Missions

Missions

Our church supports multiple missionaries as part of our commitment to reach the world. We support both North American and Global Missions. Like it says in Mark 16:15, He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

So we invite you to join us in the global mission. You can make a pledge of support and give through our church to help this cause. Help support those who are giving so much to reach our world.

 

Missionaries We Support

 

Corey and Dawn Beebe
Missionaries to Malta

Corey and Dawn attended Gateway College of Evangelism. They were married in 2004 and returned to South Carolina in 2006 to assist Corey’s father in their home church for over seven years. They then pastored a church in Franklin, North Carolina and served there for four years before God called them into Global Missions.

They began their missions service as AIMers to the country of Spain in July 2017. They lived in Madrid and pastored the English church under missionaries Ken and Kay Burgess. In September 2018, they were appointed as associate missionaries and moved to the northeastern part of Spain so they could cross into the Principality of Andorra to pioneer the first UPCI work in that country.

While there, they saw God do many great things. They established a weekly service and Bible study in the capital city of Andorra la Vella. They have seen several receive the Holy Ghost and (as far as they know) baptized the first people ever in the name of Jesus in that nation! They were appointed as intermediate missionaries in March 2020 and are eager to return to the field along with their two children, Natalie and Logan, to continue working in this beautiful harvest field.

 

Dean and Laureen Byfield
Missionaries to Europe and France

Dean was born in Jamaica and migrated to the United States with his family at the age of eight. They attended Bethel United Pentecostal church where Dean served in various capacities as youth pastor, singles leader, small group leader and Sunday school teacher. He also served on the New Metro District youth committee for many years. Through the years Dean has also participated in missions trips to Holland, Scotland, Israel, the Ukraine and Sri Lanka.


In 2011 Dean moved to Columbus, Ohio, to serve as an associate pastor. In 2015, he and Laureen moved to France on the Associates In Missions program to serve as furlough replacements for Brother and Sister Brochu in the Paris Center church. They then transitioned over to the headquarters church in Melun where they currently assist Pastor and Sister Nowacki.

Laureen was born in Canada to John and Anne Nowacki. When she was four her parents were appointed as missionaries to France where she lived until the age of seventeen. During her time in France Laureen worked in many aspects of ministry including Sunday school, music ministry, outreach and church administration. Laureen then moved back to Canada to attend university where she received her CPA designation and worked as an accounting manager. During her time in North America Laureen involved herself in outreach and church administration. She still had a burden for the people of France and believed that God would someday open a door for her. In May 2015, that door opened when she and her husband were asked to be furlough replacements in the Paris Center church. Now she serves as a missionary to France and is very involved in church administration and outreach.

 

David and Kelley Dibble
Regional Evangelist and Missionaries to Micronesia

The Dibbles were married in 1981 and raised two girls who are married and have children of their own: Dana (Justin Stouder; daughters Eloise and Eleanor) and Danielle (Corey Boyte; daughter Pemberley).

During nearly four decades of ministry the Dibbles served in a variety of roles before serving as associates in missions (AIM) in the Philippines from 2000 to 2001. They were appointed as intermediate missionaries to that nation in 2001. As career missionaries in 2008, their field of labor was changed to Micronesia, with Regional Evangelist– Pacific Region added in 2010. The Dibbles’ 2020 deputation will be their fifth.

David serves the UPC~Micronesia as its field superintendent, and the Pacific Region as its secretary. His vision for the UPCM aligns with the UPCI’s Strategic Growth Initiative (SGI): train and license new ministers of the Gospel, establish new works and preaching points in the five island nations of Micronesia, create a culture of growth in every local church, and help strengthen the island brothers and sisters in accomplishing these goals.

 

Amber Hackenbruch
Missionary to Switzerland

Amber Hackenbruch has been serving in the European and Middle East region since 2009, beginning on the Associates In Missions program in Austria. After two years of learning there, she transferred to Switzerland in order to help establish churches throughout the French and German speaking regions.

After eight years as an AIMer and then associate missionary, she received intermediate appointment to Switzerland in February of 2017.

 

Kyle and Amanda Kelley
Missionaries to Wales

Kyle and Amanda have been serving as assistant pastors in Salem, Illinois for the last ten years. They previously served in youth ministry for six years in Salem. They have served on the Illinois District North American Missions committee, Illinois District Youth Committee and helped in planning and organizing various other district events. They also served on the AIM program for one year in Glasgow, Scotland, overseeing Harvest Bible College.

They are now missionaries to Wales and are continuing to establish a UPCI work with their two sons, Isaac and Cooper.

 

Terry and Cindy McFarland
Missionaries to Ireland

Terry and Cindy have been working in Ireland for twenty-three years. They established the first UPC church in northern Ireland. They moved to Dublin and established the Pentecostals of Dublin. They have seen over 250 baptized and receive the Holy Ghost.

Upon returning they anticipate expanding apostolic training for the ministries being raised up.

 

Carl and Bethany Sledge
Missionaries to Germany

Before moving to Germany, Carl and Bethany, both UPCI-licensed ministers, pastored ten years in Hennepin. During that time they also started a work in Stratford. In the Oklahoma District Carl served in the Sunday School department and Bethany served in the Ladies’ Ministries department. After three short-term missions trips to the German-speaking nations, the Sledges felt the Lord’s direction for them to work full-time in Germany.

In January 2017 they moved to Berlin and have lived there since. They were appointed intermediate missionaries in May 2019. During their two years in Berlin, they maintained the church in Berlin which was started by a previous missionary, as well as opening a church in Potsdam (southwest of Berlin) and starting a house church in Leipzig.

Sis. Sledge completed training for and served as administrator of the Purpose Institute campus in northern Germany (Paderborn) where she and Bro. Sledge taught. Carl and Bethany taught in and supervised Apostolic Ministerial Training Center campuses across Germany. Sis. Sledge serves as Prayer Coordinator for the German-speaking nations and is the Sunday School secretary.

 

 

Mark and Mariann Starin
Missionaries to Lebanon

The Starin’s spent one year as AIM furlough replacements in Jordan in 1984, then received their missionary appointment to the Middle East in 1985. They have ministered in Jordan and Cyprus, and in 1992 they relocated to Lebanon to pioneer the UPC of Lebanon.

Brother Starin has been responsible for the development of Arabic tracts, Arabic and English devotional tracts, Arabic small group studies, Arabic/English doctrinal booklet, Arabic and English Bible studies, and Arabic Bible school books. Sister Starin has been responsible for the development of Arabic/English Sunday school materials, and Arabic/English worship songs. Their website (www.pentecostalsoflebanon.org) with its large amount of Arabic materials receives hits from several different Middle Eastern countries.

Lebanon now has two churches and one Bible school. Brother Starin is the President of the UPC Lebanon, the Director of the Bible school in Lebanon, the UPCI Official Representative to Cyprus, and the UPCI Official Representative to Syria. Syria is currently closed to missionaries, however the church in Lebanon has had many Syrians baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. The Starins hope that this will lead to churches being established in Syria.

 

Shawn and Tammy Turner
Missionaries to Israel

The Turners are both graduates of Jackson College of Ministries. In August of 2005 they along with their family set out for the foreign field. They have labored across the Middle East region for the past sixteen years.

The Turners have seen in excess of three-thousand women, men, and children baptized in Jesus’ Name and filled with the Holy Ghost by the evidence of speaking in other tongues. Many of these people have come from countries where we have no hope of ever being able to freely minister. These countries include Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Syria, and even across the Northern Sahara of Africa, stretching from Nigeria to Ethiopia and all points in between.

 

 

Lonnie and Jill Vestal
Missionaries to Malaysia

Lonnie and Jill met and married at Christian Life College. They have been in ministry together for twenty-two years. After graduating from CLC, both Lonnie and Jill began working at the college in various administrative roles and as faculty members. During this time Lonnie completed his graduate degree from Western Seminary.

In 2007, with two small children, the Vestals moved to Mason, Ohio to plant a church. They pastored for eleven years. From that congregation a Spanish work was also launched. In 2018, the Vestals transitioned into Global Missions work. After spending a year in Vanuatu as furlough replacement missionaries under the AIM program, they were appointed as Intermediate Missionaries to the nation of Malaysia in 2021.

Lonnie enjoys preaching and teaching in Bible schools. Jill is a talented musician and ladies’ minister. Levi works in photography and video production, and Reagan is a gifted singer, songwriter and musician.