Every Community for Christ

Rich and Anita Yoder were commissioned as missionaries at the July 2004 OMS International conference and look forward to assisting nationals around the world in effectively reaching tens of thousands for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Over the past three years Rich and Anita have traveled to the Caribbean for ministry. They have conducted leadership seminars for pastors as well as met with individual pastors for times of prayer and support. They have also distributed many Christian books, children’s videos and over-the-counter medicines, all of which are in very short supply in the Caribbean.

They are excited about God’s call in their lives to expand ministry by serving God full time with Every Community for Christ (ECC), the evangelistic arm of OMS International. ECC is a worldwide ministry that reached nearly 80,000 souls for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ in 2003.

International Leadership Developer

Tom and Jan Sparrow have been missionaries with OMS since 1975. Beginning their ministries in Ecuador, they have served as teachers, disciplers, administrators and church planters. Among the highlights of their ministry in Ecuador is the establishment of the large Encounter with God Church in Guayaquil and helping establish several thriving churches in the northern mountains of Ecuador.

Jan is a social worker who, in addition to her overseas mission ministries, has special ministries that include working with women in crisis pregnancies, foreign adoptions and teaching abstinence curricula in public schools.

As the son of OMS missionaries to Latin America, Tom enjoys a unique rapport and relationship with Spanish-speaking people. He has taught at the OMS-related training ministries in Mexico, the Philippines, Haiti, Venezuela, South Korea and India. Tom currently helps OMS train its overseas church leaders through teaching, counseling and preparing training materials. To be better equipped for those ministries, Tom is currently pursuing a doctor of ministry degree at Asbury Theological Seminary.

Director of International Ministries

Randy and his wife, Linda, were missionaries in Colombia from 1977 to 1994. Randy, as professor of New Testament, taught Bible, theology, and Greek at the OMS-related Biblical Seminary of Colombia. During much of this time he served as academic dean of the seminary. He served as Colombia’s field director from 1989-94.

In 1994, OMS named Randy vice president of Human Resources for the worldwide missionary organization. In this position, he was responsible for placing personnel where their gifts and experience could best be expended in the mission's goal of "reaching the nations" with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In 1999, Randy began to serve as International Regional Director for Latin America. In that position, he assisted field and church leaders with strategic decisions and troubleshooting.

Member Care Director
Coordinator Women’s Ministries

In 1983 God called Jim and Sue Smith from their busy secular careers in nursing and business to serve as missionaries with OMS International in Ecuador, South America. For 19 years they served the Lord and Ecuadorian people through a variety of ministries: discipleship, church planting, women and children’s ministries, medical ministry, theological education, administration, MK dorm parenting, and as liaisons to the Association of National Churches in the southern mountain and jungle districts.

In May 2004 they returned to the United States to assume the positions of Member Care Director and Coordinator of Women’s Ministries at OMS International World Headquarters in Greenwood, Indiana.

As Member Care Director, Jim supervises the pastoral care team and programs for OMS missionaries around the world. Member care is designed to help missionaries as they cope with cross-cultural, ministry, and personal stresses and other critical care needs. He also works in conjunction with Member Development in the training aspects of OMS.

Latin America/Caribbean Region Director

Mike and Bonnie Shrode received their call to missionary service while Mike was working in the Texas oilfields and Bonnie was teaching in elementary school. OMS International, Inc., headquartered in Greenwood, Indiana, was the mission organization to which God led them, and in 1979, they left their home in Texas for language school in Costa Rica.

They arrived in Ecuador in July 1980 with their three children—Kelly, Troy and Jeremiah. In 1986, their youngest daughter, Jessica, joined the family.

Early in their ministry, Mike worked in evangelism and church planting, and Bonnie taught in the mission school. In 1984, they moved to the capitol city of Quito and spent the next thirteen years as dorm parents for boarding students—mainly the children of missionary families.

Asia/Pacific Regional Director

After pastoring for nearly 20 years in the U.S., Bill and Joyce sensed God’s call to missions and became a part of OMS International in 1977. They served as the Northwest regional directors until January 1983 when they went to the Philippines to help pioneer OMS work there.

They had a rich and fulfilling ministry in this needy country where they served until the year 2000. During this time, the mother church they helped start grew to a weekly attendance of 1,200, and an additional 15 churches were also started. Bill and Joyce also had the joy of seeing Faith Bible College come into existence. Bill served as president, and both he and Joyce taught in the Bible College.

In 2000, they led the missionary team to Ireland to begin a new OMS ministry there.

IRD/Professor

Scott and Kathy Murphy have served in Madrid, Spain since 1982 as missionaries with OMS International. Scott is the OMS International Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. Kathy is the librarian and professor of music and worship at the United Evangelical Theological Seminary in El Escorial, Madrid, where Scott also serves as a tutor in the counseling course. Both assist with a new church planting effort northwest of Madrid.

In 1978, Scott received his B.A. degree in psychology from Taylor University. He completed requirements in 1982 for his Master of Divinity degree in counseling from Asbury Theological Seminary. Raised in Brazil by OMS missionary parents, Scott joined OMS as a career missionary in 1981.

Kathy served in Haiti as a single missionary with OMS from 1977 until 1979. Her undergraduate degree from Asbury College is in piano performance. In 1981 she completed her Master of Arts in Religion degree in church music at Asbury Seminary.

Field Director/Church Planters

Jonathan Morton, from the United Kingdom, joined OMS International in December 1994. After studying language for one year in Costa Rica, he was assigned to Mexico. During his first two years of ministry in Mexico, he met Lupita, and they got married in July 1997. They have been serving in Mexico since that time.

Jonathan and Lupita started the OMS Mexico Social Outreach Evangelism and Church Planting program. This is a ministry that uses social outreach tools, such as medical work, drug rehabilitation, breakfast clubs, etc. as a way to meet people at their point of need, build up friendships and trust and share Christ with them. As a result of the Social Outreach Evangelism, different churches in Mexico have experienced growth, and also, new churches have been established and planted.

Administrative Assistant

I always wanted to be a missionary, but….could God ever use me? Joetta wanted to be a missionary from the time she met her first real missionary at age 10. She went on her first short-term mission trip to Haiti in 1977 and subsequently took several other mission trips there, once for two years. With each trip to Haiti, God dealt more intensely with her heart about full-time Christian service. After working in the corporate world for 15 years, Joetta left her secular career and became a missionary to Haiti in 1995.

Joetta is from Franklin, Pennsylvania. She was raised in a Christian home and accepted Christ as a young girl. She was very active in her local church. Joetta is appointed jointly by The Mission Society and OMS International.

During her 10 years in Haiti, Joetta served as children’s ministry coordinator, field treasurer and later as administrator of the Bethesda Medical Clinic. In addition, she led chapel at Cowman International School and taught courses in the Emmaus Biblical Seminary.

Assistant, International Ministries Department

Suzy serves OMS as an assistant in the International Ministries Department. Her work includes facilitating mailings to donors regarding the students they support, thank you notes to donors and promotional materials about various mission programs.

Suzy’s interest in mission work first began when she served in the Peace Corps in the Fiji Islands. While there, she participated in Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship program, visiting inmates on a weekly basis. Suzy’s first experience with OMS was in 1990 when she served for two months as a summer intern in Indonesia.

She grew up in Madisonville, a small town in Western Kentucky. Suzy pursued an undergraduate degree at Kentucky Wesleyan College, where she double majored in library sciences and psychology. Upon her return from the Peace Corps, she attended Indiana University, where she received her master’s degree in library and information sciences.

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 was the International Director of the Every Community for Christ (ECC) ministry, the major evangelism and church-planting initiative of OMS International. This form of intensive evangelism involves small teams of two to six men or women assigned 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.

Spanish Ministries

Colleen Fitch served in Madrid, Spain, with OMS International from 1986-1998. She taught in various OMS seminaries, served as the director of Christian education in the Evangelical Tabernacle, and was a member of the team that planted the Chamartìn Church on the north side of Madrid. She was involved in evangelism, women’s ministries, discipleship, Christian education and training of church leadership.

Colleen has a B.A. from Asbury College and an M. Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary. She is currently finishing an M.A. in Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary.

At Large Ministries

David and Celia Dick have served as missionaries with the Evangelical Congregational Church under OMS International since December 1980. David and Celia originate from Western Pennsylvania. They grew up within ten miles of one another, met during their high school years and married in 1966. They have two adult married sons, Ryan and Daniel. Ryan, his wife Leanne and their daughter, Kathryn, reside in Austin, Texas. While Daniel, his wife Ali and his daughter, Elise, reside in Lexington, Kentucky.

Following graduation from high school, during the Vietnam War, David served in the U.S. Air Force in Thailand, and Celia was a legal secretary and graphics arts composer. Upon discharge from the military, David worked as a manufacturing engineer, and Celia worked as a medical secretary until they received God’s call on their lives to cross-cultural missions.

International Coordinator, STRAIGHT TO THE HEART Abstinence Ministry

Deanna Cathcart has served as the International Coordinator for Straight to the Heart Abstinence Ministry with OMS International since 1998. She encourages young people to reach for and attain their goals by living a holy life, pleasing to the Lord, by resisting the lies of the “safe sex” message.

The devastation of sex outside of marriage is all around us, but God’s truth can set us free and young people need to hear the truth. Deanna teaches sexual abstinence until marriage in the United States and overseas. She shares with teenagers, parents, single adults, medical personnel, university and seminary students, and church leaders. Deanna also encourages pastors to stand and fight in this spiritual battle and trains national co-workers to teach and evangelize through this ministry.

OMS initially got involved in teaching abstinence when the people of Mozambique requested help with AIDS education. However, the need for this teaching is so overwhelming in every area of the world, particularly within the church, that Deanna was given permission to develop this ministry worldwide.

International Region Director, Africa

Date of Birth: 26/05/1952
Place of Birth: Durban, South Africa
Marital Status: Married to Dee since 15/12/1973.

Dee is a grade 3 school teacher. We have two children, Brandon (29) and Taryn (27) both still single. Brandon works for Reuters in London, and Taryn is an actress who free-lances in South Africa.

Educational Qualifications:

1. B Com – University of Natal, South Africa, 1973
2. Advanced Certificate in Road Transportation, Department of Transport, 1982
3. Diploma in Theology, Baptist Theological College, 1992

Work History:
Bruce worked in the corporate world up until 1997. He has held the positions of vice president in distribution and logistics with both the Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola bottlers in South Africa.

Christian Testimony: