Meet Our Missionaries
Marvin Church is proud to support full-time missionary individuals or couples around the world. Some are in our back yard, so to speak, and some are on the other side of the world. The Marvin Mission Team coordinates support of these missionaries, not only monetarily, but with prayer, cards, letters, emails and Facebook messages. The Mission Team keeps up with their successes or hardships with reports at monthly meetings. Support comes from the entire Marvin membership through the church budget. Aren’t we glad to be part of a mission church that has big hearts and big hands serving our neighbors!
ROBERT AND ROBERTA ADAIR
Asian Access
Robert and Roberta serve in northeast Japan (impacted by the March 11, 2011, 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami). Partnering with an established Christian church, they look for places and means to establish new communities of faith among the 99 percent of Japanese people who do not know Jesus as their personal Savior. Teaching English to their Japanese friends gives them the perfect opportunity to witness about Jesus Christ.
Learn about Asian Access
PATTY BECK
Youth with a Mission
Patty Beck has served with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) since 1985. Her work with this organization over the years has involved several areas of service, including leading numerous short-term teams to more than 40 nations and training students and staff members in areas of practical development, character development and spiritual discipleship. In addition, she has given oversight to the development and production of communication materials that have served the pioneering projects of the mission. Currently she oversees the area of operations at one of YWAM’s largest campuses and equips members in organizational and management areas to further the work of the ministry. Her passion is to disciple and help the next generation discover and walk in their potential, while spreading the work of the kingdom around the world.
Learn about Youth with a Mission
KATHERINE EWING
Love Mercy International
Katherine has worked with Youth With a Mission for more than 40 years. Now she is working with Debbie Lascelles in their new ministry Love Mercy International. Locally, at LMI, Katherine helps disciple at risk youth. Internationally she helps AIDS widows start small businesses to fight poverty. Katherine challenges people to read the Bible aloud; any chapter, anywhere, any time.
Learn about Love Mercy International
CHRISTY AND CHRIS HILL
Program for Humanitarian Aid (PHA)
Chris and Christy Hill are the co-executive directors of the Christian nonprofit Program for Humanitarian Aid (PHA). They have committed their lives to serving orphans, at-risk youth and those in need of humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
Their journey into this ministry began in 2014 when they embraced their roles as full-time leaders, managing operations both in Ukraine and in the US. After 11 years of marriage and successful careers in the secular world, God led them into this ministry. Both graduates of Texas A&M University, they proudly call Tyler, Texas, their home. Their faith is a cornerstone of their lives, and they are active members of Marvin Methodist Church.
Throughout the year, Chris and Christy make trips to Ukraine, where they passionately divide their time between on-the-ground service and raising awareness for the ministry in the United States. Their commitment to PHA is unwavering and through God’s blessing, PHA has a profound impact on those we serve.
Learn How PHA Serves | ProgramForHumanitarianAid.org
JANICE JOHNSON
Youth with a Mission
Janice joined the ministry team at YWAM in 1990. She has served in many areas including accounting and communications. For many years she has faithfully served in the IT department. Given that so much of everyday life is now based around, and dependent upon, technology, Janice’s work is critical to the smooth running of every department on the campus, as well as the wi-fi needs in staff / student accommodation. She also loves to get to know the students who come to the mission training schools, making them feel welcome and appreciated. She can often be found talking with them over lunch in the cafeteria or during one-on-one time when she has the opportunity to mentor them and speak into their lives.
Learn about Youth with a Mission
DEBBIE AND CHRIS LASCELLES
Youth with a Mission
Since the early '90s, Chris and Debbie Lascelles have served as missionaries with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). They have traveled the globe and helped meet practical needs of people and shared the Gospel. Chris is originally from New Zealand and is currently receiving training in the field of animated filmmaking as a means to reach a younger audience. Debbie is the founder and director of Love Mercy International.
Learn about Youth with a Mission
ANASTASIE AND JEAN-CLAUDE MOUDITOU
Youth with a Mission
Jean Claude and Anastasie Mouditou are Missionaries from Congo Brazzaville in Central Africa. Twenty-five years ago, they received the call to serve the Lord as agricultural teachers. Previously they worked five years with Youth with a Mission and Mercy Ships for nine years in Western Africa. In 2011, the Lord brought them to the United States to study. Jean Claude is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas, with a master’s in soil science. After 25 years of ministries, the Lord gave them a vision to start an Agriculture school to help their fellow Africans. In 2020 they started an 501(c) 3 tax exempt nonprofit organization named Organic Farming International.
Their vision is to train people in organic farming, helping those in need to produce healthy food, generate income and make disciples. Students receive training for six months and then go back to their communities and train others as well. Jean Claude and Anastasie’s plan is to build agriculture training centers across western and central Africa. The first center will be established in Togo (West Africa). Later, they hope to extend the center in countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leonne and Congo.
Learn about Youth with a Mission
ALFRED NJAU
Amazing Grace Church and School, Tanzania, Africa
After attending Perkins School of Theology at SMU, Rev. Njau graduated from Africa University Seminary in Zimbabwe and is now getting his doctor of ministry degree from Truett Seminary. In addition to that, he is spreading the gospel in a part of the world where there are few Christians. Currently Njau serves as the pastor for his church plant, Amazing Grace United Methodist Church in Bunju, Dar es Salaam near the coast of Tanzania, Africa. Since the planting of that church there has been a preschool and a primary school added. The preschool has been operating since 2021, while the primary school still remains under construction with major progress having been made this year (2023). Rev. Njau said, “I believe to God everything is possible.”
REV. PAUL RENJITHAN
Bombay, India
Rev. Paul Renjithan is the pastor at Marvin and Brighton Methodist Prayer and Social Welfare Center. At this church they have Sunday morning worship services, Sunday School classes and weekly prayer, and they offer Vacation Bible School in November after the rainy season ends. They also have a sewing class, a night study space for people to come and study since they do not often have space at home to do so, and they help teach women how to start small businesses so they can help provide for their families. Additionally, once a year the church has a church-wide picnic to help foster community and celebrate what the Lord is doing in their congregation.
Future plans for Rev. Paul and the church include starting a medical clinic with qualified and dedicated doctors to improve the health care of the people. They continue to teach and train women in micro financing to help women in slum areas start self-employment opportunities. One way they do that is by teaching sewing and doormat making classes (using old clothes) to women in the slum areas. Additionally, beautician classes and childcare training will be started to provide more job opportunities for self-employment.
