Our Missionaries
From everywhere to everywhere...
We support missionaries within our local community and all across the world. With your support and the faithful service of these men, women and families below, individuals are meeting Jesus and responding to the gospel on a daily basis.
"And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'” - Romans 10:15
Jason and Erin Baan
SENDING COUNTRY: CANADA
SERVING IN: CANADA
SENDING CHURCH: HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH, AUBURN, ONTARIO
MINISTRY: ADMINISTRATION AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT WITH THE ESTABLISH TEAM, SASKATCHEWAN
Ministry Website: EstablishSeries.com
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We met at the University of Guelph, married, and raised a family on Jason’s family’s farm. We homeschooled our kids and served in our local church. We were always interested in missions, but over time God worked in our hearts to consider His command to go.
In the fall of 2015, we entered the Ethnos training program in Durham. Our education and work experience gave us a heart for creative access contexts…places where visas are limited and missionaries must wear multiple hats. In 2018, God took us out to join a team in North Asia.
Throughout our time overseas, God made it abundantly clear that He alone directs our steps. And throughout these past few pandemic years, He’s made it clear that He’s moving us on to something different…a ministry with the Establish team in western Canada.
We have a heart to see God’s church worldwide established in Christ and empowered to disciple. We’re excited for this new phase of ministry, and trust that God has us right where He wants us.
Jason and Angie Bechtel
SENDING COUNTRY: CANADA
SERVING IN: CANADA
SENDING CHURCH: HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH
MINISTRY: DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS; K-12 ACADEMY ADMINISTRATOR
Why we do what we do:
God’s Word has many themes running through its pages. God’s plan of redemption is an important one.
In God’s plan of redemption, we find that the focus is on “unreached people groups”.
From Genesis 12:3 when God promises to Abram that through him all the families [ethnic groups] would be blessed, to the glimpse of the finish line we find in Revelation 5:9 and 7:9 of every “tribe, tongue and nation [ethnos]” worshipping around the throne, we see God on mission.
The Great Commission as articulated in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations [ethnos]” is another clear example of God’s determination to see believers from every ethnos in heaven.
It is for this cause that we are investing our lives—we want to see a thriving church for every people/ethnos.
To many, the funding model of Ethnos Canada is unique. We look to the Lord to provide for our financial needs through family, friends and churches.
Ethnos Canada does not fund our ministry. Both our personal wages and our ministry expenses (eg. travel for meetings) are paid out of donations designated for our ministry.
100% of gifts designated for our ministry are used for our ministry.
Our ministry roles:
In order to see a thriving church established for every people, Jason works with a team to shape what people across Canada read, hear, touch and click from Ethnos Canada. This includes magazines, newsletters, websites and email updates.
Angie is on the oversight team for the K-12 school at Ethnos Canada, and teaches math to the children of staff and students at Ethnos.
Stan & Sally Bragg
The Braggs remain actively involved in mentoring and walking together with First Nation leaders, supporting and encouraging them as they lead their communities and seek to follow Jesus.
The Braggs have worked among the people of the Saugeen First Nation since 2006. They remain actively involved in mentoring and walking together with First Nation leaders, supporting and encouraging them as they lead their communities and seek to follow Jesus. Living out Christ's message of reconciliation, Stan and Sally are allowing God to use them and their years of experience as they seek to be a bridge from the indigenous community to their home church in Port Elgin and the surrounding area. Their desire is to be a part of the healing process between these communities in their context.
Doug & Sue Johnstone
SENDING COUNTRY: CANADA
SERVING IN: CANADA
SENDING CHURCH: CALVARY EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH, OWEN SOUND, ON
MINISTRY: FINANCE; VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Doug and Susan have always had hearts for missions and both spent time overseas before getting married. After years in the workforce and Susan homeschooling, they have been involved in support roles with Ethnos Canada since 2015. Doug works in the finance department and Susan coordinates volunteers and associates. Their 5 children are gradually leaving the nest and are seeking the Lord’s direction for their lives. Doug and Susan are thankful for the opportunity to serve with such an amazing team to see maturing churches planted among the most unreached.
Jordan & Jessica Martin
BIRTHDAYS
JORDAN: JANUARY 31, JESSICA: SEPTEMBER 14
MASON: JULY 28, NOLAN: JULY 26, LIAM: SEPTEMBER 17
EVRIT: OCTOBER 7, ASHER: APRIL 13, HARPER: NOVEMBER 5
ANNIVERSARY: OCTOBER 13
Jordan and Jessica grew up on the same street, went to school together from elementary through high school, and were married in 2007. They served with Ethnos Canada Indigenous Ministries for a short time, working with indigenous people under the title of Indigenous Church Engagement. They have five children and began a new role in 2021 with InterAct in Ruby, Alaska. The Martins will be working alongside Native believers and long to see a thriving church with believers who are growing ever closer to the Lord.
Dave & Debra Rodges
SENDING COUNTRY: CANADA
SERVING IN: CANADA
SENDING CHURCH: HURON CHAPEL AUBURN EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH
MINISTRY: SERVING IN VARIOUS WAYS TO SUPPORT THE MINISTRIES AND DEPARTMENTS OF ETHNOS CANADA
David & Debra grew up in Christian homes and met at a youth group event in Huron County, Ontario They were married in 1979 and spent the first 11 years of married life operating their dairy farm and working in their home church maturing as believers and as a couple/family. In 1990 Dave & Deb responded to God’s call on their life to serve as missionaries. After selling everything, and completing the training with Ethnos Canada they and their 5 young daughters moved to Papua New Guinea to work with two other Canadian couples among the Saniyo People. A young church was born in 1997 among the Saniyo. Dave and Deb served for 25 years in Papua New Guinea until 2017 when they were forced to return to Canada due to Deb’s health. During those years in PNG they served in various support roles including builder, barge and sawmill operator, dorm parents, regional and field wide leadership, business office, supply buying, guest house and housing manager, administration, regional centre managers and church planting facilitators. In 2017, after coming home suddenly due to health, they joined the home staff of Ethnos Canada and Indigenous Ministries. Dave and Deb help out where ever they are able or needed, which currently means Dave is helping the maintenance team and managing various projects on the centre and Deb is working in the tax department of the business office.
Brandt & Lanie-Joy Whatley
SENDING COUNTRY: CANADA
SERVING IN: ENROUTE
SENDING CHURCH: BRUSSELS COMMUNITY BIBLE CHAPEL
MINISTRY BLOG: READ BRANDT & LANIE JOY WHATLEY'S BLOG
Meet Brandt and Lanie-Joy and their sweet children, Jaxon, Boaz, and Rilla-May.
How did they meet? Picture a family fridge filled to bursting with keepsake school work and a plethora of prayer cards. The Whatley family (including little Brandt) had a permanent place for their prayer card on the Smith family fridge.
Some of Brandt’s earliest memories are from the middle of a remote stone age people group, eating grubs and watching wide-eyed as his parents engaged with a people who lived day to day in fear. Fear of the spirits controlled every facet of life for these people, fuelling murder, sickness, and blood rituals that brought the people to the brink of extinction.
Meanwhile, in North America, Lanie-Joy thought it only made sense for her to marry one of the little boys on her fridge if she wanted to be a missionary herself. Our stories, yours included, are filled with evidence like this, pointing to the handiwork of a kind and faithful Father who is near and working all things for our good and His glory.
As Brandt transitioned from life within the jungle, to life in an Asian city, to live in North America, he found the Lord’s promises to be true in every context. These same promises hemmed Lanie-Joy in as the Lord wove His handiwork through her life. Saved at an early age during her parents’ divorce, the provision of believing family and church family proved a sweet gift of grace. While serving as a camp counselor years later, Lanie-Joy recognized that the stability and deep-rooted peace found in Christ alone, is not a reality for much of the world.
With these people in mind, Brandt and Lanie-Joy pursued training with Ethnos Canada. Laying a foundation for ministry included two years at Ethnos360 Bible Institute and two years of specialized missionary training at Ethnos. The promises and faithful track record of the Lord stood firm even as Brandt and Lanie-Joy experienced difficulties. God taught them to wait on Him in the midst of financial difficulty, health issues, Brandt’s injuries after a serious motorcycle accident, and now preparation to allocate to Arctic Canada to ministry among the Inuit.
Tim and Kathy Whatley
SENDING COUNTRY: CANADA
SERVING IN: CANADA
REGION: ATLANTIC CANADA
LOCATION: PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA
SENDING CHURCH: GORRIE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP
MINISTRY: CANADIAN LEADERSHIP TEAM, REPRESENTING ETHNOS CANADA IN EASTERN CANADA
Tim and Kathy Whatley have served with Ethnos Canada since 1995. Tim is currently the Co-Director of Ethnos Canada.
Tim was born in Nova Scotia and raised in the jungles of Indonesia as a son of a missionary family. Kathy was raised on a farm in Southern Ontario, and during Elementary School her parents responded to a call to serve in a full-time ministry in an Evangelism Camp in New York State.
Tim and Kathy served as church planters in the Moi people group in Asia-Pacific, being part of the team to first make contact with them in 2000. Today there is a thriving church among the Moi people, and Tim uses his experience and passion to challenge the North American church to take an active role in global missions. Tim was on the Asia-Pacific field leadership for 7 years, and in 2010 they were asked to return to Canada to serve as the director of Ethnos Canada’s senior leadership team.
Tim and Kathy currently live on Prince Edward Island but spent about half the year travelling for Ethnos Canada, including 3 months a year in Asia-Pacific, helping our new team serving in the Arctic of Canada, and his ongoing responsibilities as a co-director.