U. S. Northwest Regional Directors and ECC Shepherds

Bob and Suzanne Warren serve with OMS International as Northwest regional directors and as shepherds/trainers in Japan and South Korea for Every Community for Christ, OMS’ evangelism and church-planting ministry. Their call in the Northwest is to build a group of “world changers for Jesus” who desire to pray, give and go to reach the nations for Christ. Their international responsibilities involve training national workers in principles to build healthy, multiplying churches that will reach Japan and Korea with the Gospel. Bob and Suzanne’s most recent assignment was serving as interim president at an OMS-related seminary in Central Asia.

Planned Giving Department

 Diana Arndt joined OMS International in December of 1993. She serves as the administrator in the Planned Giving Department and as the manager for wills, estate planning, trusts, annuities and the pooled income fund program. Diana works closely with Steve Hoffman, gift and estate design officer, who is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

She was a stay-at-home mom while raising her four children (one child is now with Jesus), and she rejoined the workforce after her children were all in school. Diana’s previous employment was with the Senior Companion Program through Northeast Michigan Community Services Agency.

After giving her life to Christ in 1991, Diana felt led by God, and trusting Him, she and her daughter moved to Indiana from northeast Michigan in 1992. This was a huge step for them, but her faith and trust in God grew as He provided an apartment and jobs for them within a month. Diana worked at L.S. Ayres for a year and then came to OMS.

Associate Regional Directors, Northwest Region, USA

The Prestons serve with OMS International as directors of operations for the Northwest Region of OMS USA. Fred and Jennifer work as a team, supporting the Northwest regional director, primarily focusing on church and constituent relationships, student mission opportunities and short-term mission team logistics.

Fred has a bachelor’s degree in management and a degree in ministry. He is an ordained minister and has served with both The Salvation Army and the Evangelical Church of North America. Fred has served in a variety of capacities, including youth pastor, associate pastor and senior pastor. He has also participated in and led many short-term mission teams to locations that include Brazil, Argentina, Caribbean, Alaska, inner-city Atlanta, Burundi, Rwanda and Kenya.

USA Development

Meredith Kahle became familiar with OMS International through her
involvement in the OMS student center on the campus of Asbury College.
The student center is where she began to develop a real heart for missions.
She graduated from Asbury in May 2008 with a degree in Spanish and a
minor in Christian education. 

Two months after graduation, she left to serve in Spain for a year as a
short-term missionary, teaching English as a second language (TESL) in a
community north of Madrid and partnering with the church-planting team
in that area.

Meredith has now transitioned to be a part of the homeland staff. She works
at headquarters as assistant to the vice president of Development and for
Dynamic Women in Missions.

Missionary ID #802385

Vice-President of Development/Event Coordinator

Ron and Patty Collins joined OMS International full time in May 2003 to use God’s giftedness to them for His kingdom building and His glory.

Patty taught for 16 years before responding to a call into missions she received in her teen years. She served as a missionary teacher with OMS in Spain from 1987 to 1988 where she received a missionary field education that enabled her to minister with Ron throughout the CoMission years in Russia from 1992 through 1998. God made a perfect match. Patty’s field experience and teaching credentials paired with Ron’s business experience in management, contract negotiations and development allowed them the experience of living on the “cutting edge” as OMS was recognized as THE sending organization among 85 participating partner organizations.

Vice-President of Development/ECC

Ron and Patty Collins joined OMS International full time in May 2003 to use God’s giftedness to them for His kingdom building and His glory.

Patty taught for 16 years before responding to a call into missions she received in her teen years. She served as a missionary teacher with OMS in Spain from 1987 to 1988 where she received a missionary field education that enabled her to minister with Ron throughout the CoMission years in Russia from 1992 through 1998. God made a perfect match. Patty’s field experience and teaching credentials paired with Ron’s business experience in management, contract negotiations and development allowed them the experience of living on the “cutting edge” as OMS was recognized as THE sending organization among 85 participating partner organizations.

Mid-South Regional Representative/Extended Missionary Service

OMS MISSION STATEMENT

“By God’s grace, OMS International exists to establish responsible, Christ- centered churches among the nations.”

Bill and Judy Wilder serve as regional directors for the Mid-South region of OMS International. They promote the worldwide work of OMS, serving as missionary recruiters, raising prayer and financial support and partnering to place missionary speakers in churches, Sunday school classes, homes and Bible schools. They also capably share from their own experiences in Russia and other countries.

After being in business for 30 years, God called Bill and Judy to go to Russia in 1994, where they trained Russian schoolteachers in a Christian morals and ethics curriculum and initiated neighborhood Bible studies. In addition, Bill served as team leader for the city of Ivanovo. After returning from Russia, Bill and Judy felt that God was leading them into full-time mission work. They became full-time missionaries in 1995.

Iowa/Kansas/Missouri/Nebraska Regional Representatives

Vaughn and Cindy Telfer began their career ministry with OMS International in 1997 in the new field of Mozambique, ministering in evangelism, discipling and church planting.

During the tragic floods of 2000, Cindy cared for the health needs of hundreds of adults and children in relief camps, and Vaughn worked weekly with political leaders to establish a new community where more than 1,500 families, all victims of the flooding, were relocated. They organized flood relief camps, distributed more than 100 tons of food, oversaw the building of 34 flood relief homes and drilled two deep-water wells. Hundreds trusted in Jesus as Savior and were discipled, and scores were baptized, establishing a new church, preschool and ministry center in Khongolote. The Telfers assisted in opening the Maputo Bible Seminary in February of 2001. Vaughn directed the seminary for three years and has regularly taught as many as 40 students.

Associate Regional Director, ECC Shepherds, and CMT Trainer

Folmer and Marilyn Strunk have been Northwest regional directors for OMS International since 2002. They are also Every Community for Christ (ECC) shepherds in Asia.

Currently, they are serving as associate regional directors for the Pacific Northwest and ECC shepherds for the South Pacific, Singapore and Malaysia. Folmer is also a Church Multiplication Team (CMT) trainer for ECC. Our CMT members are learning to start churches with the vision and ability to reproduce themselves. They make disciples and maximize the gifts of the believers for spreading the Gospel among their own people. Folmer and Marilyn are key to training, equipping and empowering leaders for these Church Multiplication Teams.

Missionary ID #802254

California Region Representatives

James and Nell Oldham have been missionaries with OMS International since 1979, serving at the international headquarters in Greenwood, Indiana, and in Hong Kong, South Korea, the northwest region and in the southwest region. During their ministry at the OMS headquarters, James was chief accountant and Nell worked as a receptionist, in the accounting department and as director of English ministries in the Greenwood area.

Church Relations/Extended Missionary Services

Ken Milone serves as OMS International’s liaison for the church relations department in Greenwood, Indiana, and due to a lack of office space at the OMS world headquarters, Ken now has his office in their home. He assists in funding projects, works to gain more prayer support and funds for personnel and also assists Men for Missions International (MFMI) with gathering stories for Action magazine.

Before joining OMS, Ken was involved in factory management of AMF Wheel Goods Division, an Illinois bicycle and children’s toy manufacturer. Besides supervising 35 foremen and a 1,200-man force, he taught courses in management at Olney Central College. Later, he worked as AMF safety coordinator.

Associate Director, Central Region

Mike Kinner has served in missions with the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) for more than 23 years in several capacities. He and his wife, Debbie, first went to Kobe, Japan, as special assignment missionaries where they taught English as a second language and ministered in a local congregation. After returning to the States for additional education, Mike served as the warehouse and shipping clerk for that mission agency for a year and a half. In the summer of 1981, the Kinners were commissioned to go to Hong Kong as church-planting missionaries where they served until 1991. At that time, Mike was asked to take the assignment as regional coordinator for the Asia/Pacific region, which he continued through 2000. God led Mike in another direction in 2001 when he began a four-year assignment with World Gospel Mission, serving as program coordinator for Men With Vision.

Houghton Ministry Center

Bruce and Donna Hess serve in recruitment for OMS International. As missionaries-in-residence at Houghton College, they work with various campus and area programs to motivate students to do short- and long-term ministry overseas. From their office in Houghton, New York, they promote the worldwide work of OMS, facilitate the development of the Northeast Region Campus Ministry Center and encourage the efforts of the Northeast Region leaders.

Bruce, a third-generation missionary, became involved with OMS in 1959 when he spent a summer in Colombia. In 1963, following a year of language school in Costa Rica, he and Donna went to Colombia as career missionaries.

Besides teaching in the OMS Biblical Seminary of Colombia, Bruce pioneered and pastored several churches. His interest in literature led him to establish the Inter-American Bookstore. Ordained by the OMS-affiliated Colombian church, he served as a district leader and later as treasurer and president. In 1969, he initiated an Every Community for Christ program of door-to-door evangelism and church planting. He was named field superintendent in 1973 and field director in 1978.

World Intercessors

Having completed 19 years as missionaries to Taiwan, Phil and Lorna Chandler currently serve the Lord in the World Intercessors Department of OMS International. The son of missionary parents, Phil grew up in East Asia. Lorna is from Michigan. 

Following college, Phil went to Haiti to serve at the OMS International radio station, 4VEH.

After six years of teaching the blind, Lorna went to Haiti in 1971 to teach missionary children. Lorna and Phil met there, married and served in Haiti until 1975.

In 1980, they went to Taiwan, where Phil served in maintenance and had an extensive film ministry. In later years, they worked full time at Morrison Academy, the school for missionary children in Taichung, Taiwan. Lorna also worked a short time at a school for the blind in Taiwan.

Associate Director, Central Region/MFMI

OMS International accepted Garth as a career missionary in March 2006. He serves at the OMS World Headquarters as the associate director of the central region, working closely with the church relations department. He also gives office support to Men for Missions International (MFMI).

An Indiana native, Garth graduated from Indiana Vocational Technical College with an associate degree in fire science in 1992.

As a member of Christ United Methodist Church (CUMC) since 1987, Garth is a certified lay speaker and is a candidate for local lay pastor. He also leads praise and worship, teaches a Sunday school class for youth and adults, serves on the lay leadership committee and is a Scoutmaster for Troop 545 of CUMC. Garth is also on the board of directors of the Greater Indianapolis Area Emmaus.

God led Garth to full-time service as a missionary with OMS where he soon hopes to be fully funded so he can begin leading people on short-term mission trips. He retired after 21 years in the fire service to answer God’s call.

Donor Records Manager

Kelli Bryant came to OMS International headquarters in September 2000 to work in the Advancement Department as an administrative assistant to the vice president of the department. In this capacity, Kelli was responsible for handling memorial gifts and assisting with direct mail letters to help raise funds to purchase property for churches, build churches and renovate seminary and church structures.

In January 2003, Kelli took up the position of Development Department office manager, adding the responsibilities of working with foundations, planning special events and meeting with missionaries on home assignment to her duties. Kelli transferred in September 2004 to donor records manager, where she serves today, processing donations and faith promises as well as assisting OMS constituents with their inquiries.