from Herning and is a daily Creative Producer in Open Church Herning. He has over 13 years of experience in production in the form of sound, light, media, livestream and coordination of events, for both large and small events as well as free church events. In addition, he is currently CEO/Creative Director of LiveSolution, which both sells and rents equipment for events, as well as trains and holds courses for primarily free church technicians. His many years of experience in the professional industry have made him super passionate about lifting the level, for the way the free churches communicate their message.

Dan Zeltner

Multi-Talented Musician, Inspirational Pastor, and Empowering Coach

Japie Van Heerden