Kirby Sinclair De Lanerolle

Founder

Kirby is the co-founder of the Wow Life Global Movement and Ministry, alongside his wife Fiona. His experience spans beyond his current role in ministry, encompassing the private, public, intergovernmental and civil society spheres.  Appointed as both advisor & private secretary, he has worked for numerous Government Ministers in Sri Lanka, including at the Ministry of Social Services, Ministry of Special Projects & Ministry of Fisheries. He was responsible for envisioning and establishing the partnership between the Ministry of Social Services and the United Nations Volunteers, paving the way for Sri Lanka’s first National Volunteering secretariat, to which he was appointed as Working Director in 2013. His work in the public sector in the area of development has also seen the collaboration with other UN entities, including the project director of the FAO. Inculcating a dedication towards social & youth empowerment on the island, Kirby conceptualized the Warehouse Project with his wife Fiona back in 2010, with it quickly gaining international recognition at the time, as a catalyst for positive social change and poverty alleviation. The use of creative arts and culture in the project traces its roots to his work in the fashion and design industry during his youth. His focus on the promotion and protection of human rights also extends under the banner of Wow Life ministries and the Apostolic Diocese Of Ceylon where interreligious dialogue, minority rights and peace-building through reconciliation, has been a focal foundation of the church’s work. Kirby continues to advocate that the theme of reconciliation be seen in its wholistic form, drawing from a larger body of work, including science and psychology, with emphasis on reconciliation as healing, at the spiritual, anatomical, and social levels. In 2015, he was appointed as the Chief Overseer and Bishop of the Apostolic Diocese of Ceylon by the Indian National Apostolic Diocese (INAD).  In 2016 Kirby was appointed under the directive of the then Sri Lankan Prime Minister, to be the National Coordinator for the free and independent churches of Sri Lanka. This gives him advocacy for the minority rights of the Christian community in Sri Lanka. The Wow Life Global Movement that he currently heads has representation in over 7 countries, with that number growing each year. Kirby holds a Doctorate of Divinity (DD Hon.) and bachelor’s from the INA Theological Open University, India and is currently reading for his M.Sc. in Psychology & Neuroscience at King's College, UK.