Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, (Matthew 28:19)

We believe that we are to share God's love in the communities that we live and around the world. Therefore, we want to be a sending church, a church that sends people all around the world to share the Good News of the Gospel. We can do this in two ways; Giving and Going.

Here at Upward we believe in not just going on missions trips ourselves, but supporting those who are actively being missionaries to their respective countries everyday. Here is a list of full time missionaries that we support.

Tim and Beth’s vision is to see ‘world harvesters’ activated and released throughout the Asian Circle – a region that is home to 80% of the world’s unreached peoples. Tim serves as the regional director for The Pacific Region. The Salleys teach, conduct leadership seminars, develop ministry strategies, and provide care for WMM missionaries in the region. In conjunction with the South Carolina Conference and Advantage College, they have established 29 Schools of Ministry in the Asian Circle since 2007. Since 2010, over 600 students have graduated with degrees in Practical Theology.

Ernest and Cheryl Turner have been in ministry with IPHC World Missions Ministries for the last 37 years, serving the people on the great continent of Africa. Ernest is now serving as the Western Africa regional director. Cheryl is a teacher who has a heart for the next generation and the precious women of Africa. Focusing on the countries in West Africa, they are utilizing their ministry gifts to evangelize, encourage, and empower leaders and laity. Their desire is to teach, disciple, and mobilize believers, who will help them to reach the unreached people groups with the gospel.

Bill and Gretchen Schwartz have broad ministry experience as youth pastors, senior pastors, missionary church planters, and Bible school instructors and directors. They began serving as missionaries in 2002 with a church plant in the unreached city of Ronse, Belgium, in addition to serving at Logos Bible School of Brussels. Their vision is to reach, teach, and release with a desire to train local ministry leaders, establish college internships, and plant new churches in unreached cities. Their motto is “Training the Nations to Reach the World.”

The Dunnings serve as the coordinators for People to People Ministries in Kenya and Ethiopia. Their vision is to equip churches, schools, and orphanages to fulfill their purpose, using sustainable development and income-generating projects. Their desire is to empower individuals to provide a better future for themselves and their families through a micro-finance loan program. It is their joy to engage Kenyan churches and communities through teaching, worship, and sharing the love of Christ.

The McClungs have served with WMM for 30 years. After serving many years in Germany, Mark and Jeannie continue church planting and evangelism now in the German-speaking region of Belgium. Jeannie also leads a new outreach to prostituted and trafficked women over the border in Aachen, Germany.

Phillip has been a partner at Upward Christian Fellowship for many years. He has also lead countless of our in church missions trips. He continues to partner with us and serve us everyday.

Ron and Sharon have served with WMM and lived in Kenya for over 20 years. Ron serves as the regional director for Eastern/Sub-Saharan Africa. Sharon serves the region as the director of Women’s Ministries. Ron and Sharon are also the senior pastors of Calvary Worship Centre IPHC. It is an International church with five services in four different languages and reaches almost 20 different nationalities.

Janene, raised as a missionary kid in Kenya to parents, Ron and Sharon Wooten, has carried a personal call to be used by God in reaching the world with the gospel and love of Jesus Christ. During her first term, Janene served primarily in Hungary, ministering through worship, working in Coffee House Ministry, teaching English, leading missions trips to diverse locations outside of Hungary, and so much more. Now, she is taking her gifts, passion, and experience to Wales, where she will join forces with IPHC missionaries and serve in youth ministry, women’s ministry, assist with establishing a coffee house, and assist with new church plants and outreaches. 

Joanne Chinkers is a certified Special Education teacher with over 30 years of classroom experience. In 2010, she accepted a challenge to spend a year in the interior region of Nigeria with the stated goal of improving the level of education in one of the first Christian schools built in that area. Through teacher training, coaching in the classroom, and direct contact with students, she saw dramatic changes in both teachers and students.

Justin, originally from North Carolina, first got involved with missions at the age of 17 on a mission trip to Nicaragua. It was there where he developed a deep desire to serve the global church. In 2019, Justin joined The Awakening as part of the international base staff, daily serving in Hungary. A burden for unreached people groups in closed countries pushes Justin to look for non-contemporary methods of ministry to ensure that no matter where he serves, everyone is afforded a chance to hear the gospel.

Jeff and Kimberly Oeder are based in Santa Ana, Costa Rica. Although they reside in Costa Rica, their field of ministry takes them throughout the Central American Region. Obeying the call of missions on their life, the Oeders moved to Costa Rica, and after a year of language studies, they are now actively working to reach souls for Christ. They feel their calling is to disciple new Christians in their walk with the Lord. Working with teams from the U.S. and the Costa Rican national church is also a great part of this ministry.

Russell and Sonya are missionaries in Kisoro District in Southwest Uganda. They run two Seeds of Hope Homes and Schools with over 200 children in attendance and living on the two campuses. They also work on church plants, evangelism, clean water projects and sanitation training, vocational training, business training and craft cooperatives, basic first aid training, and pregnancy care training amongst the Batwa Tribe.

Kevin and Summer Sneed have served as IPHC missionaries since 2008. Kevin is the director of the East Africa Bible College (EABC) in Eldoret, Kenya, and Summer is the director of Girls’ Ministries in East Africa. Through the Bible College, the Sneeds help to raise up men and women from eight nations for ministry and leadership in IPHC churches across the region. EABC combines education in Bible and theology with practical skills training in areas such as agriculture and economic empowerment in order to prepare ministers for success in both life and ministry. Through Girls’ Ministries, Summer is reaching girls with the life changing message of the gospel and training women in IPHC churches to connect with the girls in their communities.

As co-laborers for the gospel, Jon and Erica feel burdened to serve Jesus by helping connect his Church to her priority mission: namely, to make disciples of every nation. Whether in Western or Majority World contexts, Jon and Erica desire to train young leaders, explore innovative forms of ministry, teach the Word, share the gospel, and seek justice for the oppressed. Using their passions for leadership, teaching, humanitarian efforts, and marketplace ministry, they long to turn the hearts of God's people toward a Great Commission lifestyle. Together, they are excited to plant The Awakening’s International Base in Los Angeles, California, where they will focus on building young leaders, providing missions opportunities, and networking with ministry organizations and IPHC churches.

The Dunlaps’ mission is to touch the world for Christ by ministering to and discipling leaders and community members to foster spiritual, community, and economic growth. Together, they serve in the Dominican Republic alongside the national leaders of Dominican and Haitian congregations in order to advocate for the growth of the church locally and nationally. Christopher and Alicia both graduated from Emmanuel College with degrees in Agricultural Missions and Secondary Math Education, respectively. Christopher is passionate about training, educating, and empowering leaders and pastors to influence those within their cultural contexts. Alicia is passionate about building relationships that encourage people to grow in their walk with Jesus, personal goals, passions, and calling. 

David and Cecilia Hodges have served as full-time missionaries to Peru for many years. In 2007, they planted a flourishing church and a missions compound in Jicamarca, a mountainous desert region on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. They are reaching Peru through the teaching of the kingdom, challenging believers to leave their cultural box and empowering them to be ambassadors in the marketplace. They are also working to establish leadership training in local churches through the Andes Mountains and the Amazon. Their mission is to train every generation to represent the kingdom in the real and whole way, being a relevant influence within the culture and society they live. Their vision raises up men and women who dynamically, creatively, properly, and powerfully live-out and represent the kingdom of God.