Erkki Sillanpaa

  

Erkki was born in Finland. His parents were Lutherans as most Finns are: church-going, but not necessarily true born again Christians. The family came to know Christ in a personal way soon after their two-year old son was hit and run over by a car. Erkki recovered from this serious, near fatal, accident by divine intervention and this led his parents to a living faith in Christ.

 

At the age of thirteen, through the testimony of his parents, Erkki gave his life to the Lord and started testifying of his faith to his friends. From the start he had a strong desire to serve the Lord in a full time ministry. Three years later, he joined a group of young Christians who travelled around Europe witnessing on streets and holding tent meetings all year round. He served the Lord as a songwriter and a musician with this group in Italy for nine years.

 

After returning to Finland, he graduated from high school while supporting himself with a number of part time jobs. With his high school diploma he was able to enter a graphic design school in Rome, Italy; he has been living in Italy now since 1988.

Erkki is now serving full time in the literature ministry at the Christian publishing house, Associazione Verità Evangelica (The Evangelical Truth Association), founded and headed by William Standridge and his wife.

 

Erkki uses his education in graphic arts and his talent for working with computers to provide the graphics for the books and the monthly Gospel paper, La VOCE del VANGELO, as well as the many Bible Correspondence Courses published by the Berean Bible Institute. He has also done all of the graphic work for the co-editions of Aurora Publishing and the Associazione Verità Evangelica. He continues to collaborate with David Standridge, Director of Aurora Mission, on all of the Italian projects for the Italian Theological Academy.

 

You can see some of Erkki's work at the publishing website (link provided above). He also serves as a volunteer with FOCUS conferences organized by Aurora Ministries. Erkki is the minister of music in his local Church in Rome.