Bryan & Emily Bell
Bryan Bell is Executive Director of GDMMissions
Bryan grew up as a “missionary kid” spending the bulk of his youth in the Democratic Republic of Congo and later in Zambia. Emily and Bryan meet at Northland Baptist Bible College while in training for ministry and were married in July of 1996. Bryan & Emily served as missionaries to Botswana, Africa from 2001 to 2006. In June of 2007 Bryan & Emily joined the ministry of Grace Dental and Medical Missions, Inc. Together they have enjoyed opportunities to serving the Lord on mission fields around the globe.
Dan & Karyn Hassman
The Hassmans are in Johannesburg, South Africa, serving under Baptist World Mission. After French language school the Hassmans worked as church-planting missionaries in Cotonou, Benin from 2005-2007. When their co-workers left the field God opened the door for them to work under experienced missionaries in Cameroon. They served in Douala from 2008-2012 teaching Bible institute classes and joining with a national pastor to plant a church in Douala. They are beginning a new work in Johannesburg with the goal of planting churches among the francophone Congolese community. The focus is on reproducible discipleship and leadership development.
Dan is a former commercial pilot who God led into the ministry in his late 20’s. Karyn received her nursing degree with the goal of using it on the mission field. She was on deputation to go to the mission field as a single missionary when God led them together and they were married in 2002. Dan and Karyn are blessed with five children: Kristianne, Alissa, Elianna, Annalisse, and Micah.
G.S. & Sarah Nair
Biography
G.S. Nair is a Baptist pastor, educator and evangelist from Trivandrum (city), Kerala (state), India.
As a high caste Hindu Army officer, he was a harsh and outspoken critic of Christianity until he was converted while recuperating from tuberculosis at a Baptist Mid-Missions Hospital in 1972.
In 1976 he founded Kerala Baptist Gospel Team which became Peoples Baptist Ministries to India (PBMI) in 1984. PBMI is the outreach ministry of Peoples Baptist Church in Trivandrum which he founded in 1978.
Under his leadership PBMI has established over 3,500 churches with over 300,000 members. The ministry operates 20 children’s homes (orphanages), 3 Bible colleges, a seminary, 8 Bible college extension, 2 women’s vocational training centers, 7 private Christian schools, a ministry to lepers in two Indian states, an assisted living home and a home for abused girls.
He also established a publishing ministry that has produced millions of tracts in various languages as well as collateral educational material. In 2006, he founded and is editor of Baptist Voice, the official publication of Peoples Baptist Ministries to India.
Brother Nair earned a Bachelor of Religious Education (B.R.E.) and Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) from Berean Baptist Bible College and Seminary in Bangalore, India.
He was honored with Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degrees from Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown, WI, and Maryland Baptist Bible College, in Elkton, Maryland, in recognition of his life work in education.
SALVATION TESTIMONY
I was raised in a religious family. After I finished my studies, I found that there was an emptiness in my life. I had no peace in my heart. I thought that if I just got a good job I would finally have peace. I decided to join the army. I figured that I would get a good salary and promotions. I worked hard, got promoted, and made friends, but nothing could fill my emptiness. In 1970, I was transferred to the northeast part of India.
I contracted a very bad case of tuberculosis. I was discouraged. My superiors were anxious to get me to the right kind of place to get good treatment.
In 1971 I was admitted to a Baptist Mid-missions hospital. In addition to the fine medical treatment, they also treated me to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I thought, “Why should I believe in a foreign god?” But I attended their Bible studies. During one of the studies I was challenged to read the Bible. I did not know it was God’s Word. I started reading it and fighting with the missionary. I continued to read that book and arguing with people.
My problem was that I would not believe that I was a sinner and that I needed a Savior. After 14 months in 1972, when I was reading God’s Word from Jeremiah 17:9, the Holy Spirit began to convict me that I had a wicked heart. I saw I needed a living Savior. I began crying out to God.
One day, I looked back on what I had learned. How Jesus Christ came to seek and save that which was lost. I saw that he died on the cross of Calvary on behalf of me. It was on that morning in 1972 that I called upon the Lord and received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.
FAMILY
G.S. and his wife, Sarah, have been married for 40 years. They have three married girls, Debbie, Rebeca Dawn, and Suzaan; and one son, Timothy, who is a medical student in India. They have six grandchildren.
Stan & Grace Shelton
We have been in Vienna since 2001 and lead a young church in the 22nd district of the city. Our desire is to teach the Word of God in a clear and systematic way pointing always to Jesus as the only hope and help for man’s dire need. We seek to counsel believers to follow Jesus with loving commitment and pray that the Lord will develop national leaders to carry on the ministry of this church in the future. Our ministry involves holding worship services on Sundays, Bible studies, children’s programs and youth activities during the week, personal discipleship with people in the church, and reaching out to friends and neighbors in a variety of ways. The ministry of hospitality, helping with English learning, participating in our children’s schooling are some of the ways we seek to be a blessing to our community and open doors for the gospel. We are also involved in camp ministries in the summer with teens and children. We have also conducted book tables, literature distribution and evangelistic services. We love Austria and the people of Vienna and pray that God will use us to introduce people here to the true Jesus of the Bible.
