Elliot and Serena Derricks are missionaries serving in Cameroon in Bible translation and literacy. They arrived in Cameroon in March 2018. Their mission is to work alongside a local language group that doesn’t have the full Bible in their language, revising their New Testament, translating the Old and increasing literacy rates community-wide.
Before beginning service with LBT, the Derricks served in various fields with LCMS International from 2010 – 2016, including Slovakia, Macau, and South Korea. They welcomed their daughter, Lydia, in March of 2015 in Seoul, South Korea. Their second daughter, Josephine, joined the family in January 2017 in Dallas, Texas. Their son, Chikodi, joined the family in November 2019.
Pastor Lucas Kinser has been in ministry for 14 years, serving as a youth pastor, outreach pastor and associate pastor. He has served at Faith Community Lutheran Church in Longmont, Colorado, for the past 10 years. He and his wife have a 3-year-old daughter, Lilly.
Dr. Philip Gassman is an Environmental Scientist at Iowa State University and a 20-year member of Ascension Lutheran Church (ALC). He has been involved with the ALC Evangelism and Missions team for the past decade, which has included 10 visits to locations of supported missionaries in six countries.
Rev. Richard Rudowske is the Chief Operating Officer and Director for Program Ministries at Lutheran Bible Translators. For 6 years, the Rudowske family served as missionaries with Lutheran Bible Translators in Botswana working with the Bakgalagari people to translate and produce the Gospel of Luke in their previously unwritten language.
Leslie Urie leads the Prayer Mobilization team at the World Mission Prayer League (WMPL), seeking to help grow an understanding of the mission of God in the church by inspiring educated and thoughtful prayer. She serves with the Home Office, often being astounded at the ways “God provides.”
Pastor David Lerseth served parishes in Rosholt, SD; Barton-ville (Peoria), IL; and Aberdeen, SD. He also served as an assistant to the Bishop in the former Iowa District of the ALC and as Executive Director of the ELCA Global Mission Support. He is the founder and current Executive Director of Friends of Madagascar Mission (FOMM).
Chuck and his family served with the World Mission Prayer League (WMPL) since 1976, both in Ecuador and in the Prayer League's home office in
Minneapolis, Minnesota. He most recently served WMPL as its General Director. Chuck and Cindy retired in 2017 and live in Minneapolis.
