In order to better serve the members of the commision. The Pentecostal World Fellowship Advisory Board appointed Rev. Max Barroso as the Chairman of the World Missions Commission. He and the Lead team elected by the WMC serve the member organizations in resourcing, collaboration, innovation, and strategic cooperation in reaching everyone on earth with the good news of the gospel.
WORLD MISSIONS LEAD TEAM
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CHAIRMAN: MAX BARROSO
Max Barroso is originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He began his formal seminary training at the Instituto Biblico del Rio de la Plata in Argentina and graduated from Southwestern Christian University.
Max has twenty years of experience in ministry, discipleship, missions, education, governance, and leadership. He has ministered in over 60 nations, leads diverse missions efforts, mentors and develops leaders worldwide, and intentionally invests in the next generation. Max is a passionate communicator, bridge builder, and Kingdom strategist.
Throughout his journey of service, he has held various pastoral roles in local churches. During his time in IPHC World Missions, he founded and directed The Awakening and served as the Regional Director for South America from 2009-2023. He currently holds the position of elected Chairman of the Pentecostal World Fellowship World Missions Commission and is the Global Assistant Director for Empowered21. Additionally, he serves as the Executive Strategist for Ministry and Leadership Initiatives at Oral Roberts University and is a member of the editorial board for the International Journal of Pentecostal Missiology (IJPM). Max is the Chairman of the International Pentecostal Bible Institute (IBPI) and an Ordained Minister in the Heartland Conference of the IPHC. He, his wife Jessica, and their three children reside in Oklahoma City and are active members of Passion Church.
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Vice Chairman: HARRI HAKOLA
Harri Hakola is an economist and a graduate in theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Fida International, a Pentecostal Mission and Development Organization. In addition, he is the Chairman of the Pentecostal European Mission (PEM) .
In previous years, Harri worked in Kenya on field assignments and on leadership positions in development cooperation at Fida. He has served as Interpedia's Executive Director and Administrative Manager for International Work at the Church's External Assistance. Harri resides in Finland with his family.
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SECRETARY: BRAD WALZ
Brad Walz has been an appointed missionary with the U.S. Assemblies of God (AGWM) since 1986. He and his wife Rhonda lived in Argentina for 27 years. They pioneered the missions department there, which has become the largest missions sending agency in Latin America, with over 200 workers sent to over 40 nations.
He has traveled widely, having been in 120 countries. He has spoken in numerous international congresses and events, in both the English and Spanish languages. He was president of the Argentine A/G Missions Department, until November 2017. Since 1998, he is also president of the A/G Latin Missions Network “Misiones en Conjunto,” (Missions Together) and since 2009 has been the founding chairman of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship Missions Commission. He is also the secretary of the Missions Commission for the Pentecostal World Fellowship. He has coordinated 9 large international events with a total attendance of over 7,000 people from over 90 countries. They have two adult children and currently reside in the United States.
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LEAD TEAM: MURRAY CORNELIOUS
Murray Cornelius is a husband to Cindy, a father and granddad, an optimist, an encourager, a lover all things sports, and a Cross-Fit wannabe. He believes the best in people, prefers meat to vegetables, is competitive to a fault, has a great memory for the unimportant, is a bit shy, and passionately works to advance the Kingdom of God.
Professionally he has served as the Executive Director of International Missions for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada since 2006., overseeing over 340 workers serving in over 60 countries. He provides the strategic direction for the PAOC’s International Work, provides pastoral oversight for all their global workers and leads a home team that provides the administrative and support services for all PAOC’s mission work. The PAOC is committed to reach the unreached, establish churches, train leaders and engage in community development, education, health, advocacy and crisis response.
He serves as the Chairperson of the Board of ERDO (Emergency Relief and Development Overseas), the charity that delivers care on behalf of the PAOC. In addition, he is the Chairperson of Villages of Hope Africa Society, which cares for orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa.
Together with his wife Cindy, he served in Zimbabwe and Southern Africa for 20 years in Pastoral Ministry, Church Planting, Theological Education and Social Engagement.
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lead team: Dr. Ted Vail
Dr. Ted Vail, D.I.S., is the Vice President of Global Operations for The Foursquare Church. He holds a doctorate in intercultural studies, and he previously served as a missionary to Japan and Mexico, as director of Foursquare Disaster Relief, and as lead pastor alongside his wife, Dawn, in the U.S northwest, California and Colorado.
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LEAD TEAM: Dr. opoku onyinah
Apostle Professor Kwadwo Nimfour Opoku Onyinah is a Ghanaian theologian, a televangelist, a composer and the fifth chairman of The Church of Pentecost from 2008 to 2018. He founded the Pentecost International Worship Centre, a ministry of The Church of Pentecost in 1993. Onyinah joined the ministry of The Church of Pentecost in 1976 and has served in various positions, including rector of Pentecost University College, an executive council member and the first International Missions Director of the church. He is also an adjunct lecturer at the Pentecost Theological Seminary.
Onyinah served as a member of National Peace Council in Ghana, the president of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council from 2011 to 2019, chairman of the Ghana Evangelism Committee from 2010 to date, co-chairman of Empowered21 Africa from 2013 to date, advisory board member of International Review of Mission since 2013, member of the Committee of World Pentecostal Theologians in Dialogue with the Catholic Church since 2011, member of a standing committee of Health and Healing of World Council of Churches/DIFAM, 2005–2010, member of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of World Council of Churches since 2007, and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Pentecostal Theology since 2007.
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Lead Team: Dr. David Ramirez
Bishop David E. Ramirez is Third Assistant General Overseer. Raised in Chile, he has a rich family heritage as a third-generation pastor in the Church of God. As a young teen, he came to America to study at the Church of God Spanish Institute of Ministry. He received a Master of Divinity at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry from Asbury Theological Seminary. As a professor, Ramirez specialized in teaching church growth, Christian leadership, and biblical preaching.
He has a wealth of experience as a missionary, local pastor, and church planter, as well as CPE Chaplain. For six years, he served as president of South Cone Ministerial Seminary in Argentina, followed by fourteen years as the founder and president of the South American Theological Seminary in Quito, Ecuador. In 2006, he was appointed to serve the Southwest Hispanic Region as administrative bishop. From 2008–2016, he provided leadership to all of Latin America as the World Missions field director. Ramirez also serves as the Executive Director for the Division of Education. He and his wife, Fernanda, are parents to Santiago, Fernando, and Valeria.
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Lead Team: Niclas Lindgren
Niclas is the Director of PMU Interlife based in Sweden and leads the Pentecostal Relief and Development partners global network. He holds a Masters in International Relations and is widely recognized as one of the world's top practicioners in faith based community transformation.
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Lead team: Andreas Svedman
Andreas Svedman is the Executive Director of Missions for the Swedish Pentecostal Movement and Chairman of the Pentecostal European Missions (PEM).
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Lead Team: Jonathan Willoughby
Rev. Jonathan D. Willoughby has ministered with the PAOC since 2002, first in Ukraine and then for the last 15 years in Asia where he served as the Assistant Regional Director. He is now focused on Equipping and Mobilizing national churches in the region and is presently the chairman of Pentecostal Asian Missions (PAM). Jonathan is currently finishing a PhD in Intercultural Studies and has been published in a number of leading Missiological Journals. He and his wife have three amazing children.