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Our Global Workers
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
ACTS 1:8
Felix & Cecelia Chiriseri
SOUTH AFRICA
Felix and Cecelia’s vision is to see lives and communities transformed through Gospel empowerment and to be catalysts for change through Community Health Evangelism (CHE). They integrate evangelism and discipleship with community health and development - finding real, long-term solutions that address the complexities of poverty and disease. Their strategy includes encouraging, engaging, equipping and empowering pastors and church leaders in communities by providing discipleship and basic life skills training, HIV/AIDS training, youth empowerment, income generating projects for widows and communities and children's ministry. Through this work Jesus is magnified and the development activities bring glory to God by reflecting the purpose of His Kingdom plan. They also oversee the ChildCARE Plus (CCP) sponsorship ministry, reaching out to children in Pretoria’s townships.
Jef & Renatta Walton
MALAWI
The Walton family is currently working at Village of Hope - Malawi (VOHM), a ministry to orphaned and vulnerable children. Village of Hope - Malawi provides education through its school, healthcare through local hospitals, nutrition through its feeding program and shelter through its children's home to at-risk children. Every Friday Hope Kids Church reaches 500 children in the community surrounding VOHM. Jef and Renatta Walton serve faithfully as the National Director and Village Administrator of VOHM. In total, 285 children are currently supported through the ministry of VOHM. Most of these precious children live in the high-density and low-income community named Kauma. Renatta is also an adjunct faculty member at Master's College and Seminary (MCS) where she continues to teach online courses.
Kevin & Julia Garratt
CHINA
Kevin and Julia Garratt served for 30 years in China as teachers, entrepreneurs and Christian aid workers until they were arrested and detained by authorities on accusations of espionage. After two years, they were released and deported. Today, they live in Vancouver, but remain actively involved in aid, training and social enterprise ventures overseas.
Reni & Sini Thomas
INDIA
Reni and Sini were born and raised in South India. They were burdened to impact and care for the people in Southeast Asia. They work with several non-profit organizations and educational institutions providing programs which help communities envision and enact their future. They travel to different provinces to train and develop existing leaders through seminars and conferences. These leadership training programs empower local citizens to more effectively give their time and talent for the betterment of their own family and community. Their vision is to see a new generation of fully committed leaders who would provide hope for the hopeless in their community.
Jorge & Jacinta Melos
PORTUGAL
According to recent statistics, Europe is the least evangelized continent in the world. With its 750 million people and with less than 4% attending church, Europe stands as the greatest challenge to modern day missions. Jorge and Jacinta have recently been approved as PAOC global worker candidates to Portugal. They plan to use affordable media platforms, including Facebook, YouTube and local cable television to take the gospel of Jesus Christ into every home in a nation that is in spiritual decline.
Ryan & Heather DeWeerd
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Heather and Ryan, along with their children, Liberty and Eddison, are called by God to equip and empower the national church in the DR and Haiti to fulfil the gospel mandate. As part of a larger team, they help direct strategic missions activities in the DR and Haiti, including: holistic community development projects, family ministries outreach such as training and developing girls through the Girls of Destiny empowerment program, directing their multi-denominational bible seminary (SETCAR), running volunteer teams, pastors and leaders training conferences and workshops, and other related activities. Their team also runs a Child Care Plus ministry in one of the local communities they minister in. The heart of their ministry is to help leaders be whole, empowered, and full of the Spirit so they can effectively reach the lost and hurting in the Name of Jesus.
Wayne & Anne Hilsden
JERUSALEM
Originally from Canada, Wayne and Ann arrived in Israel in 1983 to help Jim and Kathy Cantelon establish King of Kings. A few years later, Jim and Kathy followed the Lord to new adventures and Wayne became the senior pastor. Their love for Israel, worship and building up others in ministry in the land is evident in all they do.
Andrew Dhanipersad
U OF T, TORONTO
After hearing and responding to God's call, Andrew is returning to the University of Toronto, St. George (downtown) campus, as a Mission Canada worker. Andrew has served and ministered in many different capacities throughout the years as a pastor, chaplain, support group leader, providing pastoral care and counselling, and now as a missionary. He enjoys sharing the truth about Jesus Christ and having conversations with those who are looking for answers or just wondering about life.
Jeremy & Teresa Feller
ETHIOPIA
Jeremy was recently appointed to serve as the PAOC Africa Regional Director. From the foundation they have developed in Ethiopia, he seeks to expand the kingdom and make disciples through the unreached people across the continent. Jeremy’s heart beats to see the transforming gospel of Jesus Christ expand into the unreached portions of Africa that have yet to be engaged by the gospel, with a particular focus on North and West Africa. He also seeks to raise the next generation of missionaries to expand the kingdom of God.
Susan & Fred Smith
TURKEY
These missionaries have a desire to see everyone from among the Persian-speaking world have the opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ and be able to make their own personal decision to follow Him. They live their lives with the aim to be an example of Christ to everyone they encounter, and make themselves available to be used of God however He sees fit in order to plant seeds of faith into their hearts.
Brent Cantelon
GLOBAL WORKERS
For a number of years Carina and Brent have felt a stirring in their hearts. It is a sense of calling to a task they were willing to accept and yet uncertain as to how it would come about and when it would be asked of them. This burden is defined by an inescapable passion for evangelism and revival in Canada, as well as a desire to minister, strengthen and pour into global missions leaders and works. They are persuaded that the time to launch into a new full time role outside of pastoral ministry is now. By God’s grace, they will be fulfilling the role of a “Missionary/Evangelist and Pastor to Leaders”.
Jeff Futers
ISRAEL
In 1985 First Century Foundations was birthed out of prayer and a burning desire to bless the land and people of Israel through the love of God. Since then, the organization has grown to include teaching believers about the Hebraic roots of Christianity, expanding this message to digital media and reaching out to those who do not yet know Christ. In 2020, the vision was enlarged again and First Century Foundations USA was launched to bring the same challenge for prayer and blessing the land and people of Israel to partners in the United States.
Carlos Vieira
EQUADOR
Carlos Vieira is the director of the Onzole River Project which exists to serve the needs of the many communities located along the Onzole River. Through culturally relevant practices, they engage people with the life-giving Word and remain faithfully present with them to inspire and equip future generations to continue making positive changes in their communities. They are active in education, skills training and locally-initiated development.
Guret Ahmed
ETHIOPIA
Guret leads the Friendship Support Association, working to see a literate, healthy, self-reliant and productive community that is capable of solving its economic, social and environmental problems in Afar regional state. They seek to fill the gap in information, resource and technical skills in community-based development initiatives in order to bring sustainable change in community living conditions. They empower the Afar communities to manage their own economic, social, environmental and health problems and work towards a poverty-free society based on their own skills, knowledge and resources with a minimum dependence on external support.
Lynn & Ruby Johnston
INTERNATIONAL
Lynn and Ruby lead LAMb International, which is an international training and consulting ministry focused on equipping those who are working with vulnerable, exploited and orphaned children and their families. They have spent years training and developing leaders, workers, foster parents, adoptive parents and agency administrators. They are seeing nations take responsibility for their own learning by creating teams of trainers and systems to continue essential training in their own country. LAMb International was birthed out of Mapleview in 2002.
Hanna Massad
JORDAN
Pastor Hanna and his family lead Gaza Baptist Church in Gaza, Palestine. Gaza has one of the highest overall growth rates and population densities in the world, the population density in some areas reaching more than 3,000 inhabitants per square mile. In 1997 the number of Palestinian families at or below the poverty level, defined as $650 per person per year (less than $2 per day), stood at 40%. The Christian community in Gaza is estimated to be about 2,000 persons. This total comes from the only three churches in the whole of the Gaza Strip.
Christine & Darren Eisses
SOUTH AFRICA
Emmanuel’s Wish Foundation is called to reach out to ‘the least of these’ by providing respite care for those with HIV/AIDS, advocating for basic rights and providing community development through early childhood programs and parenting courses. They share the gospel and make Jesus Christ central to those we serve. In the past EWF has also undertaken other projects in South Africa, Kenya, and Haiti.
Ed Dickson
UKRAINE
Ed Dickson and his family have been serving God in Ukraine for over 20 years. They are helping orphan children, adults with special needs, hospitals, schools and planting new churches. Ed's ministry touches the lives of over 3,000 orphan children with everyday needs and creative ways of letting the children know they have a Father who loves them very much. Every Christmas Ed and his helpers take over 3,000 children, who rarely leave the orphanages, to McDonalds to celebrate Jesus' birthday. Also, every summer over 3,000 children are blessed with a wild summer Bible camp!
Samaritan's Purse
GLOBAL
Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.