FinisTerre: Important Update and Need

Oct 6, 2021

“And thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, ‘Those who have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.’” 

 Romans 15:20-21

The gospel ambition of Paul to preach Jesus Christ to those who had not yet heard of Him is still the great privilege and task of the church today. Finisterre Vision (FV) was founded to come alongside local churches to help them bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to unreached tribes in the Finisterre Mountains of Papua New Guinea. We long for God to get the glory due His name in the preaching of the gospel from the local church to the ends of the earth!

Sustained and Strategizing

Transitions in life provide the opportunity for prayerful review and strategic planning.  We have recently gone through a leadership transition.  Here is our new administrative team:

  • Scott Maxwell – Executive Director.  As one of our founding directors ten years ago, Scott brings both a passion for missions and twenty-five years of pastoral ministry experience to the Executive Director role.
  • Jeremy Lehman – Business Manager.  As part of the very first team sent to Papua New Guinea in 2014, Jeremy built the logistics coordinator role in Madang from the ground up and now applies his aptitude for logistics stateside as our Business Manager.
  • Cameron Dodd – Communications Manager.  Also a part of that first team in 2014, Cameron brings not only her writing background, but also her field experience to our communications realm.

We are also thankful for the continued faithfulness of our board of directors: Ike Graham, Scott Libby, and Smedly Yates. 

As we’ve had the opportunity to reflect on ten years of ministry alongside local churches, God’s grace has wonderfully sustained us. In 2010-2011, FV was conceptualized, incorporated, and received non-profit status from the IRS. From 2014 to the present, with your faithful support, we have placed two teams on the field – Team Do and Team Pano. Team Do (originally Zach and Cassidy Cann, Matt and Cameron Dodd, and Jeremy and Lorie Lehman; now also joined by Ryan and Elna Mitchell, Amelia Brink) is currently in the process of Bible translation, teaching, and ongoing literacy. And now, Team Pano (Craig and Sara Noyes, Josh and Autumn Miller, and Michele Willeford), currently stationed in Madang, aims to reach the Pano people off the coast of Papua New Guinea.

Your faithful support of your missionaries is a tangible expression of God’s sustaining grace for them. Thank you for persevering alongside them for the gospel’s sake!

And now, God’s great grace has us strategizing for our future.  From supporting and counseling our current teams on the field, to redesigning our training modules to incorporate the best of our organization’s expertise, to expanding our ministry presence in Madang to include a team-based, field-office ministry, we are excited for the days ahead.

The Need Before Us

In order to move forward with these goals, we need to transition away from our previous model of funding.  Previously, our administrative staff members have had individual missionary support. As we look forward, this model of funding is not sustainable. Our organization now needs its own funding for its leadership, administrative, and property needs in Madang. We project our initial funding need to be $250,000 per year. We are currently raising these funds separately from your missionaries’ support efforts; thus, their support levels will not be impacted.

Would you please pray for us as we navigate this important transition in the days to come? Pray that FV will be fully supported and continue to effectively come alongside churches as they carry out Paul’s gospel ambition in Papua New Guinea. If you want to learn more or if you have any questions, we look forward to hearing from you. If you would like to donate to FV, please click on the link below to be taken to our website.

Your partnership on this gospel mission is deeply appreciated!