Save the dates

73rd Annual World Missions Conference

October 9-13,2024

Replay

  • Speakers

    Rev. Andy Longwe

    Our keynote speaker, Andy Longwe, is the minister of London City Presbyterian Church. He was born in Malawi, but grew up in Lanarkshire, Scotland. He came to faith at the age of 17.

    Andy trained at Edinburgh Theological Seminary (ETS) and graduated with a Bachelor of Theology (BTh) degree in 2014. After seminary, he spent a year working as an associate church planter in Cornerstone Free Church, Edinburgh. In conjunction with this training, he also pursued a Master of Theology (MTh) degree in Historical Theology at ETS. Andy is married to Marina, and they have two young children, Theo and Ellie.


  • Karen Ellis

    K.A. Ellis is a Research Fellow for World Christianity at RTS, exploring identity, human rights, and theology. She's president of Makazi Institute, travels internationally for religious freedom, and writes for Christianity Today. She holds a MAR from Westminster, a MFA from Yale, and is a PhD candidate at Oxford under Dr. Hauerwas.


  • Neil MacMillan
    Neil is working on a new project called Scotland 30x30 with the vision to see new churches multiply in post-Christian Scotland. Neil and his wife planted three churches in Scotland, the latest of which is Cornerstone, Edinburgh. Neil is also Director of Church Planting for the Free Church of Scotland which is an evangelical Presbyterian denomination.


  • Barry

    Barry serves as the Regional Supervisor under the Serge Area Director for UK and India.


  • Chuck Clevenger

    1st Pres members Chuck, Neena, and their two children have been serving with the youth of Sacred Road Ministries since 2009. Chuck serves as Youth Director for Hope Fellowship Church, which is attended by mostly children and teens. They hope to raise up leaders for the church out of this group through discipleship groups and church service projects. Please pray for the Clevengers and the youth at Hope Fellowship, that the Lord will draw them close to Him and raise up strong leaders for the church and community of White Swan.  


  • Pastor Greg Baney
    Greg Baney is from southeast Missouri (Poplar Bluff) and is of Cherokee (Chickamauga) and Anglo descent. He is married to Tricia, and together they live in Hixson, Tennessee (North Chattanooga) where they are planting Woodlands Gathering, a church that strives to be a safe place for Native Americans and all people to encounter the good news of God. In addition to weekly worship, Woodlands Gathering has three initiatives: Cherokee Language Preservation, Creation Care (heirloom seed preservation) and Cultural Enrichment (events designed to reconnect the local Native community with indigenous cultural practices). Greg is the host of a podcast known as Sacred Wonder, and the grateful father of William, James and Lauren. Greg and Tricia have been in ministry for more than twenty years, and have been in contextual Native ministry for the last four years.

  • Introducing our new partners

    Morgan Montrose - Kenya (Short-term Missionary)
    Morgan grew up in Spring Hill, TN, and has lived in Chattanooga where she got connected through First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga that opened the doors to world missions. Her first experience overseas was in London in 2019 where her heart was opened to cross-cultural ministry that she fell in love with. After a second short-term trip to Mexico in 2022 she felt the Lord really calling her to take the step of faith to pursue missions with her whole heart. Serge, the missions organization that she went to London with, had encouraged her to pursue the apprenticeship they offer because it really targets the post-grad, mid-twenties age group, who are interested in full-time cross-cultural ministry. The apprenticeship pairs you with an existing Serge ministry team for hands-on experience with a mentor and educational courses. She felt the Lord really calling her to the team in Nairobi, Kenya, The Serge, Nairobi team partners with Ambassadors Football, 
    a football (soccer ministry), that works with young people to provide skill development, employment, and discipleship. They want to help the local church and community use soccer to share the gospel with coaches and players across the country. The vision is to see disciple-making coaches on every field in Kenya. Morgan will be the apprentice for the Nairobi team working alongside the team for 15 months. As a lifelong soccer player, she is excited to use her gift.

    Video - Meet Morgan


  • Marcelo and Susi Robles - Argentina (Church Planter)
    Marcelo is a church planter and the senior pastor of La Misión Church in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    La Misión is a movement of 5 congregations in distinct neighborhoods of the city that focus on training church planters and pastors, ministering to children and the poor.

    Co-founder of “Misión Beta” movement dedicated to urban church planting.

    He is the founder and current Director of the RUE (Evangelical University Network), which has 30 university centers in 10 cities in Argentina that form a network of more than 7,000 university students.  He is CEO of RightNow Media in Brazil.

    He has a Master's Degree in Accounting from the UBA (University of Buenos Aires), a Master's Degree in Divinities (Reformed Theological Seminary); he is a PhD candidate from the South African Theological Seminary. He is currently completing a Master's Degree in the area of Urban Anthropology (FLACSO, Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences).

    Member of the Advisory Council of the Latin American City to City movement, Marcelo coordinates the Faith and Work Initiative in Latin America. Since he started the ministry, and together with Karina Becerra, more than 70 leaders have been trained through sessions of intensive training in 2022, exclusive work material and mentoring; and 24 meetings, mentoring and conferences with participation of nearly 200 leaders from all over Latin America in 2021.

    Marcelo is married to Susi and they have two daughters, Vicky (19) and Brenda (17); and they live in Palermo, in the heart of the Buenos Aires City.


  • David and Eowyn Stoddard - Germany (Missionary)

    David, son of a PCA church-planter, was raised in Louisiana and Tennessee. Christ captured his heart in high school while participating in short-term mission trips, and David has felt called to missions ever since. At King College in Tennessee, he majored in political science and modern foreign languages, earned a master of divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary in California, and a Th.M. from WTS in Philadelphia. Eowyn is the daughter of MTW missionaries who served in France. She came to faith at a young age and sensed a call to missions in her late teens. She majored in German language and literature at Wellesley College and obtained a master’s in biblical studies from Westminster Seminary, where she met David. They married in December of 1997. David and Eowyn joined MTW’s church-planting movement in eastern Berlin in 2001. Over the past 20 years that team has been involved in planting five churches and a campus of the Martin Bucer Seminary. David currently serves as international director for Europe, overseeing MTW’s vision, strategy, and personnel. Eowyn assists David in his role and supports church-planting through evangelism, teaching, and women’s initiatives. They have five grown children.

    Video - Meet the stoddards

  • Celebrating retirement - Bobby and Linnet Gupta from India

    Praise God for partnering with us for 26 years serving in India.

    Dr. Paul R. “Bobby” Gupta serves as President and Director of Hindustan Bible Institute which uses a holistic approach to reach Indians for Christ by building transformational leaders to disciple the nation. Linnet’s ministry involves the coordination  and training of short-term teams that serve with HBI.  The couple has three adult children, Mythraie, Sushil, and Deepak. Please pray for the next generation that will continue the ministry.
    40 years of faithfulness video

  • 2023 Edward W. Peirson Award

    Congratulations Nate and Nikki Bonham serving in Colombia.

    2023 winners of the annual Edward W. Peirson Trust Award by the World Missions Committee. This award is given annually to the missionary couple who has served with distinction on the foreign mission field.

    We congratulate you for the service of excellence and faithfulness to God


    Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Romans 13:7

    Watch now

  • Why Support World Missions at 1st Pres Church

    World Missions is the foreign missions arm of First Presbyterian Church tasked with making disciples in the world—facilitated through the targeted selection and funding of missionaries, indigenous church planters, short-term teams, and projects that promote the establishment, growth, and maturation of indigenous-led churches and movements in strategic global cities. The Mission of First Presbyterian Church is to carry out our part of the Great Commission. To pledge or give please click here.

2023 Conference Schedule

subject to change

  • Wednesday, October 18

    Time Program Location
    5:00 PM Midweek Congregational Dinner Fellowship Hall
    6:00 PM Midweek Program - Andy Longwe, Speaker Sanctuary
    6:00 PM Kid's Mission (Prek-5th grade)
    Level 2
    SS Dept.
    6:00 PM Youth Career Opportunities
    Speakers: Scott Nimmon /
    Cal and Suzanne Kim
    Youth Building
  • Thursday, October 19

    Time Program Location
    7:00AM Men's Breakfast
    Speakers: Neil MacMillan and Barry
    Fellowship Hall
    Noon Luncheon Program - Couples Testimony, Guptas and Powlisons, Speakers Fellowship Hall
    6:00PM Kid's Mission (Prek-5th grade)
    Level 2  SS Dept.
    7:00PM Program - Andy Longwe, Speaker
    followed by Coffee and Desserts
    Sanctuary
  • Friday, October 20

    Time Program Location
    9:00 AM Woman's Coffee w/ missionary wives Tower 10th Floor
    10:00 AM Women’s Program, Karen Ellis, speaker Tower 10th Floor
    NOON Lunch with Testimony - Mary Hodgkins
    Fellowship Hall
    5:45 PM Home Meetings with Dinner
    Offsite
  • Saturday, October 21

    Time Program Location
    10AM Program– Chuck Clevenger and Greg Baney, speakers
    Brainerd Community Center
    5705 Uptain Road,
    Chattanooga, TN 37411
    11AM Cemetery Tour Brainerd Mission Cemetery
    935 Eastgate Loop, Chattanooga, TN 37411
    NOON Fellowship Lunch Brainerd Community Center
    5705 Uptain Road, Chattanooga, TN 37411
    Parking Information



    5:45PM
    There is parking available at the community center and the cemetery.

    Home Meetings with Dinner


    Offsite
  • Home meeting options for Saturday, October 21 at 5:45pm

    1st Pres Youth Building – First Friends Ministry (International Students)

    535 McCallie Ave

    Chattanooga, TN 37402

    Dinner type: potluck (link with list to signup will be sent out on Oct 16th)

    Partners: Bobby and Linnet Gupta, Mary Hodgkins, Morgan Montrose, Imbumi and Martha Makuku.

    Pastor Gabe and Callie Fluhrer 30750

    Dinner type: potluck, guests can bring sides and dessert. 

    Partners: Neil MacMillan, David and Kathy North, Abel Sisco, David and Eowyn Stoddard

     

    Pastor Randy and Joan Nabors 37421

    Dinner type: Nabors - potluck, guests can bring salads, dessert, or bread

    Partners: Chuck Clevenger, Paul Davis, Rick and Christy Gascho

     

    Joshua and Helen Smith 37343

    Partners: Jenn I., Keith, Ruth, Ellie and Emma Powlison, Barry S.

  • Sunday, October 22

    Time Program Location
    9AM Worship Services – Andy Longwe, Speaker Sanctuary
    10:15AM
    Missionaries Speak in Sunday School Download List of classes/missionaries
    SS Classes
    11AM Worship Services – Andy Longwe, Speaker Sanctuary
    11:15AM Brunch Celebration for 1st Service Fellowship Hall
    NOON Brunch Celebration for 2nd Service Fellowship Hall