About North American Ministries


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North American Ministries is the department of the National Association of Free Will Baptists that recruits, assesses, trains, coaches, and sends church planters to start churches across North America. NAM is strategically involved in church revitalization, helping many struggling churches each year. The department also provides oversight for a cross-cultural ministry that equips and sends Spanish-speaking pastors to the rapidly-growing Hispanic population in the United States. NAM is the endorsing agency for Free Will Baptist military chaplains, with chaplains serving the National Guard, US Army, and US Navy. The office also operates the Church Extension Load Fund (CELF), providing a solid investment opportunity to investors in the denomination by offering mortgage loans to help churches purchase land and construct buildings. NAM also includes Master’s Men, the Free Will Baptist ministry that equips men to serve the Lord, their churches, families, and one another.

The support from Free Will Baptists across the denomination makes these essential ministries possible. Thank you for your prayers and financial support to spread the good news of the gospel to North America. Feel free to contact us at 877-767-7674 if you have questions or concerns.


North American Ministries Staff

Ken Akers, Director of Master’s Men / Chief Operations Officer

Ken Akers began working with Master’s Men April 1, 2000. In 2002, Ken became director of the department. In 2015, the Master’s Men department came under the umbrella of the Free Will Baptist North American Ministries. Master’s Men is responsible for many areas of ministry including: Free Will Baptist Disaster Response, National Convention ushering, IMPACT, and the Ridge Church Restoration. Master’s Men also works to reach men through retreats, the National Convention, and the Deep South Golf Tournaments. Master’s Men serves our churches to help equip and encourage their men. Ken also serves as CFO of CELF and NAM.

Contact Ken


Terry Austin, Chaplain
Support Officer

As Chaplain Support Officer, Terry Austin is the contact for all FWB chaplains including our endorsed military chaplains serving those in the armed forces. Terry works with pastors to meet the requirements for chaplaincy, and he supports and encourages chaplains and their families in diverse ministries across the country and on military bases all over the world.


Rick Bowling, Cross
Cultural Officer

Rick Bowling serves as the leader of Hispanic ministries for North American Ministries. He and his family faithfully served for seven years as international missionaries to Uruguay. Today, he is helping establish Hispanic churches across the nation. Rick also has been instrumental in encouraging Hispanic students to study at the NAM Hispanic Bible Institute in order to go back to their home countries to plant churches and share the gospel. Rick Bowling brings a new dimension to the multi-faceted work of planting Hispanic Free Will Baptist churches.

Contact Rick


Kathy Brown, CELF Accounting
Administrator

After 30 years as accounting administrator for North American Ministries, Kathy Brown has transitioned to the same position with the Church Extension Loan Fund. Since 1982, the Loan Fund has existed to help churches buy land or build a building. Assets now exceed $100 million dollars. Kathy and her husband Billy enjoy their family consisting of son Daniel, daughter-in-law Jaclyn, grandchildren Jasper and Jemma, and son Jonathan.

Contact Kathy


Dr. David Crowe, Chief
Executive Officer

Dr. H. David Crowe has a unique perspective on Free Will Baptists, with a working knowledge of denominational history and a comprehensive understanding of our mission of communicating the gospel and making disciples. David has served North American Ministries for 26 years, as director of missionary assistance (6 years), church growth (6 years), and development (6 years) respectively. David has served 8 years now as CEO, and he loves church planters and their families, praying for their success daily. He is loved by pastors and people across North America and has preached in more than 1,400 Free Will Baptist churches and at all of our Free Will Baptist colleges. As Executive Officer, it is David’s desire to do everything we can to help pastors and church planters succeed in the tasks to which the Lord has called them.  

Contact David


Bethany Douglas,
Administrative Assistant

Bethany Douglas serves as the administrative assistant to the NAM office. She works diligently to support the NAM officers, church planting families, and chaplains. Bethany manages social media accounts, helps with design work, coordinates event planning, and serves as the office receptionist. Before joining the team at NAM, Bethany and her husband Thad served as teachers with the NAM church plant and Christian school in St. Croix, USVI.

Contact Bethany


Sam McVay, Church Relations
Officer

Sam McVay brings more than 40 years of ministry experience among Free Will Baptists to his role as Church Relations Officer for North American Ministries. He and his wife, June, served as missionaries in Spain for 17 years and then he served as one of the directors of International Missions for 6 years. Before serving in Spain, he served as Pastor’s Assistant of Cofer’s Chapel FWB Church for 21 years. Sam & June have two daughters, a son-in-law, and three grandchildren. Sam travels to churches and various meetings promoting the work of NAM and challenging folks to fulfill their role in “Reaching the World at Home.”

Contact Sam


Brad Ransom, Chief Training
Officer

Dr. Brad Ransom moved to Nashville in August 2013 to become Director of Church Planting for North American Ministries. For the previous 30-plus years, he and his wife Lori lived in Oklahoma where he served as a pastor and state leader. Brad has served at every level of denominational leadership including local church, district, state, and national. He has served extensively in church planting and church revitalization and has a passion to see new churches planted and every church healthy and growing.

Contact Brad


Teresa Womack, Accounting Administrator

As Accounting Administrator, Teresa Womack is responsible for receipting $4.8 million dollars each year, paying bills, managing payroll, and maintaining all church planter accounts. She and her husband David live in White House, Tennessee. They have three daughters (Tera, Tayla, and Tana) and six grandchildren (Trevor, Samuel, Kimber, Ezra, Elaine, and Lauren).

Contact Teresa



Board of Trustees

Jeff Jones, Chairman
Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina


David Sexton, Vice-Chairman
Suffolk, VA


Josh Baer, Clerk
Gastonia, NC


Dr. Marshall Bonéy
Virginia Beach, VA


Bob Brown
Lake Butler, FL


Mike Cash
Mesa, AZ


Bob Lewis
Kingsport, Tennessee


Jose Rodriguez
Gallatin, TN


Frank Wiley
Del City, Oklahoma