Dr. Jim & Anna Bearss

Dr. Jim Bearss is the President and Founder of On Target Ministry. Through On Target, he and Anna are committed to the work of teaching the Bible and training National Pastors overseas, so they can teach others and reach people in their country for Jesus Christ.

Dr. Jim Bearss is a dedicated student of the Bible. Jim was the pastor here at Open Bible Church for 13 years. Since 1975 he has served the Lord as a Leader, a Pastor, a Missionary, and a Teacher in Bible College and Seminary. His Bible teaching ministry has reached into over 400 churches in the USA and eleven foreign countries.

He and his wife, Anna Betsy, have been married since 1978; they have three children. The greatest joy for Jim and Anna Betsy is to serve the Lord together and to see believers respond obediently to the Word of God and walk in truth.

Jim & Rachel Chambers

Jim & Rachel Chambers serve with Grace Global Ministries. They are involved in education, medical ministry & church planting.

The Chambers have served in Zambia for over 30 years. The Lord has blessed the church and school at Njenjema. They have four Zambian leaders for the church (John, Jeff, Charles, and Malambo) and six teachers for the EBMZ Learning Center, including Rachel, as “part time”teacher. Jim and Rachel are working hand in hand with parents to make the facilities usable and beautiful.

John & Joanna Frey III

Coming from a long line of pastors, John knew that he, too, was called to ministry. After God showed them the tremendous need for church restoration in England and Germany, the couple realized they were being called to “go and make disciples” in Europe. It is the Freys' desire to see healthy local churches throughout the communities of England. They are working alongside British believers in an effort to establish new local churches or to revitalize those that are struggling to remain open. Their ministry focuses on evangelism, discipleship and leadership development.

Rick & Mary Glover

Rick and Mary Glover have been serving in Indiana since 1996 as Awana Missionaries. Their ministry began in northern Indiana with about half of the churches in Indiana using Awana coming under their care. In 2012, their ministry grew to cover parts of Southern Indiana as well. Before becoming Missionaries, they served as Awana leaders in the local church for 15 years.

The Glovers have been married since 1982 and have four adult sons, three of whom are married, and four grandchildren. They have had the privilege of seeing Awana work in children’s lives while being leaders in the local church, then in their own children’s lives as they grew up, and now they are watching God use His Word in the lives of their grandchildren.

The Glovers have a strong burden to equip leaders to reach and disciple the children and youth of their churches and around the world.

Tom & Pam Tharp

Tom and Pam Tharp have been missionaries with Mission Aviation Fellowship for over 30 years.  Joining MAF in 1989, they have served in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Mali, East Kalimantan, Indonesia and currently at MAF’s headquarters in Nampa, Idaho. Tom currently manages the Purchasing and Shipping department at headquarters, where he still helps with the repair of radios returned from the field.

Pam’s ministry has included flight following, shopping for interior families, hospitality and accountant assistant.  In 2011-2012, Pam and Tom served in Tarakan, East Kalimantan where Pam taught the children of the MAF families. Pam was a local school teacher for 19 years.

Dr. Wayne & Susie Vanderwier

Wayne and Susie founded the ministry of Overseas Instruction in Counseling in 2006. Wayne served as Executive Director of OIC from its inception until October of 2019. His new role, Director at Large, includes building biblically healthy relationships with churches and theological schools, completing the OIC strategic objective in nations around the world, and training both OIC missionaries and national pastors. He also serves as the International Ministry Team Leader on the Council Board of the Biblical Counseling Coalition. He is Dean of the Master in Biblical Counseling program at the National Theological College and Graduate School and Director of the Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling program at Kyiv Theological Seminary in Kiev, Ukraine and Doane Baptist Seminary in Iloilo, Philippines.

Since the inception of OIC, Wayne and Susie have traveled to thirty nine countries representing OIC. Their strategic objective is to train pastors and Christian leaders who will be able to train others in their nations in Biblical Counseling. Ultimately these men and women will establish a national Biblical Counseling training and certifying organization.

Susie is involved primarily in the background of the work doing such things as PowerPoint Presentations, travel arrangements, visas and health documents, and additional support as needed. She also manages the Open Bible Church website and prepares advertising assistance for the church. 

Bringing Children Hope

Bringing Children Hope was called into existence in 1955 by churches seeking assistance in caring for families and children. BCH, according to the biblical mandate in James 1:27 to "Care for the Fatherless", answered this call and today cares for more than 800 children in the United States, India, Southeast Asia and Liberia. The mission of the Bringing Children Hope is to provide Christian care and counsel for family living.

Bringing Children Hope brings hope to hurting and troubled children and families, striving to teach them how to live godly in spite of painful or seemingly unfair circumstances. They provide this hope through group home and foster home care for children, Christian family and/or personal counseling, adoptive services, and care for pre-born children. In short, if it affects the family, BCH is there to help.

If you have questions about salvation, Biblical counseling or discipleship, baptism or church membership, please contact one of our elders:

Pastor Larry Starett, Bob Blair or Wayne Vanderwier