Meet our international Leadership Team
If you compare the size of SOWERS with its impact in global Christian mission, the results are staggering. With just a small and mostly volunteer leadership team, and an organization spread across the world, tens of thousands of people hear and respond to the gospel every year through our ministry.
Get fired up about international missions by reading their stories below. When you see how God has worked in and through their lives, you’ll see that God will use anyone who puts his kingdom first.
Meet our Regional Advisors, the CEO, and the President.
Why are there no photos on this page?
Regional Advisors
Southern Africa Regional Advisor
Godfrey's Story: A Naughty Boy Hooked by God
I was born into a family of eleven children in mid-1975, being the fifth child. I grew up in a deeply devoted Evangelical home. Despite my parents coming from different religious backgrounds—Islam and Christianity—they embraced Christianity before I was born. Life was tough growing up because our household was so large. We constantly competed for resources and had to struggle to survive. All of us slept on mats on the floor and ate from a communal dish. Life felt like a constant battle for survival.
My father worked in a weaving factory, while my mother stayed home to take care of us. We lived in the largest ghetto in our country, and our home was constantly noisy and full of conflicts. Growing up in this environment made me tough, strong, and quite mischievous, to the point where I abandoned my Christian roots and drifted away from God. I became self-centred, reckless, and focused only on myself, no longer caring about God. During this time, I set my sights on becoming an accountant.
In early 1996, while in secondary school, I first heard the Gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I rededicated my life to God, and this event transformed me from being self-centred, reckless, and naughty to living a new life in Christ. Trusting God brought positive change and a sense of security to my life. God hooked me despite being a naughty boy.
By 1997, I decided to serve God full-time. I gave up my aspiration to become an accountant and enrolled in Bible School, where I studied for four years. During this time, I discovered my talents and calling, realizing that God was leading me to become an Evangelist. Although the Bible College invited me to join their National Teacher Development Program, I chose instead to work as an Evangelist—a decision I have never regretted.
I had a passion for reaching lost souls but didn’t know how to share the Good News with local people. I began searching for a method that was simple, sharp, and engaging for my community. When I attended Level 1 and Level 2 seminars in 1997, I felt the training was the answer to my needs. The SOWERS method stood out to me, and it inspired me to become a Sower, bringing the Gospel to people in my community. Using the sketchboard sparked my curiosity and motivated me to frequently go out and share the Gospel with lost souls. The SOWERS method became an integral part of my daily ministry.
After completing my theological studies, I married my wonderful wife Jynne in September 2000, and we were blessed with three children. On October 7th, I joined SOWERS International as a full-time Home-Based Missionary. In November 2003, I took a leap of faith, moving 350 km from my hometown to a new city. God called us to establish the SOWERS Program in this new city, and we have successfully achieved this mission.
I completed all the levels in the SOWERS Program, and in 2010, the National Board appointed me as the National Director for the SOWERS Program in Malawi, a position I still hold. My role involves mobilizing churches, teaching the SOWERS Program, visiting teams, and managing the program's activities in my country. Additionally, in March 2020, I was appointed as a Regional Advisor for Southern African countries, where I advised six nations: Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, and Namibia.
I juggle multiple roles, serving as the Malawi National Director, the Chairman of the SOWERS Program Council, the Regional Advisor for Southern Africa, and a member of the International Executive. Additionally, I’m deeply involved in our local church, taking on teaching, pastoral care, and leadership responsibilities.
Central and West Africa Regional Advisor
Update coming
AsiaPacific Regional Advisor
John and Winsome have retired after many years of fruitful service. SOWERS is grateful to them and to the Lord for the advances they made. Please pray with us about their replacment(s).
East Africa Regional Advisor
Emmanuel's Story:
I was born in Kasama in 1965 in a broken family. My father divorced my mom when I was three years because my mom became mentally ill. This caused me to grow with bitterness and anger.
I accepted the gracious gift of Salvation in 1986 through the Team of Sowers that came from Ndola Discipleship Training Centre (under GLO) and I joined the church that they came to plant in Kasama. My life was transformed by the grace of God, and I committed myself to fellowship and reaching out to my friends and relatives.
In 1987 I was trained in the SOWERS Program at Level 1 and in 1989 I was trained at Level 2. The church discovered my gifts of being an Evangelist and a Teacher of God's word. They encouraged me to go for theological training for three years from 1990 to 1993.
Upon graduating from Bible school I was appointed to spearhead the Mission department at Kasama Gilgal Church in 1994. To coordinate, spearheading Evangelism, Church planting, and equipping the saints. I was using the SOWERS Program to do the ministry.
In 1998 I got married to my beautiful wife Udiness and am the parental steward to 4 beautiful children two boys and two girls. My only desire is to fulfill God's call upon my life of Evangelism and Discipleship and to oversee and care for the family I have been placed in mandate precisely as Christ Loved the Church.
In 2000 I was appointed to be a Pastor of the same church until 2012. In 2001 I was appointed by the Bible Society of Zambia as a Coordinator of the program called Faith Comes by Hearing.
In 2012 I was called to serve full-time as a missionary to establish the work of SOWERS in Kenya. In 2020. I was appointed to be a Regional Advisor for East Africa. Currently, we have work in four countries Tanzania Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. Presently, I am based in Kenya with Brethren Assembly Fellowship.
CEO
Murray's Story: Following the Great Commission
I was born into a caring Christian family in 1957 and grew up on a farm in Cambridge, NZ. My parents regularly had visiting full time workers and missionaries to eat or stay with us, so from an early age I was exposed to and interested in Missions.
At the age of 14 I accepted God’s offer of salvation and was baptised a few years later. In 1982 I completed a diploma in missionary and evangelistic training.
Christine and I married in 1983, and God blessed us with three children, Narelle ’87, Jared ’89 and Logan ’92. We were introduced to SOWERS by the late Harry Yeoman in 1992 and the following year we went to Ivory Coast as missionaries to establish the ministry there. We returned to NZ in 2000.
I am currently the CEO, NZ National Director and Partnership Coordinator and in these roles, I work closely with my colleague David Smith.
I have been very involved in our local church where I had leadership responsibilities. Like both of our parents, we too offer hospitality and provide pastoral care to many.
President
Rodwell’s Story: Bigger Impact
I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior at the age of 13 through a mission organization called The Evangelical Alliance. I married Enicia in 1983 and in this union the Lord blessed us with 3 boys and two daughters.
We felt called by the Lord to full-time ministry in 1984, and we responded by going to a Theological Training College in 1985 through 88. Since then, we have served the Lord in Pastoral Ministry, and as Missions Directors, Evangelism chairman, Church Planters and Christian Broadcasters. To further enhance our Ministry in fulfilling the Great Commission, we have trained and participated with EEIII, Christian Broadcasting, Global Missions Fellowship, and SOWERS International. I have been involved with SOWERS International since 1992 and participated as a Board Member, Treasurer, Vice Chairman and currently hold the Chairmanship of SOWERS Zimbabwe.
What I have experienced with SOWERS Program is that I could make a far bigger impact with a broader range of churches or denominations and still continue ministering with my passion for evangelism and discipleship in the context of church planting