Irving Whitt began his missionary career in Kenya, East Africa in 1970 when, along with his wife Ruth, he participated in leadership training for a growing national church. He taught at a ministerial training college preparing young men and women for service in a denomination numbering over 300,000 adherents at that time, and served in Kenya for 8 years.
After completing graduate studies in 1984 he inaugurated a mission major at Eastern Pentecostal Bible College in Peterborough, Ontario, where he chaired the department for 7 years. In 1990 he joined the faculty of Tyndale Seminary (Toronto, Canada) where he filled the role of Director of Intercultural Studies until 2000. (Irving holds both a masters and doctoral degree in the area of missions).
In May of 2000 he assumed the role of Missions Educations Coordinator with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, giving oversight to 30 theological institutions globally. After serving in that position for 5 years he was invited as Pastor of Global Outreach at the Peoples Church in Toronto Canada in January 2006. In October 2008 Irving returned to his former position with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, where he assists in the facilitating of training national church leaders in over 40 countries with PAOC GlobalEd - Missional Leadership Development Services.
George and Eileen are serving in Europe with NLI, church planting partners with the PAOC.
“As Regional Leaders, we will be forming teams of catalytic leaders who will inspire, train and support church planters in the Mediterranean Region (the countries of Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece). These are the historic geographical regions where the Apostle Paul planted churches, and from which the Christian mission emanated. But these nations now need a renewed missionary effort for the Gospel to be known again. For the most part, the people in these nations have abandoned their traditional Christian roots, opting instead for secular, humanistic lifestyles or they have turned to other world religions for their spiritual nurture. Less than 1 % would be connected to an evangelical church. The need is acute and the timing is right for a new movement of Pentecostal church planting in this region. Our experience as leaders of Mission Canada for the PAOC provides us with the experience and networks of skilled people to create missional movements in these post-Christian nations.
This is spiritually-hard ground. But we are called to break up the hard ground and plant the seeds of the Gospel so that a lives of millions of people will be redeemed and forever changed by God’s power. We covet the support o our Pentecostal family here in Canada—prayer, friendship and finances are necessary for this mission to be effective.”
The MacTavishes are senior associate pastors of the Bucharest International Church. This multi-cultural church community provides a setting for evangelism, discipleship and leadership development and offers a new spiritual dynamic among the emerging cultural generation. Oversight is given to sister church relationships, incoming ministry, and social concerns including the area of human trafficking. Contact is maintained with the Salem churches in Spain, bringing encouragement to the pastors and dozens of emerging young leaders.
As Romania joined the European Union in January 2007, there is a changing dynamic throughout the country. To relieve economic pressure or to take advantage of better opportunities, many families already have at least one member living outside of Romania. Pray that choices to stay or to leave the country will be made not out of fear and insecurity but with the desire to fulfill God's purposes and that those who remain to minister here will receive adequate provision to do so.
Pray for functional plans to develop financial resources from within Romania to benefit ministry personnel and endeavours.
Pray for greater influence in the social, political, educational and business arenas of the nation.
Pray for a passion and commitment within people to respond and participate in the diverse ministry opportunities that exist.
Adrian Thomas was born on the mission field in East Africa where his parents served with the PAOC and ELIM, for 25 years. He emigrated to Canada to attend the University of Toronto where he graduated with a B.Sc. degree and began to work in a medical laboratory in Toronto. In 1987 he attended the Urbana Missions convention where God changed the direction of his life. He left the medical laboratory for Bible College graduating from Eastern Pentecostal Bible College with his B.Th. degree with honors. Adrian then served as a full-time pastor with the POAC. During that time he organized and planned Mission trips to Guatemala, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He has spoken at international retreats and conventions for missionary children and teens. He is a gifted and anointed preacher of the Word of God and has seen the hand of God move in incredible ways in and through him. Since commencing the work in Nagua, hundreds have come to know Christ, leaders have been transformed, and hundreds of people have been healed by the power of God. Sharon Thomas was born in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and lived throughout Canada as her father served with the Canadian Armed Forces. Her father retired from the Armed forces when she was nine and they settled in Nova Scotia. After graduating from high school she attended Bible College and graduated with her diploma from Eastern Pentecostal Bible College in 1991. She then went on to take courses from McMaster University in counseling. Sharon has served in all areas of Church Pastoral Ministries, in youth ministry, community service ministry as well as co-leading mission trips to different parts of the world. Sharon is actively involved in leadership training. Some of her passions are to equip and empower women leaders, provide the tools children need to obtain an education. Sharon and Adrian work as a team, and minister with anointing among the pastors of the DR. Adrian and Sharon have served as full-time missionaries in the Dominican Republic since January 2004. In September 2007 they became Full Time Vocational Missionaries with the PAOC. The Dominican Republic is a new field for the PAOC and as co-founders of Every Day Ministries, they are laying the foundation to build a ministry that will change the Dominican Republic and the nations of the world. Their vision is to empower, equip and encourage national pastors and their families. As they establish this new work along the north coast of the island, in the city of Nagua, they are seeing God save, heal and equip EVERYDAY! Adrian and Sharon have three children, Kent, age 14, Luke, age 11, and Courtney, age 5. They serve together, as all family members are actively involved in reaching the lost for Christ.
Missionary Blog: http://www.everydayministries.com/blog/
God put a burden on the Shaw's for India in the mid ’90s. On November 29, 1999, they arrived in the City of Joy (Calcutta) with the intent of staying for only one to two years. They have been there ever since. Doing their part to reach some of India’s more than two million street children, they minister to orphaned and vulnerable children, child drug addicts in train stations and sex workers in the red-light districts.
After an exciting 5-year apprenticeship leading the PAOC team in Mozambique, Stephen and Heather now live in Nairobi and lead PAOC AFRICA. What an unbelievable continent! Challenges and opportunities on every side!
They lead an 85 member team of evangelists, doctors, nurses, teachers, pastors, professors, administrators. experts and apprentices. God has sent us all and together, by His grace, we are undoubtedly one of the greatest teams on earth!
With a few notable exceptions, Africa's economy has stagnated for 40 years. Poverty and disease are at crisis proportions and foster unbeleivable suffering! Thank God for ERDO and humanitarian aid!
However, all the humanitarian aid that the world sends is powerless against the unseen spiritual forces that are at work on the continent. AFRICA needs to be set free by the power of God!
Contact them directly at: schaloner@paoc.org.
Prayer Focus:
Pray that they will be able to capitalize on healthy relationships with national church leaders and provide innovtive leadership and mentorship programs within Africa.
Pray for a strong team spirit on the missionary team!
Pray that God will send them abundant resources and grace them with the wisdom to apply them strategically!
Missionary Blog: http://paocafrica.spaces.live.com/
The Bantseevs are pastoring a church of approximately 1,000 people in Novokuznetsk, a city of 600,000 people. Their congregation ministers in prisons, orphanages, and to people with life controlling problems or addictions. Also, they organize various ministry and missionary teams to plant churches throughout Siberia and share the Gospel with professional groups such as doctors, athletes, government officials and police.
We'd like to share with you a few praise reports for which we are so grateful to God:
1) Although the heat in our church has not been turned on, all three Sunday services are full. People continue to get saved, and we are planning to start a fourth service.
2) We're grateful to God that 84 new believers were baptized this year.
3) New church and rehab centers have started east, west, and south of Novokuznetsk.
4) The Russian channel on the internet has been launched. Sermons can now be watched on www.thestreamtv.com (To find, go to TV Channels, then Russian Channel)
5) Approximately 50% of the congregation is actively involved in various ministries. The church has adopted a goal for 2010 which is to multiply those who are serving.
None of this would be possible if it weren't for your continual prayer and financial support for this ministry.
We sincerely thank God for you! May God bless you with the presence and leading of Christ in all that you do!
We love you dearly!
Ilya & Janet
Missionary Video: http://www.paoc.org/video/BantseevsMinistry.htm
Sergio and Nancy are the directors of the Village of Hope orphanage and school in Zambia, which ministers to 585 needy children. The Village of Hope School runs classes from preschool to grade 11. The children attending have the added blessing of a daily feeding program and chapel services twice a week. Sergio oversees all of the building projects at the Village of Hope and at Trans-Africa Theological College. Nancy coordinates the Child Care Plus program for Zambia.
Missionary Website: http://www.vohafrica.com/
Paul and Vicky pastor Church in the City, at three different locations in downtown Toronto. Along with Sunday ministry, they are involved in homework clubs, feeding the homeless, and working with addicts and youth.
Missionary Website: http://www.churchinthecity.ca/
Welcome to the online community of Cedarview Community Church, located in Newmarket, Ontario. Browse our site and visit us this week for a variety of programs and activities that proclaim the worth of Jesus Christ!
January 29, 2012 AM | Don Horban
Sometimes we get so used to half listening to internet and TV all week that it's hard to turn off the habit when we come to church on Sunday. Immersing yourself in God's Word is one thing,...