About

Kingfisher

Our staff come from different backgrounds and nations, yet we are united by one calling — to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ through service, discipleship, and community life.

Our Team

Meet the People Behind Kingfisher

The Kingfisher team is made up of long-term staff, short-term workers, and dedicated volunteers who each play an essential role in the life of the ministry. Together, they support students and guests, care for the community, and help create an environment where faith can grow, relationships can deepen, and lives can be transformed.

God´s faithfulness

The Ongoing Story of the Encounter

A journey of faith, purpose, and God’s faithfulness —
from the shores of Africa to the hearts of Greece and beyond

Beginnings in Greece

Theo & Sandra Goutzios came to Greece in 1996 as field representatives of Torchbearers Austria – Tauernhof, to establish a work through which young people could be encouraged to grow in their faith and to be a practical expression of God’s love in whatever they do and wherever they go.

Their first steps were to use a seaside camp facility at the foot of Mt. Olympus in northern Greece. There, they offered mountaineering programs for youth groups during the summer, retreats/holiday camps for international groups in the spring and autumn, and discipleship training courses during the winter.

The Introduction of the Sailing Project

Three years later, Gary Spicer (pastor and chairman of Release Foundation), with whom they had worked on aid and evangelistic projects in Albania right after Albania’s borders opened to outsiders, asked them if they would consider managing on their behalf the S/Y “Encounter,” then known as the “Genevieve.”

The Vision and Building of “Genevieve”

The sailing ship “Genevieve” was purpose-built by Tony Turner, who had the vision to build a sailing ship to take the gospel to the islands, while sail-training and discipling young people along the way.

Tony, the owner of a boat-building company based in Harare, Zimbabwe, writes:

“…When we began construction on her, we hardly had enough money to keep paying our labour, let alone for materials, but God was faithful, and work came in so that we could complete the task. It took five years to finish her. We were helped greatly by many friends from our farm church, and every Saturday they would come to the workshop and sandpaper, nail, drill, glue, paint, and have a wonderful time. She was in fact a family project with many miracles along the way.”

She was launched in Beira on 24 June 1998, having been trucked across the African continent on rough, potholed roads—barely fitting under some bridges by inches—then sailed up to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

God’s Timing and the Journey to Greece

It was shortly after this, says Tony, when Patricia Edmiston, founder of “Release Foundation,” entered the scene with God’s perfect timing. The “Genevieve,” originally named after Tony’s eldest daughter, was then sailed up to Greece with a crew of six, which included Tony’s youngest daughter, to continue her work. Tony continues: “…During her construction, her move, and her various transfers, the people involved were always touched, always wonderful and always went the extra mile to see her on her way to do the job intended for her. She became part of Zimbabwe’s family, and we even now have many enquiries after her on a regular basis. She truly was a God-send, and she will always hold a very special place in the hearts of all of these people, but most of all in the hearts of my family. We pray that her work will continue in prosperity, changing the lives of many.” One year after her launching, Tony Turner handed the baton to Release Foundation by donating the ship so that it might sail into her destiny and fulfill the purposes God had for her.

Theo’s Role and the Voyage to Greece

In the summer of 1999, Theo Goutzios, field representative in Greece for Torchbearers Austria (Tauernhof), was asked by Release Foundation to come on board as project manager/skipper to fulfill the general vision—to preach the gospel, provide sail training, and disciple young people along the way.

Theo accepted, and a crew was recruited, with Mark Jasper as skipper, to sail her up to Greece. A weather window opened in September to sail her up the Red Sea—an area notorious for strong northerly winds and currents. After a moving service on deck, Tony Turner handed the boat over to the crew. They set sail on what turned out to be a six-week voyage, enduring many hardships: heavy seas, a narrow escape from pirates off Somalia, the loss of a lifeboat, and rigging damage after the bowsprit broke. She continued under motor through the Suez Canal and finally arrived in Volos Harbour, Greece, at the end of October 1999.

Gratitude and Continuing Mission

The team expressed deep gratitude to Tony, his family, and friends who gave so generously to build the boat, and to Patricia Edmiston and Release Foundation, who made it possible to bring her to Greece. They also thanked the skippers—Cameron Springthorpe (Scotland), Chris Wren (England), Michael Kottsieper (Germany)—and the many crew members who over the years volunteered their service to advance God’s Kingdom.

In March 2010, Release Foundation donated the “Genevieve,” now named the “Encounter,” to Torchbearers Austria – Tauernhof. And so the story continues… They look ahead with anticipation to what God will do.

The Next Chapter: The Kingfisher Project and Beyond

Now, over 23 years after the launching of the “Genevieve – Encounter,” they look back with gratitude to God for His faithful provision, through which hundreds who sailed aboard have been deeply impacted.

The Kingfisher Project has since evolved, establishing a land-based facility running Bible schools and spiritual retreats on Skopelos Island, Greece, hosting some 30 students or guests. It also holds regular events for local children and families on its premises, known locally as “Stafylos Adventure Park.”

The sailing ship “Encounter” has since been passed on to the mission organization “Broad Reach” in Athens. It continues to be used for the very purposes for which she was built. The proceeds have helped establish the “Olive Grove – Christian Center,” where all current ministry activities take place.

So again, the story continues! Readers are invited to follow the ongoing journey through updates on the website—and perhaps to consider joining this amazing adventure themselves.