Our founder: Steve Chalke
Biography of Steve Chalke MBE
Author, Reverend, husband, father and founder of Oasis…
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In 1985 Steve Chalke set up Oasis Trust in order to open a hostel for homeless young people. Oasis now has over 400 staff, students and volunteers, pioneering educational, healthcare and housing initiatives in the UK and across the globe.
In 1996 Steve Chalke started Oasis Media, an integrated communications agency providing PR and production solutions to clients in the charity/social responsibility sector. It has also has a track record in the production of values-based television programmes for major broadcasters including ITV, BBC and Sky.
In 1997 Steve Chalke launched Parentalk, an organisation dedicated to inspiring and equipping parents. It now works across the UK and produces a range of resources aimed at helping parents make the most of every stage of their child's growing up.
In 2001 Steve Chalke laid the foundations for the Faithworks Movement. Faithworks exists to empower and inspire individual Christians and every local church to develop their role at the hub of the community. It also seeks to challenge and change the public perception of the Church by engaging with both media and the government. The Faithworks Movement goal is to build the most effective social action network in the UK.
In 2003 Steve Chalke became the senior minister of Christ Church & Upton, now known as Church.co.uk Waterloo, London. The church, which is part of Oasis, aims to become 24/7 - always open, never shut, where no one is ever turned away, whatever the time of night or day. It is also the physical hub for a steadily growing global virtual community.
Steve Chalke was awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours List 2004 for his services to social inclusion.
2004 also saw Steve Chalke develop Oasis Community Learning, a sister charity to Oasis, which is currently building five academies in Enfield, Grimsby, Immingham, Bristol & Salford. These new secondary schools will bring Oasis values to young people’s education and are due to open between 2007 and 2009.
In 2005 Steve Chalke became the official holder of the Guinness World Record for the largest amount of sponsorship money ever raised by an individual through a single event. He broke this record by raising £1.25 million (previously it had stood at £1.13 million) for Oasis academies through running the London Marathon.
In 2006 Steve Chalke became Chair of the Stop The Traffik steering group. Stop The Traffik is a global coalition campaigning against people trafficking, through - preventing the sale of people, prosecuting the traffickers and protecting the victims.
In 2007 Steve Chalke reclaimed his Guinness World Record title from Sir Steve Redgrave, by raising more than £1.82 million by running the London Marathon.
Steve Chalke has presented his own television series' for ITV and BBC as well as a regular show on Radio 4. He writes monthly columns for Prima Baby on fatherhood and Christianity magazine on Church leadership. He is also the author of over 30 books.
Steve Chalke was ordained as a Baptist Minister in 1981, having studied at Spurgeon's Theological College in London, and was a local minister for four years before setting up Oasis. He is 51 years old and is married to Cornelia. They have four children: Emily, Daniel, Abigail and Joshua.