US Staff and board members
Jon & Nolin Nelms
Rev. Jon Nelms - Founder (Board Member)
Jon was born November 18, 1955, the third son to Mack and Nan Nelms, both of whom were first generation Christians. Though both desired to serve as missionaries, neither felt called to do so. Nan was a school teacher and spent the summers of Jon’s youth teaching in “Back Yard Bible Clubs”. Mack was an employee of Southern Bell and served as a Deacon and Trustee in every church that he was a member and as a layman, helped to start three churches. Finally at the age of seventy he was ordained as a Baptist pastor and passed a year later. Jon was heavily influenced by both his parents who always opened their home to missionaries who were passing through and entertained the family with their stories and experiences.
Jon felt a call to missions at the age of eleven and won his first souls to Christ at the age of twelve and also began preaching at that time. At the age of fifteen he began working in the bus ministry and street preaching. At the age of seventeen he enrolled in Bible College and graduated four years later, the youngest in his class. Immediately upon graduation he left for White Plains, NY with a small group of friends to start the Westchester County Baptist Church. Two years later he moved to Pomona, California where he had met and married his wife, Juanita Fisher, and became an Assistant Pastor at the Central Baptist Church. There, for two years he worked with the youth, was bus director, organized the church’s camp ministry and street preaching ministry. During that time his son Daniel was born.
Jon’s street preaching resulted in the birth of a “park church” of more than 1000 in weekly attendance that merged with Calvary Baptist Church in Boyle Heights. Jon then moved to Georgia for a short time seeking God’s will and serving as an interim pastor at Hines Baptist Church in Midville, GA. The church grew from a handful to nearly one hundred in a few months. Jon declined a permanent position in order to return to California, believing that God would provide a position for him there. After a number of months he was invited to pastor the Temple City Southern Baptist Church. The name was soon changed to the Believers Baptist Church. It is here that God confirmed his call to missions and used this ministry to break and mold him for that call. It was also there that his daughter Sara was born.
The church sent Jon on several mission trips to Asia in late 1986 where the call was reconfirmed. On the last day of 1986 Jon resigned the church and four months later, after they had called a new pastor, he moved to Georgia after having legally incorporated the Final Frontiers Foundation. At that time the ministry was supporting preachers in Thailand only. Since then the foundation has sponsored more than 1,400 preachers in seventy-four nations. These men collectively have sponsored more than 31,000 churches, averaging a new church being started every 5-6 hours.
In 2006 Juanita passed on to Heaven after twenty-eight years of marriage, leaving her imprint on Jon, their children and the ministry. A month later Sara was married to Michael Horne, a British ministry employee and they have a daughter Jennifer. A few months later Daniel was married to Nolvia Aguirre from Honduras and they have two daughters, Valentina and Elizabeth. In May, 2008 Jon was married to Nolin Vargas, a Honduran ministry employee who now travels with him worldwide and is a great asset to his ministry and life.
Note:
Jon is available for speaking engagements throughout the country.
Nolin Nelms is a women's representative and is available for meetings with women's groups.
Jon was born November 18, 1955, the third son to Mack and Nan Nelms, both of whom were first generation Christians. Though both desired to serve as missionaries, neither felt called to do so. Nan was a school teacher and spent the summers of Jon’s youth teaching in “Back Yard Bible Clubs”. Mack was an employee of Southern Bell and served as a Deacon and Trustee in every church that he was a member and as a layman, helped to start three churches. Finally at the age of seventy he was ordained as a Baptist pastor and passed a year later. Jon was heavily influenced by both his parents who always opened their home to missionaries who were passing through and entertained the family with their stories and experiences.
Jon felt a call to missions at the age of eleven and won his first souls to Christ at the age of twelve and also began preaching at that time. At the age of fifteen he began working in the bus ministry and street preaching. At the age of seventeen he enrolled in Bible College and graduated four years later, the youngest in his class. Immediately upon graduation he left for White Plains, NY with a small group of friends to start the Westchester County Baptist Church. Two years later he moved to Pomona, California where he had met and married his wife, Juanita Fisher, and became an Assistant Pastor at the Central Baptist Church. There, for two years he worked with the youth, was bus director, organized the church’s camp ministry and street preaching ministry. During that time his son Daniel was born.
Jon’s street preaching resulted in the birth of a “park church” of more than 1000 in weekly attendance that merged with Calvary Baptist Church in Boyle Heights. Jon then moved to Georgia for a short time seeking God’s will and serving as an interim pastor at Hines Baptist Church in Midville, GA. The church grew from a handful to nearly one hundred in a few months. Jon declined a permanent position in order to return to California, believing that God would provide a position for him there. After a number of months he was invited to pastor the Temple City Southern Baptist Church. The name was soon changed to the Believers Baptist Church. It is here that God confirmed his call to missions and used this ministry to break and mold him for that call. It was also there that his daughter Sara was born.
The church sent Jon on several mission trips to Asia in late 1986 where the call was reconfirmed. On the last day of 1986 Jon resigned the church and four months later, after they had called a new pastor, he moved to Georgia after having legally incorporated the Final Frontiers Foundation. At that time the ministry was supporting preachers in Thailand only. Since then the foundation has sponsored more than 1,400 preachers in seventy-four nations. These men collectively have sponsored more than 31,000 churches, averaging a new church being started every 5-6 hours.
In 2006 Juanita passed on to Heaven after twenty-eight years of marriage, leaving her imprint on Jon, their children and the ministry. A month later Sara was married to Michael Horne, a British ministry employee and they have a daughter Jennifer. A few months later Daniel was married to Nolvia Aguirre from Honduras and they have two daughters, Valentina and Elizabeth. In May, 2008 Jon was married to Nolin Vargas, a Honduran ministry employee who now travels with him worldwide and is a great asset to his ministry and life.
Note:
Jon is available for speaking engagements throughout the country.
Nolin Nelms is a women's representative and is available for meetings with women's groups.
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Rev. Daniel Nelms - President and Chairman of the Board
Daniel was born in August 1979 Daniel is the son of Jonathan and Juanita Nelms. Although Daniel started as a volunteer 1986 when he was a child in he went on staff at Final Frontiers in 1998 as webmaster of FinalFrontiers.org Over the years he has started several companies but went full time with the foundation in 2006 and we was ordained in to the Gospel ministry in April 2011. In March 2007 he married his wife, Nolvia in Honduras. They have two daughters, Valentina and Elizabeth. His current position is President of the Foundation. |
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Rev. Michael Horne - Vice President and secretay of the Board
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Nolvia Nelms - Administrative Assistant
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Samuel Cherry - Administrative Assistant
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Joshua Martyn - Missionary, Media Director
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Rev. Donald Prosser, Pastor Providence Baptist Church, Augusta GA - (Board Member)
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Rev. Steve Ware, Pastor Tabernacle Baptist Church in Orlando, FL - (Board Member)
Born April 5, 1953 in Greenville, South Carolina to Arthur and Lillian Ware, Dr. Ware graduated from Parker High School in 1971. He married his high school sweetheart, Brenda Kay Keller on May 23, 1972. The Lord has blessed them with four children and five grandchildren. Called into the Lord’s service shortly after he accepted Christ as his personal Savior in 1973, he began attending Tabernacle Baptist Bible College in Greenville, South Carolina. In 1981, his older brother, Dr. Bob Ware, called him to come to Orlando, Florida to work with the Tabernacle “Super Seniors”. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Bible in 1984, and a Doctor of Divinity in 1989 from Heritage College. In service for the Lord at Tabernacle Baptist Church for the past twenty-seven years, Dr. Steve Ware has served as Tabernacle’s senior adult director, superintendent of buildings and grounds, professor and Executive Vice-President of Heritage College, teacher for Heritage Preparatory School, and has worked closely with Mrs. Rebecca Ritchie in the administration of the ministry finances. In February of 1998, the church unanimously voted him as pastor of the ministry. Under Dr. Ware’s leadership, the church has gone forward with the philosophy it was founded with in 1966. |
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Rev. Anthony Lamb, Pastor Freedom Baptist Church in San Antonio, TX - (Board Member)
Pastor Anthony Lamb was born and raised at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in the small country town of Stanardsville, Virginia. Upon graduating from high school, he immediately entered the United States Army. Shortly after joining the Army, at Fort Knox Kentucky, he surrendered his life to Christ. One year later, while serving as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, he joined the Berean Baptist Church of Fayetteville, North Carolina. While there, he met and married Carolyn Ridgedell and also felt his call into the ministry. Upon finishing his military service, Pastor Lamb earned a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Theology and a Masters in Educational Administration. In February 1992, Pastor and Mrs. Lamb founded the East Coast Baptist Church of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Three years later, in October 1995, they founded the Freedom Baptist Church of San Antonio where he presently pastors. Pastor and Mrs. Lamb were married February 15, 1986 and have eight children. |
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Suzanne Raper - (Board Member)
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Rev. Tim Schelling, Pastor Northern Kentucky Baptist Church - (Board Member)
Pastor Tim and his wife Vicki have been diligently and faithfully serving in the ministry for 47 years! Pastor Schelling began pastoring his first church at 19 years of age at Second Baptist Church in Chatsworth, GA. (a branch church of Highland Park Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN under the leadership of Dr. Lee Roberson). With the help of Pastor Lew Davis and the folks at Tri-County Baptist Church, West Chester, OH, Pastor Schelling planted Northern Kentucky Baptist Church on May 4, 1980. He has served on the board of Shepherd's Bethel Mission and is also currently on the board of the Tom Raper Foundation and the Final Frontiers Foundation. Pastor Schelling and his wife Vicki have been married for 42 years and have three grown children: Andy, Kelly, and Jessica. |
International offices paid staff
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Jose Edgardo Rodriguez Sarabia - General Manager TAL Honduras
Jose Rodriguez was born in October 1961. He is the eldest brother of four siblings, three of whom survive. God has blessed me with six beautiful children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In November of the year 2005 I participated in the founding of the Touch A Life program in the municipality of Cantarranas Francisco Morazan Honduras due to multiple occupations I had to retire for a while on September 8, 2008 God and brother Daniel Nelms gave me the opportunity to return little by little I was taking on the responsibilities of the ministry. Currently, my position is general manager for the glory and honor of God. |
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Pedro Antonio Garcia Osoto - Administrative Assistant TAL Honduras
Pedro was born in Zarzal Valle de Jamastran Municipality of Danly Department of El Paraiso. He is the father of 3 beautiful children and has worked for the Touch A Life since September 8, 2008 he currently works as an administrative assistant. |
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Lori & Oleg Enskaya - Missionaries, TAL Ukraine
Oleg was born in the Soviet Union and grew up in an atheist home. He was saved at the age of 26 after hearing a short, Gospel message. His life dramatically changed and he felt God's calling on his life to full time ministry. After being discipled and baptized, Oleg began seminary at Odessa Theological Seminary. It was in Odessa that he met his wife, Lori. Lori had been saved as a child and grew up in a Christian home in the United States. The Lord called her to international missions at an early age and directed her to the former Soviet Union. After their marriage and Oleg's completion of seminary, they started work on Holy Trinity Baptist Church in Oleg's home town, Mukachevo in Western Ukraine. They now have 2 children, Abigail and Simon. The Lord used their connection with Final Frontiers to open a Touch a Life feeding center that now has over 80 children in attendance. Through the collective efforts of American and Ukrainian Christians, much is being done to further the Gospel in Western Ukraine! |
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George Thumbi - Director TAL Kenya
I was born on 23rd September 1993, in Eldoret. I was raised in a Christian home with Christian virtues and knowing Christ. I was introduced to the church early on and was saved while still in Sunday school. From a tender age, I was always ready to serve in different roles in the church. My dad is a pastor and one of the men that is being supported by the FFF for more than 20 years. I have spent most of my years in Eldoret growing up. I got my degree in I.C.T at the Technical University of Mombasa in 2016. I joined FFF back in 2020, but before that, I came to know about FFF through the former director, brother Randal Stirewalt. Randy was a close friend and a mentor and has been in my life since the day I was born. I used to work for Randy, he would give me Bible school materials to translate, fill in preachers’ forms, fix his computers and printers, and as a tour guide of Eldoret town to his visitors. I am married to Julia Njoki and together we have been blessed by a daughter – Milan Wangoi. Julia loves the Lord, was raised in a Catholic background but now she is a member of the Baptist church. She helps a lot in the office, typing in the forms and other office duties that I assign her to do. For TAL programs, she helps in purchasing the food items and kitchen items and also helps when she can in cooking and serving at the two centers. |
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Rev. Dr. I. Thomas Maher - President of Final Frontiers of India
Rev. Dr. I. Thomas Maher has been serving as a full-time minister along with his wife Selvi in India and in a few countries of Asia. He has earned a Bachelor of Theology & Missiology in Yavatmal College, (Maharashtra state, India) Master’s in Missiology in IGSM, (Tamil Nadu state, India) and obtained Ministerial doctorate from the Louisiana Baptist University, (Shreveport, Louisiana State, USA). Additionally, he studied the Advanced Leadership course of study in Haggai Institute, (Maui, Hawaii state, USA) and the Biblical Discipleship course of study in Oslo Bible Institute, (Oslo, Norway). He is a well-known author, singer, composer of songs and preaches in Hour of Harvest television program every day which reaches millions every day. He writes an article in Hour of Harvest magazine which is exclusively for only pastors that reaches about over 21000 churches and pastors every month. He lives with his wife Selvi and his beautiful daughter Dr. Faithlin Maher in a small town called Melur, India. He has been serving as the president of Final Frontiers of India. |
Representative volunteers
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Dennis Ellis - Representative, Missionary
In 1992 Dennis moved to Russia where he lived for 16 years during the Russian Great Awaking. He had served as Senior Pastor in several states and many staff positions including Bus Evangelism Director under Dr. Adrian Rogers. In Russia he met and married Katya, in 1998. Dennis pastored a Russian church and helped plant 8 Russian churches and saw over 50,000 people pray to receive Christ. They have served in some capacity in 27 countries together. In 2,000, him and Katya begin working with Final Frontiers Foundation in Eastern Europe. When they moved to the states they met with Jon and all agreed that they would work full time representing FFF. Since that meeting they have helped raise support for over 300 pastors and children. He has preached for over 57 years and served as a Faith Missionary for over 27 years. Dennis says that he has worked in many great ministries, but is excited more in what him and his wife are doing now. |
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Larry Franklin - Evangelist, Creator of the Clean Heart Tract
Larry was saved in 1960. Began teaching children in 1968 and began full time in church ministry in 1970. Served in 3 churches in next 22 years before becoming missionaries in 1990. We conducted children's meetings, teacher training seminars and assisted missionaries with needed goods. We wrote the Clean Heart for You tract in 1988. Since then over 1,200,000 have been printed in six languages. We have traveled to 40 countries and most of the US in the last 28 years. God has definitely been good to us in allowing us to serve him for most of our adult lives. Praise God! He is good all the time! |
