Craig Sayle came to know Jesus as Lord and Saviour while attending University at Carson Newman College in Jefferson City Tennessee, USA. He had the awesome experience of having a roommate who loved God with a passion and who desperately wanted to see Craig come to know Christ. Through much prayer, timely witnessing and incredible care, his friends showed him the love of Christ and Craig came to know Christ in February of 1985.

Immediately, Craig was aware of God’s call on his life and he began to desire to follow God’s direction in his life. This led him to finish his undergraduate degree in Psychology at what was then Memphis State University. He then enrolled at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and earned an Mdiv. While attending Mid-America he was licensed to the Gospel ministry and Ordained shortly after graduating from Mid-America.

While attending seminary at Mid-America, Craig served on the youth staff of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. Craig counts his time at Bellevue as a great experience, because of the opportunity to serve in a Mega church in a multi-staff environment. From Bellevue, Craig became the Youth minister and Associate pastor of Peterson Lake Baptist Church. Peterson Lake had been in existence just over a year when Craig joined them and he watched the church grow from 75 to just over 500 during his time there. During Craig’s time at Peterson Lake, he developed a real hunger to reach people that didn’t ‘fit in’ any other church. So Craig and his wife, Elyse, started New Life Fellowship in their living room. ‘It was a great joy to be a part of a new church and to see a fledgling community of God develop.’

Presently Craig is the Pastor of Abbeyhill Baptist Church in Edinburgh Scotland. He came to Scotland after working with the new church start so that he pusue some post graduate work at the University of Edinburgh. ‘The whole time we were making our plans to come to Edinburgh to study, we knew God had a much bigger plan. We knew God wanted us to participate in the work of his Kingdom here in Scotland.’ So a year into his study, he became pastor of Abbeyhill Baptist Church. He finished his Mth at the University of Edinburgh in 2002.

‘I love the ministry here at Abbeyhill. There is such a great diversity of people as well as multitude of needs. Many times I feel like we have been transported into the book of Acts, where people are spiritually hungry and thirsty and they have not realised their need for Jesus yet. When God opens up their eyes through His Word and His Spirit, it feels like the woman at the well saying, “He told me everything I ever did.’

Craig is married to his best friend and the delight of his life, Elyse and they have four of the most wonderful children ever and yes of course he is biased, ‘Shouldn’t we all be’.