Introducing Another Writer to Our Blog!

We are pleased to announce we are adding a new author!  Phil Guyott expressed interest in joining SAGC shortly before the SARX Creature Conference in March.  Roslyne, Marcello, and I were able to meet Phil at the conference.

We find Phil’s passion for the cause of animals unflappable, his relationship with the Lord is front and center in his life.  We are excited to add his talent in writing skills and rich style to the blog as we add his voice to ours in our ministry speaking out for animal welfare from a faith perspective.  Phil also joins us in our efforts to insist that the shepherding of creation is made an integral part of the function of church doctrine, just as feeding the poor and speaking out for those who are being oppressed is a matter of faith.

Following is Phil’s photo and bio, which will also be added to the “About The Authors” page as well.  As always, thank you for following our blog, your comments are always welcome!  Join us in warmly welcoming Phil!  ~Kathy

I was born in Northamptonshire in the United Kingdom. Growing up I lived in North London and was a young carer for my mother who was disabled. Later on we moved out of London and went to live in the West Country. She went to be with the Lord in 2000 and I now live in Somerset. It was through my mother that I came to know Jesus. Her passion and love for Jesus had made a deep and lasting impression on me.

My employment background is in the dairy industry where I worked as a laboratory analyst. However, after becoming a vegan a couple of years ago I now work as a Twisthand, which is an operator of vintage Victorian era bobbinet textile machines. This is a unique occupation which only a handful of people in the world still do. Most of the occupations in the town where I live revolve around animal agriculture, factory farming and meat packing, so I was grateful to have found this job.

I was brought up in the Wesleyan tradition, but now belong to an independent evangelical Church in Ilminster, which has a real passion for community outreach and hospitality. I have experience as a volunteer lay preacher in the UK and have worked as a missionary in Brazil for YWAM. Whist I am an evangelical, I consider myself to be first and foremost an ecumenicalist who is happy to work and worship with Christians form all denominational backgrounds.

I have a passion for evangelism, social justice, theology and vegan advocacy. God’s call on my life is to be a ‘priest of creation’, lifting up creation to Him in prayer and worship, and to be a pastor to suffering creation. A scripture very close to my heart is Romans 8:19:

“For the creatures [κτίσεως] waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God.”

Becoming a vegan has been an important step towards embracing this aspect of God’s call on my life. Last year I established a local support group for vegans, vegetarians and meat reducers. I also receive invitations to do talks and presentations about veganism. This has given me the opportunity to share my faith with others. Over the last couple of years I have been working on ‘The Vegetarians Guide to Christianity’, which is an in-depth study on the self-denial from the flesh of animals in the Judaeo-Christian faith, which contains various Biblical and ecclesiastical studies on the subject. I plan to publish part one of this three part study next year as a free resource through a dedicated website.

My long term aspiration is to train as a farmed animal sanctuary worker and to live a more sustainable lifestyle. It is my hope that this will be a means by which I can share my faith in Jesus with others within the vegan community and to help guide fellow Christians to a more compassionate and sustainable way of living.

Having met Kathy, Ros, and Marcello at the Creature Conference in London I am very grateful to have been invited to be a part of the SAGC community and look forward to sharing with you all.
In Christ’s service, Philip