David and Marilyn Graffenberger have been missionaries with OMS International since 1963, serving first in Haiti. In 1979, they joined the homeland staff at OMS International headquarters in Greenwood, Indiana. David coordinated overseas operations as director and vice president of Field Ministries (now International Ministries). Marilyn served in the Field Ministries office and then as assistant treasurer until they began their present assignment in 1988.
Until 2005, David, assisted by Marilyn, was the international director of the Every Community for Christ (ECC) ministry, the major evangelism and church-planting initiative of OMS International. ECC assigns small teams of two to six men or women to a specific area or group of people in their own country. The goal of each team is to lead people to Christ, establish them in their Christian faith, organize them into local congregations and train them to multiply more churches.
More than 450 ECC teams currently minister in 43 countries. Dedicated missionary men and women serve these teams as shepherds, giving oversight, encouragement and accountability to the team coordinators and team leaders through periodic visits, correspondence and prayer. David currently serves as shepherd for India and Haiti, and the Graffenbergers are spending extended periods of time in Haiti, beginning in September 2009.
In April 2005, David and Marilyn turned over their leadership responsibilities of ECC to capable men and women. David continues to assist Dean Davis, the new international director, as his special assistant.
From 1993 to 1998, David and Marilyn also gave leadership to the OMS CoMission teams of missionaries in Russia, Estonia and Eastern Europe. David was field leader in Russia from 1998 to 2000. Marilyn was the OMS Russia field treasurer from 1993 to 2001.
David serves on the board of the Moscow Evangelical Christian Seminary (Russia) and the Into Africa Planning Committee of OMS South Africa. He is also the chairman of the board of Mercy Incorporated, a humanitarian foundation related to OMS International.
The Graffenbergers make their home near Albany, Oregon. They have one son, Brian, who lives in Oregon with his wife, Susie. Brian and Susie have two young adult children, Levi and Kirsti, attending college.
Missionary ID #801193
