Ken and Carolyn Benson have been World Partners missionaries since 1998 and are presently serving with an interdenominational missionary training program called Mission PREP in Toronto, Canada.  Their 13 years of experience as missionaries in Portugal, and their training as teachers, has equipped them to help organize and facilitate missionary training courses, and to mentor and encourage the missionary families they serve.  These programs are being used by EMCC World Partners to help equip people who are preparing for or returning from cross-cultural ministry.

Keith and Ruth Ann Elliott first began serving the local church in Ecuador as missionaries in 1979. They have worked in the EMCC office in Calgary and also in field ministry in Mexico.  At the invitation of the Evangelical Missionary Church of Ecuador in 2011, they returned to work in coastal Ecuador in Pastoral Care Ministry.  As of January 1st, 2020 they have been serving
once again with World Partners of the Evangelical Missionary Church in the role of Global Partner Developers for Latin America and the Caribbean. Here “the Elliotts help the EMCC develop reciprocal relationships with partner denominations.
As Global Partner Developers for Latin America and the Caribbean, Keith and Ruth Ann help the EMCC develop relationships with partner denominations by:

Raney Brown has been working in Bergamo, Italy since 2000.  She assists a small local church with evangelism, discipleship and teaching.  In addition to teaching Sunday School to the 3-5 year olds, she cooks at summer camps for children, and is involved in hospital ministry. Raney also participates in many other activities seeking to build relationships with people in order to share the Gospel.  She does a great deal of cooking including hospitality and caring for many of the basic needs of church life, thus freeing up others to preach and lead.

Seed of Hope began in just one room of a disused building on the rural outskirts of Durban, South Africa. In 2003, founders Derek & Heather Liebenberg and a small core of volunteers felt the call to respond to the Aids crisis and its impact on families. They launched an afternoon drop-in program for children who would otherwise be left unattended. In the following months, the children’s program gave birth to strategies to help people access basic health care, support groups and a small sewing class for unemployed women.  Many of the clients were deeply affected by the HIV pandemic and suffered heartbreaking losses. It was a time when hope was scarce in the community of Bhekulwandle.

In 2016, Seed of Hope embarked on an exciting expansion, becoming the official owners of the former Bible college campus where it has operated since 2003. This brought vast potential for growth, with added facilities and ample room for future development. Today, a passionate leadership team and dynamic programs testify to the vision of Restoring Communities Through Restored Individuals.

Read their latest update HERE

Shelter Canada grew out of a need felt by the EMCC (Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada) to help the poorest people of El Salvador. In 2001, a series of earthquakes shook the country. The devastation from the earthquakes created critical and life-threatening situations. In addition to natural disasters, the country was decimated by a brutal civil war which began in 1980 leaving more than 75 000 people dead and countless thousands more displaced and/or homeless.As a result of these disasters and a slow economy, basic needs such as food, clothing and housing became even more difficult to acquire. A request for help was heard by the EMCC (now Shelter Canada) who began sending teams to build small homes for the worst of those displaced and affected.

Since 2002, the efforts and initiatives of EMCC have evolved into what is now known as Shelter Canada. Today Shelter Canada continues to work in El Salvador with missionaries and representatives from the local communities to build relationships and sustainable housing, all in the name of Jesus Christ. With Jesus as the focus, volunteer teams are bringing hope to the poor of El Salvador by providing some of their basic needs with an emphasis on building houses but more importantly, by sharing the love of Jesus Christ while on-mission.

If you’d like to donate towards our local team efforts through the SEMC, you can donate HERE.

Beginning in 2019, the SEMC has partnered with the work of International Justice Mission.

IJM seeks to rescue millions, protect half a billion, and prove that justice for the poor is unstoppable — this is what drives us.

They realize this vision by partnering with local authorities to rescue victims of slavery and violence, bring criminals to justice, restore survivors, and strengthen justice systems.

SEMC is particularly helping to support the work happening in the Philippines through IJM.

READ MORE ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM HERE.

READ MORE ABOUT THE WORK IN THE PHILIPPINES HERE.

NOVEMBER 2023 UPDATE