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The faces of PIEI: Volunteer Leadership, Partners, & Nationals
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PIEI Attending COSIM Annual Conference
COSIM stands for the Coalition On the Support of Indigenous Ministries.
COSIM is composed of churches and mission agencies that want to promote good practices for dynamic partnerships between western and non-western ministries. COSIM shares documents and audio recordings promoting best practices for dynamic partnerships, and holds an annual conference.
The 2010 Annual Conference was held at the The Lindner Center, Northern Seminary, Lombard, Illinois, June 7-9. The theme of the conference was: "Becoming Better Partners in the Global Village." The first plenary session held last Monday featured “Creative Partnership Strategy for Tough Economic Times” facilitated by PIEI leadership, Cornel Stef and Gene Brush. Cornel Stef, Gene Brush, Wayne Taylor, and Ellery LaQuihon attended the conference.
A number of large churches as well as major denominations are making the switch from "sending" to "partnering." Presenters represent U.S. mission agencies, indigenous partners from the Majority World, and mainline church denominations.
Here is a little information about our leadership, as presented on the COSIM website:
Cornel Stef, President of Partners In Evangelism International
Cornel Stef was born and raised in Romania. In 1983 he, his wife Gabriela, and their extended family came to the U.S. as refugees. After Communism fell, he heard Gene Brush of PIEI speak one day on Moody Radio, and knew immediately this was the way he could help people in the land of his birth. They began by supporting a Romanian missionary, and then took up the cause of missionaries in Ukraine. His involvement advanced him to vice president and then president of PIEI, in which capacity he serves as a volunteer while maintaining his own business. “Being bilingual and bicultural has helped me to understand the similarities as well as the differences of Americans and people from other countries, other cultures, and other languages,” he says.
Wayne Taylor, General Director of Partners In Evangelism International
Wayne Taylor grew up in a Christian family in Michigan and currently is an entrepreneur in real estate. In 1979 he went to Grace Seminary to earn a Masters Degree in Missions. There he met Abraham, a fellow student from India. The church where Wayne and Abraham worshiped sent him back to India as their indigenous partner. The relationship has enabled Abraham to develop a ministry that has planted over 100 churches, operates a Bible school and conducts Christian conferences. Wayne has twice visited Abraham’s ministry in India, as well as ministries in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Guyana, Spain, Morocco, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and the Philippines. About 20 years ago Wayne was invited to a PIEI board meeting. He liked what he heard and saw so much he stayed on and gladly volunteers his time as General Director of PIEI and Chairman of the COSIM Leadership Team. His goal is “to expand the PIEI volunteer partnership committee concept to become contagious and transferable to individuals and churches.”
Gene Brush, Executive Vice President, Partners In Evangelism International
Gene Brush was serving as a missionary to Spain in 1977 when he thought, Why not find Spaniards to do the work here and I can go home! He knew his salary could support two Spanish missionaries who could speak the language without an accent, and they would never be in jeopardy with visa problems. Though he did learn the language and succeeded in planting a church, he continued to think of the indigenous option after he returned to the U.S. in 1980. He shared his vision with others, and in 1985 he began PIE to assist workers in Spain. They added “International” after the organization began helping in additional countries. PIEI now assists national workers in 16 countries and is sustained by by the efforts of more than 100 volunteers who visit the mission fields abroad, advocate on behalf of mission teams in the U.S., and operate the international headquarters office—a remarkable feat for an all-volunteer organization.
Ellery LaQuihon, Chairman for the PIEI-Philippines Ministry, member of the PIEI Board and PIEI Administrative Committee
Ellery LaQuihon has been very actively involved in the ministry in the Philippines. He has been visiting the field on a regular basis, assisting the national leadership there first hand. He has recently underwent major eye surgery, which has not stopped him from attending the COSIM conference.
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