Name Rev Smale Birth name Ian Smale Origin UK | Years active 1970–present Role Evangelist | |
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Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, pastor, evangelist, children's evangelist Website ishmael.org.uk/whoisish.php Albums The Charge of the Light Brigade Genres Pop music, Punk rock, Children's music Similar People Andy Piercy, After the Fire, Graham Kendrick | ||
Rev Ian Smale (born 1950) better known by the stage name Ishmael is a gospel beat, Christian punk and children's music musician and evangelist from the United Kingdom. He has had an international ministry since playing in the acoustic duo Ishmael and Andy with Andy Piercy starting in 1970. His innovative musical styles and enthusiasm for his faith have influenced many people of all ages to become Christians or to have a deeper experience in their Christianity such as being filled with the Holy Spirit or being healed.
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Musical career
Ishmael started performing in his teens with his lifelong friend Andy Piercy forming the acoustic duo Ishmael and Andy when he first adopted his stage name from the similarity of his birth name to an Old Testament Biblical character. They sang provocative and challenging Christian lyrics to contemporary music. After producing two albums together Piercy joined the rock group After the Fire and Ishmael produced the album Charge of the Light Brigade intended to challenge Christians to live what they preach. Ishmael continues to work occasionally with Piercy although the main focus of his ministry for twenty five years has been on child evangelism. In the late 1970s he formed the band Ishmael United that produced two albums and as the music took on more of a punk style he changed their name to Rev Counta and the Speedoze and brought out a further album. Since then he has concentrated on his ministry to children and recently returned to challenging people in the Church about how they live.
Pastoral career
He completed a couple of years training at a Pentecostal theological college, and was ordained into the Elim pastoral ministry where he served for several years.
Ishmael longs for children and adults to enjoy praising God together. For this purpose his itinerant ministry is composed of both seminars for adults about the importance of children, and musical celebrations that he calls 'Praise Parties' for all ages to worship together. He also loves preaching and teaching both young people and adults from the Bible.
He is one of the few people to have ministered every year at Spring Harvest since its start in 1979. He runs a children's ministry on one of the sites (usually Minehead) called The Glorie Company.
For 16 years as well as his itinerant ministry he was part of a local church leadership team, but he has now been released from that responsibility to concentrate on what he believes God has asked him to do – working with children and other people who share his goal throughout the world. Ishmael believes that children are a vital part of church life and he aims to teach people the value of both kids and youth Church as well as the importance of the whole family worshipping together.
Most of the time that Ishmael has worked abroad has been spent in the USA and Germany but he has also worked in Finland, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Gibraltar, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Czech Republic and South Africa.
Other activities
Ishmael has taken part in a number of national television programmes.
He was ordained a deacon in Chichester Cathedral in June 2007, and was appointed as part-time deacon in the nominal parish of the cathedral (which extends no further than the cathedral's own grounds).
Ishmael and his wife Irene worship at Chichester Cathedral and have recently been accepted onto the Cathedral electoral roll. They have three grown up children Joseph, Daniel and Suzy. Ishmael has been given a consultancy role with Evangelical Alliance and Kingsways Children's Ministry.
Medical condition
In 2008 Ishmael was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. An appeal for prayer, along with regular updates on the progress of his treatment, was launched by friends on his website.
In August 2010 Ishmael's doctors declare him free from cancer. He is planning to 'be on the road' again in September 2010.
Publications
Ishmael has recorded nearly 400 songs written himself; released 36 albums of his and other writers' songs, 15 of which he also produced; and made two music videos.
Ishmael has written twelve books, some of which have been translated into German, Dutch, Danish and Romanian as well as seven songbooks.