We have many home-rooted missionaries here in the United States. These people are spreading the gospel in their own backyard, and though religious freedom is truly a blessing, there are still many people groups that have not been witnessed to, such as Jews, immigrants, international students, Muslims, cults, and the prison population.

The USA has over 317 million people as of 2010. 77% profess to be Christian, 16.5% non-religious, and many other religions under 2% of the population. The USA has rich religious history and great resources for spiritual growth, due to religious freedom. However, the separation and church and state is highly misused, attempting to remove public exercise of religion; others attempt to create a type of Christian theocracy within the government. The world's perception of the USA as the only superpower and a moral authority is severely plummeting. The USA's cultural and social influence allow for it to have both great good and much sin. Materialism and individualism are widespread, as is corporate greed. Many minorities are attacking the USA's spiritual heritage and attempting to silence Christians. Church populations are rapidly decreasing and the non-religious movement rising exponentially. There is a great need for Christian unity, leadership, and revival. It is clear that Christians are not making the impact they should due to their freedoms, thus the Christian interaction with society needs to be reevaluated. Humanism, New Age movements, and postmodernism are clear rivals to Christianity.

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Fred Kornis was raised in Kansas City, KS. He attended Trinity College in Florida and received a B.A. degree in Religious Education in 1976. In 1986 he received a M.A. degree in Ministry from Faith Evangelistic Schools. He has completed various specialized training programs and seminars. In 2001 he finished a Doctor of Ministry degree from Faith Baptist College and Seminary. He has authored a book entitled Mighty Man & His Miniature God, available upon request. Fred also
has music he writes and plays.

    In 1969 he married Barbara Mendelsohn, who helps with administrative duties at the HIM headquarters; they have 4 children—Summer, Jeremy, Faith and Vanessa, and presently  14 grandchildren  and 2 greatgrandkids!

    Fred Kornis trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior on July 11, 1970. Kornis was in the U. S. Army, 173rd Airborne and served in Vietnam. While in Vietnam, he was involved with a LZ and the drug rehabilitation program for soldiers. Fred has served as a youth/music director and interim pastor. In 1973 He served with Operation Mobilization (OM) in Mexico and other OM countries since. Kornis was also a city chaplain in Baltimore, Maryland from 1976-1983, and the Area Director of the Baltimore/Washington branch of Open Air Campaigners and staff evangelist from 1975-1984. He was a missionary in the Philippines during 1984-1986. Upon his return to the USA in 1986-1988, he served as U.S. Field Representative of Open Air Campaigners. He has been a missionary-evangelist with Ambassadors for Christ International for 14 years, and pn 2001 established a new mission agency called Heartland International Ministries in the Kansas City area. He has served on the Boards of three different organizations.

Fred’s ministry includes all forms of public and church evangelism, special revival meetings, regular training projects and programs for foreign countries, seminars to every age group on spiritual life, and sponsorship and equipping of many national workers around the world. He constantly consults with pastors and leaders regarding ministry issues in various cultures. His "relational" style makes him a friend to all people.

During his ministry over the years, he has traveled and ministered in many countries— including Mexico, India, the Philippines, China, Kazahkstan, Europe, Asia, Nicaragua, Egypt, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Fiji, New Zealand, Haiti, Croatia, Guatemala, Honduras, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Poland and Nicaragua. A network of relationships in these countries continue and are the part of the ministry of H.I.M.

His ministry also includes a wide range and variety of ministries with local churches, youth groups, camps, schools, jails, hospitals, rescue missions, men's retreats, conferences, training seminars and home visitations to the sick and shut-ins.

His beloved wife Barbara has been his partner and friend for over 43 years now and they would appreciate your PRAYERS as they press on.

As a child raised in Appomattox, Virginia, Vicky Rogers was blessed to have Christian parents who always took her to a Bible believing church as she was growing up. When she was 10 years old, she trusted in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She grew gradually as a believer, but it was not until she was in her late teens, that she began to grow in her desire to study the Bible, etc.

After she graduated from high school, she started working as a secretary. After 5 years in the secretarial field of work, she felt the Lord was leading her to go to a Bible college to learn more about His Word. She quit her job and went to Shenandoah Bible College in Roanoke, Virginia for 1 year. Then she felt the Lord wanted her to continue on in her Bible education, so she transferred to Washington Bible College in Lanham, Maryland. While she was at WBC, she became involved with open air evangelism in the DC area, led by Open Air Campaigners. The more she participated in this ministry, she grew to love this type of missions work. During her senior year at WBC, she sought the Lord as to what He wanted her to do after graduation. She knew she wanted to use her secretarial skills with a missions organization…so she discovered that the OAC Baltimore/Washington branch desperately needed a secretary!

     She moved to Baltimore and started an office for the 3 evangelists there. Fred Kornis was the Acting Director at that time. A year later, she transferred to the New Jersey/New York area to become the Secretary to the OAC National Director. After a year of service there, she moved back to Baltimore to get a job to help pay off her school debt. She then started working at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. It was a good paying job with good benefits, but 7 years later the Lord was prompting her to go back into the ministry. As she read Fred and Barbara Kornis’ newsletters (who were presently in the Kansas City area), she sensed the urgent need of administrative help for Fred. So she moved out to Kansas in November 1988 to be his Administrative Assistant.

Since she has been serving in the Kansas City area, she has served alongside Fred Kornis, with Open Air Campaigners as well as Ambassadors for Christ International. Both mission agencies are wonderful organizations, in which they were blessed to be a part of.

Presently, she serves in an administrative role at the headquarters of Heartland International Ministries, which was founded by Fred Kornis. But during the last several years, the Lord has also given her another aspect of ministry along with her administrative work….which is the ministry of visitation to the shut-ins. She has discovered that these elderly and handicapped shut-in persons are a “forgotten people group” in the United States. Her desire is to reach out to these lonely people and show them the love of Jesus.

_She recently came to work for H.I.M. as an answer to prayer for direction in her life, and is diving right in to the many responsibilities of her position as Administrative Assistant to Fred Kornis and Vicky Rogers.

Vicki is originally from Wichita, KS.  Due to her father’s vocational pursuits in the automotive business her family moved around to various places throughout her lifetime.  In the summer of 1971 they were relocated to the Kansas City area when Vicki was a teenager.  She attended and graduated from Olathe High School (now Olathe North High School) in 1973. 

Vicki didn’t “grow up” in a very formal church environment.  She was baptized Presbyterian and attended church in spurts throughout her early life.  She remembers being dismissed during the “BIG” church service and marching out to Sunday School to the regal battle hymn of “Onward Christian Soldiers”.  Over the years, she would become convicted that she needed something more…but she couldn’t put her finger on what that something was.  She knew about Jesus, she believed God was real, but there had to be more to it than just believing those things.  Over the course of her early teenage years she would coincidentally be put in situations where she was exposed to Jesus Movement venues, which at that time was in full force.  Finally, at the end of 1973, at the age of 19, she was invited to go see a movie entitled “The Greatest Story Ever Told”.  Vicki finally had her eyes opened at what the Gospel Story was all about; an innocent Man, the Son of God Who died on the Cross for her to receive His forgiveness and a New Life.  That night when she got home, she was moved to bow down at her bedside and give control of her life to Christ.

Vicki, who is now divorced, was a stay-at-home mom while her kids grew up, and she served as an Office Consultant for a non-profit organization for 16 years; a position she could do at home.  The various skills she acquired during those years have proven to be exceedingly valuable for her now as she has taken on the many projects for H.I.M. and she is amazed at God’s hand in her life, as she was unaware of His moving on her behalf and for H.I.M.

Vicki has two grown married sons and a granddaughter, who live nearby, and currently lives in Overland Park, KS.  She loves to read, art, and music.  She is looking forward to take up fishing as a pastime.  She also loves hanging out with friends at Homer’s, her favorite coffee shop.

Roger became a believer in the Lord at the age of 42 and, in hindsight, felt privileged to attend Messianic Jewish services for the first 6 months of his new life.  There, he was exposed to the Jewishness of the Messiah and the Jewishness of the entire Bible.  Later he went forward at a Billy Graham crusade, was baptized, and joined a local church.  He served on many committees, chaired the evangelism ministry several times and taught Sunday School classes going on 20 years.

Over the years Roger became involved with street ministry and then God reignited a desire to study the Jewish Roots of his faith.  Still maintaining his membership and involvement in the local Baptist Church he also attended an independent Messianic Jewish Synagogue and took classes at a Jewish Root Institute.  During this time he discovered his Baptist denomination had an active outreach to the Messianic community, the Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship (SBMF).  He now attends a local SBMF and also maintains his membership and support of his local church.

He serves in many ministries:

• Street Ministry - hands out tracts and witnesses to those who God provides. In public areas, he encourages others and hands out Bibles.
• Jewish Roots Ministry - supports Jewish Roots’ Worship, Studies & Discussion Groups, is the dicussion leader for Jewish Roots Classes, and assists in the leadership of the local Shawnee Jewish Root Ministry
• Teaching Ministry - involved in Hebraic Roots Studies and teaches an 8-week course on evangelism.
• Helping and encouraging in many ways around the HIM center and with Fred and Vicky.

Roger’s ministry is personal evangelism and witnessing to people out in the public arena.  He also teaches the Way of the Master personal evangelism method to local church groups and individuals.  The Way of the Master has DVD courses which Roger uses as he works with local churches, organizations and individuals in the classroom and out on the streets, helping Christians learn this effective method of evangelism.

Dr. Austin Phillips is a native of Georgia.  He and his wife, Janet, have been married for 42 years, and have 4 children and 6 grandsons.  They reside in Dothan, AL.  He serves H.I.M. as the Local Church Coordinator, and is responsible for developing ongoing resources for local church pastors and their congregations. His DAILY DEVOTIONS for HIM are always powerful.

    Phillips is a man of much experience, having served as pastor of churches in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.  He came to faith in Christ as a pre-law student in college on April 25, 1966, married Janet in February of the following year.  An alumnus of North Texas State University, Dr. Phillips holds a BA degree in Bible from Trinity College of Florida, a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degree from Luther Rice Seminary.

His ministry experience includes daily radio broadcasts for a number of years, teaching high school, college, and seminary, as well as serving as Vice Chancellor of Bethany Divinity College for 3 years.  He has travelled to more than 25 countries preaching and teaching the Word of God.

Read Austin's Blog

Prasad and Susan George are natives of S. India and presently reside in Houston, TX.  They have developed and oversee a dynamic and expanding  ministry throughout India.  They have founded a wonderful boys orphanage  and are in the
midst of a construction project to house at least 100 orphans in  the future. They also direct church planting projects, pastors, and a new  Bible school producing strong disciples.  Each year they lead missions  trips with believers from the USA to India.  Prasad has also ministered to  churches in Central American. Prasad is involved in  overseeing a growing ministry in India. He has 24 field staff and 8  mission centers-- including a new mission center near Delhi and a recent  purchase of land with ETH funds for another. He also runs a Bible  school, a reading program, an afterschool children’s program, and an  orphanage that houses 40 children. God is blessing this ministry in so  many ways. H.I.M. is involved in helping fund and maintain these  programs along with growing mission out reaches. Prasad and Susan have  been married for over 25 years and continue to be faithful servants.

JoAnne LaRue is a graduate of Washington Bible College.  She has had  many years of experience and leadership in public and local church  evangelism.  As a single woman she often faces resistance and needs our  prayers and support.  She
has been involved in ministries and teams in the  USA, Brazil, and India.  She specializes in sketch board talks,  ventriloquism and object lessons.  Many youth camps, VBS’s, schools, AWANA  programs, Sunday School classes and church services have been blessed by her  ministry.  Contact HIM for JoAnne’s availability for your event.

Joe and Jo are involved with the Equippers Group International. After 25 years of missionary work in Asia, Equippers Group International was born to develop mature leaders for the church who otherwise are cut off from traditional and expensive education.  Already hundreds of churches have been planted as a direct result of the EGI programs.  In 2006, a new Spanish translation was launched in Nicaragua (with H.I.M. staff & team) and Venezuela. 

EGI is working to address the ever-increasing need for materials, training and equipping in the rapidly increasing Body of Christ worldwide.  EGI's vision is to see leaders with the training and materials so that they can equip and empower every believer to become active in ministry.

Bob was blessed to grow up in a Christian home, in which his mom's extended illness brought his whole family to the Lord.  After helping to start and grow a community youth outreach program for 12 years, he was asked by Fred to serve at H.I.M. His life is ministry, whether in working with H.I.M., rehabbing houses, marketing Wicketball, or spending time with his family... his life is the Lord's.  His trips to India have opened his eyes to an entire world lost, without Christ.  “May I stay in the battle and serve the Lord always! I am tremendously blessed to have a great wife, Stacy, and our four children: Cassie, Ben, Alex & Luke.” Bob stepped out of role as Board Chairman to begin to raise funds for projects in India.

Our ministry is driven by both the admonition of Proverbs 31: 8-9 and Our Savior's High Priestly Prayer in John 17:  we seek to speak up, represent, encourage, come alongside the hurting and poor, both here and in Northern Mexico--we do this in response to His prayer to "make them one, as You and I are one".

Most of our ministry focus is with and through: 

1. Verdad y Vida Presbyteriana; Puerto Anapra, Chihuahua, Mexico;
2. Manos de Lucas Medical Ministries; Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico / Puerto Anapra / El Paso, Texas - feeding centers, medical clinics, churches, surgery suites, orphanage, and feeding 15,000 at Thanksgiving;
3. Monte Santo Presbyteriana; Puerto Anapra, Chihuahua, Mexico;
4. River of Life Orphanage, Puerto Anapra, Chihuahua, Mexico;
5. Grace Bible Institute and Church, Puerto Anapra, Chihuahua, Mexico;
6. Igelsia Bautista Peregrino, El Paso, Texas;
7. Casas por Cristo Ministries, El Paso and Ciudad Juarez area of Northern Mexico; 
8. Stateside missionaries in preparation for their field assignments.

To date we have organized and led 20+ trips into Northern Mexico to minister to these above, dear friends.  During these short-term, 8-day trips we have built 14, brand new homes for the 'hurting & poor", while challenging the participants (over 200 through the last 8 years) to open their eyes and their hearts to Jesus and His call on each of our lives.  Five different groups have 'spun-off' of these trips and are now actively participating in similar efforts, while we've also seen several participants seek full-time missionary status.

Jim Sherwood is a long time faithful servant of the Lord. He has been involved in many aspects of international ministry and local church work in the USA. He is gifted in languages and often communicates especially with those of the Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist background. He presently resides in Florida and cares for his ailing wife.

Joe has taken coursework for Mechanical Engineering and was in the US Marine Corps Reserves from 1993-1999. In 2004, he became a deacon in his church and started traveling to Nicaragua. He continues to go on multiple trips per year there to build relationships and ministries. They are members of Fellowship Memphis and serve at Memphis Union Mission. Joe is going through discipleship training under Downline Ministries.

After the Katrina Crisis on the Gulf Coast, he directed relief efforts, where we were able to partner with local gulf churches and mission agencies.  He helped rehab 75 houses and mobilized over 250 volunteers from around the country for this outreach.  Joe continues to develop teams and outreaches in Nicaragua, while still advising the USA ministry.  Pray for Joe and Sonya and their two children.  He is based out of the Memphis, Tennessee area and now serves on the HIM Board of director