Our Missionaries

After years in the Lake Victoria area, we are now inland in Tabora, Tanzania, an area that in every way is needy: physically, spiritually, and economically. Our priority is for reaching the unreached Nyamwezi people, of whom the majority affiliate with Islamic values, often mixed with folk animism. Our aim is to work together with church leaders who are committed to opening up new areas to Christianity, training them for cross-cultural work, equipping and encouraging them to disciple others. Our prayer is that the Nyamwezi would soon be a people group that professes Christ as Savior, growing to maturity.

Our desire is to help equip the church in Loja, Ecuador, to proclaim Jesusʼ name throughout southern Ecuador. Growing Pastors is our main ministry, and its objective is to equip and encourage pastors and lay leaders through building relationships and offering workshops and conferences to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the Word. One of the most effective ways we minister is through ESI – Equipping Servants. Itʼs a three-year program designed to give a solid biblical foundation, to encourage pastors to build up a team of leaders to serve with them, and to build relationships and set up accountability among participants. We are also involved in several local churches. Janeen has trained and built relationships with childrenʼs teachers and has taught alongside them.

Ken and Kathy Hoffman are “mobile missionaries”. They became COD missionaries in 1977 and served two terms in Bolivia, South America. In 1985 they transitioned to an administrative role in the U.S. offices, and for over 20 years they helped international workers serving in over 20 countries among the least reached peoples of the world. Being sensitive to the benefits of member care at the point of need, God directed them to form the “Timothy Team” in 2008 (See 1 Thess 3:2). Their focus is to assist workers where they minister. In this endeavor, their ministry has taken them numerous times to the Philippines and Kurdistan. In addition they have helped workers in Spain, Thailand, Netherlands and Asia Minor. Each trip is an adventure as God faithfully confirms His direction in their lives and graciously enables them in a variety of ministries.

Kris and Heather Hoffman are following Godʼs call to ministry by serving as dorm parents for missionary kids at the Evangelical Christian Academy (ECA), near Madrid, Spain. They are working to establish and run a boarding program for teenage missionary kids whose parents serve in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. They are incredibly excited to be able to minister to their favorite people group: missionary kids (MKs). Kris and Heather have four missionary kids of their own, and Kris is an MK himself. Their plan is to stay in Spain long-term, which is necessary to have an effective ministry to the MKs, and also to establish a solid foundation for the school to have a healthy and permanent boarding program.

Colin has been serving with Eternal Truth Ministries since 1990 in North Carolina. He trains and disciples pastors and leaders, and especially enjoys training them how to make disciples in their churches. He travels to Romania, Ukraine and other parts of the world training and encouraging pastors as well.

We have served in Kenya and Tanzania for a combined 20 years, mostly with Africa Inland Mission doing pioneer church planting in unreached areas. Now Colin has been appointed to direct all of AIMʼs outreach in East Africa in the role of regional executive officer. We are responsible for 170 adult missionaries and their children: to make sure that they are effectively placed and have the support they need to bring the gospel to the unreached tribes of Kenya and Tanzania. The geographical area is vast (as large as Arizona, New Mexico and Texas combined, but without the interstate highway system), so it requires a lot of travel to stay in touch with everyone. But we also look for opportunities for hands-on discipleship wherever Jesus sends us.

COD member Steve Quatro heads up Eternity Sports, a national ministry focused on equipping churches to employ sports as a way to reach out and make disciples.

He also leads an indoor soccer league that meets weekly at the church to play competitive soccer, build friendships and learn more about Jesus. It’s open to men and women who are at least 14 years old.

David and Joy have spent their entire adult lives in Mexico as Bible translators. They raised their kids there and continue living and serving there (currently in Orizaba), working with a team of local translators and churches to see the Bible completely translated in the Nawatl language. Besides leading the Nawatl language translation team, David also travels all over the world, teaching linguistic students Bible translation skills.

Judy and I love the bride of Christ and we’re committed that the local church is at the center of God’s plan to reach the nations during the age of grace. I believe the church has lost its way. Pursuing numbers and growth, church leaders and churches tend to disregard Jesus’ two greatest priorities—making disciples and loving one another.

Recentered Group was organized as a 501c(3) to provide a platform for Judy and me to equip and encourage churches, church leaders and missionary teams to develop sustainable ministries by recentering their priorities to Jesus’ Great Commandment and Great Commission. We do this through consulting, mentoring, teaching, and writing. It started out as a part time adventure, but God is now calling Judy and me to this work full time, applying the lessons we’ve learned in over four decades of pastoral ministry. Our heart is to help churches get healthy and thrive by equipping leaders to make disciples and helping them build high trust cultures where leaders love one another well.
For more info, visit us at Recentered Group www.recenteredgroup.com

Mark and Esther first headed to Southern Mexico as young adults. They have dedicated their lives to learning the Meʼphaa language, creating an alphabet, and translating Bible into the Meʼphaa language. They have developed a team of local translators and are nearing their goal of one day having the entire Bible translated for the Meʼphaa people to be able to read and study Godʼs Word in their heart language.

Doug and Ruth serve with Reach Beyond (formerly HCJB Global), on loan to SonSet Solutions. They served in Ecuador for 21 years before relocating to Elkhart, Indiana in 2014. Doug is leading a new initiative to develop evangelistic content that can be shared on mobile devices (cell phones, tablets, etc). This is part of a new effort to find ways to use mobile technology on the mission field. Doug also heads up the communications department for SonSet Solutions. In this role, he is involved in content creation for the web page, social media, quarterly newsletter, email news, brochures, etc.

Rebecca teaches full-time at the Evangelical Christian Academy (ECA) in Camarma de Esteruelas, just outside of Madrid, Spain. She ministers to children of missionaries, and is intentional about looking for ways to connect with people in the surrounding community as well.