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Matthew Ellison

Ministry Officer, Coach

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Matthew was rescued by Jesus when he was twenty-three. Shortly after, he found himself in Ghana, West Africa on the first of what would be many ventures to the mission field. That first trip, Matthew says, "ruined me for anything less than a life lived for God's global purpose." In 1993 he began serving at Calvary of Albuquerque, in New Mexico, where he attended and graduated from their School of Ministry. He worked as the missions pastor at Calvary for nine years, developing and launching a strategic church-wide missions ministry. There he founded an international short-term mission ministry called LifeLine Missions that gave thousands across the country the opportunity to experience the mission field firsthand. Through these ministry opportunities he became extensively involved in short and long-term mission endeavors in countries around the world.

Now, he devotes his time to serving local churches across the country by coaching them in strategically focused missions and helping them to discover and use their unique gifts in partnership with others to make Christ known among all nations. Matthew is the Chief Ministry Officer and co-founder of Sixteen:Fifteen, and currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife, Renee, and their three children, Matthew, Cali, and Landon.

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Barry Lawrence

Director of Church Coaching

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Barry grew up in a local church that was committed to world missions. During one of the student conferences, he responded to the challenge to put his life on the altar to be used of the Lord in whatever way He desired. After seminary, the Lord led him to be on the pastoral staff of a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His first taste of cross-cultural missions was a mission trip to Haiti during his time at Tulsa. Later the Lord called him to be Senior Pastor at Westside Baptist Church in Rochester, NY. During those nearly 18 years of ministry, the Lord led Barry to travel with teams to Nigeria, Romania, Turkey, Papua New Guinea and other parts of the world to preach in national churches and to train pastors and leaders.

The Lord intervened again and called Barry to invest his life in being a part of reaching the remaining unreached people groups. So Barry and his wife Diane left the East, their two grown daughters Holly and Stephanie, and five grandchildren to join the staff of Sixteen:Fifteen, where Barry is using his gifts and experience as a pastor to challenge and assist churches to fulfill the Great Commission in a unique and God-honoring way.

Barry Lawrence is passionate "to give my life to see Jesus treasured and worshipped in every part of the world as the all-powerful, all-wise, all-righteous, all-merciful and all-satisfying Lord and Savior for the glory of God."