Missions
The objective of the JBC Mission Committee is to inform our congregation in the field of missions, and our missionaries, that we help support, throughout the world. Also to be the liaison between the church body and our missionaries in the field.
Our Missionaries
The families and workers we support throughout the world.
Kevin and Kaori Laverman
Primary Ministry
Establishing a church for returnees in Kawasaki, Japan
Prayer Needs
Pray that more Japanese men would be reached and take on spiritual leadership in their homes and churches. Pray that Christians of wealth in this area would use their financial means for the advancement of God's kingdom.
Major Challenges
Work pressures on Japanese businessmen squeeze out time for spiritual priorities. For Christians, who make up a tiny 0.6 percent of the population, the task of touching the larger culture with the gospel can seem daunting.
The People
Yokohama is an area of strong foreign influence and wealth. People maintain a hectic lifestyle of professional and educational development. Several of the members of Grace Chapel are returnees from time spent abroad.
John and Stella White
Primary Ministry
Training future Christian leaders and missionaries at the Ukrainian Evangelical Theological Seminary (UETS), which has hundreds of graduates serving across the former Soviet Union
Prayer Needs
Pray that God would use us to teach his Word and develop deep relationships with students who will start new churches and impact old ones throughout the former Soviet Union. Pray, too, for God to have mercy upon the people of Ukraine, to bring peace and justice to the war-torn East, and to somehow use this horrible situation for good.
Major Challenges
It is their challenge to equip a new generation of church leaders to share God's Word and love in a quickly changing society caught between atheistic communism and materialistic capitalism and currently dealing with armed conflict and massive numbers of refugees.
The People
John and Stella serve students from all over the former Soviet Union.
Lucio and Amanda Gallo
Agency & Affiliation
Fellowship International Mission (FIM); Edificando Sobre El Fundamento (ESEF / Building on the Foundation).
Background & Calling
Lucio grew up in Argentina, and Amanda is from Connecticut. They initially met in Salta, Argentina, while Amanda was on a short-term missions trip with her home church from Connecticut, having both studied at a Word of Life Bible Institute in Argentina. They have been serving under FIM since 2015, though their ministry in Argentina began in 2010.
Family Structure
Two daughters: (as of Sep 2026) ages 12 and 9. The girls are homeschooled, providing flexibility for the family to travel.
Ministry Strategy & Focus
Focuses on a three-pronged strategy: planting churches, preparing leaders, and providing revitalization help to existing local churches.
So far, they have planted six churches, including five in Argentina and one in Rhode Island. Their latest plant, City Church in Salta, celebrated its first anniversary on May 4, 2026.
Lucio serves as the director and teaches at the Salta Bible Institute, which currently houses 56 onsite students and a staff of 15 local Argentinian missionaries.
Amanda manages social media and tech, conducts ESL classes, and teaches women's leadership classes. Together, they lead workshops on family relationships and the Christian home.
Jesse and Kylie Slebodnik
Agency & Affiliation
WorldVenture.
Background & Calling
Their long-term missionary calling is uniquely structured around reaching Muslim populations with limited access to Christianity. This direction developed out of a prayerful desire to serve unreached people groups, which ultimately aligned with strategic needs in Europe. They maintain a firm commitment to a long-term presence on the field (12 to 15+ years) to build deep relational trust.
Ministry Context & Strategy
Stationed in the 18th Arrondissement of Paris, France—a region of roughly 200,000 residents where the population is over 50% Muslim.
They partner directly with Tabernacle Church, a multicultural evangelical church of approximately 200 attendees representing over 50 nations.
Jesse's primary responsibilities center on teaching, preaching, and following up with Muslim-background seekers. Kylie emphasizes women’s discipleship and local relational outreach.
Their immediate operational priority is intense French language acquisition to deepen their ministerial depth and effectiveness.
John and Zorifah Cornish
Agency & Affiliation
Missionary Companion Ministries.
John was previously a missionary in Pakistan. He returned home and currently his ministry is based in New York City and New Jersey. He uses high density public areas, specifically the NYC subway system and JFK airport taxi holds, for direct, relational evangelism and literature distribution. He uses specialized “Evangelism Explosion” tracts printed in English and Spanish to engage pedestrians, commuters and laborers. He also has outreaches to the Muslim Community.
Their ministry extends internationally through training and indigenous partnerships in Pakistan and India. They make frequent trips back to Pakistan and India. They coordinate with and support indigenous pastors navigating shifting religious climates and persecution in West Bengal, India and sustain a long term ministry network in Pakistan.
Tim and Sarah Downs
Ivory Coast · WorldVenture
Background
Sarah grew up in a missionary family in China. Tim grew up in a missionary family in the Ivory Coast.
Their Vision
God has given them a vision to see lives changed by Jesus through the establishment of a permaculture training center in Ivory Coast, Africa. With this training center, pastors will be able to learn to support their families as they plant churches and continue in ministry.
JBC Support
JBC began supporting them in 2024.
Jeff and Karen Grant
Campus Crusade USA
Vision
Serving God on College Campuses to bring the Gospel to College students in a relevant way
Background
Jeff and Karen Grant attended and met at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
After graduating they both had a desire to serve God in full time ministry.
They were captured by the passion of Cru introduced to them through a Focus member. Currently Jeff finds one of the largest opportunities to reach young people on college campuses is through gaming and entertainment. He feels his mission is to find Christians who love these things and show them how to do them in a way that honors God and teach them to be a light for Jesus to non-Christians in that space.
Ireni Mota
Brazil · WorldVenture
Background
Ireni Mota grew up and serves in San Paulo, Brazil. Her husband is Paulo and they have two grown children.
Restoration Ministries Ministry Vision
Transforming underprivileged children at Restoration Ministries (RM) is an exciting outreach ministry to the poor and downcast in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The ministry reaches into children’s lives through many opportunities, including weekly evangelism programs in different slum areas, home visitation, church planting, leadership training, on-going discipleship, and the offering of several different classes which help develop the whole individual. These include English, Brazilian martial arts, drama and music, as well as a camp ministry. A key ministry area for RM is in partnership with American churches through the receiving of short-term ministry teams and individuals who work with the ministry through different projects and program
Denise McCarthy
California · CCTI Children In Crisis
Background
Initially Denise and her husband were missionaries in Africa to the Muslim population. However, they returned to the United States because of medical issues.
Current Ministry
Currently Denise is working under the ministry of Crisis Care Training International (CCTI)
CCTI is a Christ-Centered, faith based organization that integrates Christian values into its mission and training. It ministers to meet the urgent needs of children experiencing trauma due to abuse, neglect, abandonment or exploitation through Christ – centered training and resources. The organization focuses on training non-clinical personal, educators, government workers and aid organization members to understand the respond effectively to the traumatic experiences of children.
John and Pat Madden
NW Arkansas · Wycliffe
Organization
Wycliffe is an international mission organization dedicated to translating the Bible into every language in the world so that God’s word can be spread universally.
Roles
John is the Associate Director of Church Engagement and events and Workforce Mobilization Coordinator.
John and Patty joined Wycliffe 15 years ago and count it a privilege to be part of the Bible translation movement. John serves as the Director of Partnerships and Events in the Church Realations Department. Patty serves in the Global Workforce Services as a Workforce Mobilization Coordinator. They make their home in NW Arkansas and serve on a National basis.
Partner Organizations
Ministries we partner with closer to home.
The Open Door
America's Keswick
Partner in the work
Your giving helps send and sustain our missionaries around the world. Reach out to learn more about missions at JBC.