The Free Methodist Church in
Europe
St. John’s Home Dedication in Bulgaria
Photo Credit: Kevin Austin
Praying – The Way Forward
FMWM Europe is working alongside committed leaders in churches where the gospel of Jesus is proclaimed without reservation. Throughout Europe, I have witnessed a deep sense of community and fellowship. It is a great joy to see how deeply people love and care for one another and how they joyfully spend time together. This joy and sense of community are making an impact on communities across the continent. By God’s grace, many who are searching are visiting our worship services and finding places of joy and love.
The way forward is to embrace, preach, and live out our faith in word and deed. People in Europe desperately need the Bible. They desperately need truth. They need to know personally the God Who transforms lives.
The church in Europe needs much prayer, and at the same time, we rejoice knowing God is at work. In places where Jesus Christ is exalted and the gospel proclaimed, we see people coming to faith and becoming worshipers of Him. In the Balkans, one of the least-churched regions in the world, and one of the poorest, the number of evangelical churches has seen growth even in these challenging times.
Current situations in other parts of the world have created a tremendous opportunity for the church in Europe and FMWM. More than 2 million refugees have arrived on the continent in the last two years. Many came from Africa, the Middle East and South America. Churches have helped many refugees, and by His grace, hundreds or possibly even thousands of refugees have come to faith in Jesus Christ. This ministry is bringing revitalization to our churches.
Please continue to pray for Europe. Pray for:
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- the 15 countries where the Free Methodist Church is working
- continued avenues for training and equipping national leaders
- hearts to be opened and that there will be increasing opportunities to engage in sharing the gospel with unbelievers
- church-planting efforts and the establishment of transformational churches
- opportunities to demonstrate compassion and share the good news with the 2 million refugees on the continent
Thank you for partnering with us and praying for us as we work together for the kingdom of God in Europe!
More about Christianity in Europe
Countries
Europe Area Director
Josh Fajardo
Impact Europe
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Give to Church Planting and Development (CPD)
Give to Extra Mile Projects (EMP)
Give to Area Development and
Extra Mile Projects (EMP) for Europe
About the Europe Area Development Fund
The Europe Area Development Fund allows the Area Director to assist with special needs as they arise throughout the year. The fund is used to help subsidize conferences and training events and respond to other unexpected financial needs. These funds also help support church planting and development efforts in Creative Access Countries.
About the African European Church Network
The African European Church Network (AECN) has been established to address the unique needs of families who come to Europe, facing a very different culture and viewpoint of the Church. God has placed gifted African leaders in some of the most secular areas of Europe. The Free Methodist Church in Europe and the AECN are working to connect and resource these diaspora leaders as they seek to develop churches that put Christ at the center of their communities.
About the Europe Church Multiplication Network
The Europe Church Multiplication Network exists to come alongside and resource church planting and ministry expansion initiatives throughout the continent.
About the Europe Area Education Network
This fund supports pastoral education throughout the continent, providing resources and scholarships for students and travel expenses for teachers.
About the Impact Europe L10E Network
Luke 10 for Europe (L:10:E) is a discipleship and church planting initiative based on the principles and teaching found in Luke 10:1-20. L:10:E contextualizes the Community Church Planting (CCP) methodology of planting churches for the various cultural and political realities that exist throughout Europe.
Your support of L:10:E helps train national leaders to plant faith communities throughout Europe.
• Church planting and leadership training.
• Establishing training centers.
• Establishing church planting networks in new areas.
About the Iranian European Church Network
Luke 10 for Europe (L:10:E) is a discipleship and church planting initiative based on the principles and teaching found in Luke 10:1-20. L:10:E contextualizes the Community Church Planting (CCP) methodology of planting churches for the various cultural and political realities that exist throughout Europe.
Your support of L:10:E helps train national leaders to plant faith communities throughout Europe.
• Church planting and leadership training.
• Establishing training centers.
• Establishing church planting networks in new areas.
Missionaries
Cathy Alford
Cathy Alford is a credentialed coach with the International Coach Federation, a certified CliftonStrengths® coach and a certified Daring Way Facilitator. She is a former corporate trainer and a recognized leader. Cathy has a passion for helping others discover their uniqueness and helping them in their personal development. She is serving as a VISA Voyager in Spain. Her primary responsibilities include providing leadership support to missionaries and national leaders, developing and implementing programs for children and families at the Mosaic Cultural Center, and engaging with local partners for community development and transformation.
Eduardo & Cindi Angelo
Cindi and Eduardo Angelo have planted and pastored churches near Lisbon since 1999. They focus on planting pioneer churches, reaching the lost, and training and releasing new Christians to be leaders of small groups and future churches. They were instrumental in beginning the FMC in Madrid and working on the affiliation process for the church in Lanzarote (Canary Islands). They also started the FMC in Guinea-Bissau, in West Africa, with native Guinean Rito Mande in 2000. The FMC in Portugal is now a sending church, having sent a family to plant churches and develop leaders in the former Portuguese colony of São Tomé and Príncipe (Africa) in 2019.
Raul & Abigail Araña-Santana
Raul and Abigail (Abi) Araña-Santana are appointed as national missionaries to Spain. Raul will serve as lead pastor for the Light & Life Free Methodist Church and as National Director. Abi will support the local church and local ministries and serve as Administrative Assistant to Europe Area Director Josh Fajardo. They will be transitioning in mid-December, with an official start in January 2022. Raul and Abi have served in the Free Methodist Church in the U.K. and Northern Ireland for the past twenty years. They have one daughter, Alex.
Paulo & Clara Bettiol
Paulo and Clara are international missionaries from Brazil. Paulo is an architect by profession.
He has served in administration, leading teams and serving communities in the Nikkei Conference of Brazil. Clara is a Third Culture Kid (TCK) with a multicultural background and has worked in the field of education for more than 20 years.
Algent & Erjona Bregu
Algent “Genti” Bregu, a local barber, serves as the executive director of Eagles Wings, a non-governmental organization, and leads the Korce Adventure Center. Genti is an avid adventurer with extensive international experience leading and supporting adventure events. He has a servant’s heart and is widely loved and respected in Korce. Erjona works as a special needs teacher and uses her skills to serve the community.
The Korce Adventure Center is an exciting, new ministry outreach point in the southeastern Albanian city of Korce. It organizes local cycling, camping, hiking, fishing, and hunting activities and events for children, youth, and adults in town. The Bregu’s hope this center will lead to the formation of strong “affinity groups” that become interested in talking about the gospel in a natural, organic way as relationships mature.
Eric Casteel
Eric serves as regional director of Northern Europe. He and his wife, Dr. Amy Casteel, live in Leuven, Belgium. Amy and Eric are both FM elders from the East Michigan Conference and have a passion for growing and multiplying the church by developing and mobilizing leaders. Amy completed her Ph.D. in theology at KU Leuven. They are co-founders of LEAP International, an organization focused on encouraging and catalyzing healthy communities.
Albert Delali-Yevunya
Albert Delali serves as pastor of Crowngate Church in the Greater London area of the United Kingdom. As an international missionary, he is the Coordinator of the African European Church Network (AECN), a ministry initiative of FMWM Europe. This network was established to address the unique needs of families coming to Europe who discover a very different culture and viewpoint of the Church. Albert will work with gifted African leaders in some of the most secular locations in Europe. These churches and leaders of the African diaspora are grateful for a partnership and relationship with the Free Methodist Church because of their theological and missional values. There are plans to connect groups in Spain, Malta, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. God has given FMWM Europe a great opportunity to minister to His scattered people across Europe who are looking for a home.
Josh & Susy Fajardo
Josh Fajardo serves as the Europe area director. Susy serves as director of the Mosaic Cultural Centre based in Rivas-Vaciamadrid, a suburb of Madrid. The center is a nongovernmental organization (NGO) encompassing an afterschool program and compassionate ministries. In addition, Josh provides leadership for Impact Europe, an initiative for community church planting and social, holistic ministries on the European continent.
Chance & Dee Dee Galloway
The Galloways currently reside in Kyustendil, Bulgaria. Their primary ministry objective is to encourage, empower, teach and train national leaders. They continue to work with church-planting initiatives throughout Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Serbia with 42 churches planted since 2015. Other involvement includes agricultural projects that teach farming techniques and provide food for the poor and elderly, and leadership in establishing the St. John’s Home, a safe house for female orphans at risk for human trafficking. Loving God, loving others and making disciples is the primary mission of their ministry. Dee serves as regional director for the Balkans. The Galloways have four children living in the U.S.; two are married, and the youngest two attend Spring Arbor University.
Erin Kingsley
Erin Kingsley graduated from Spring Arbor University with a bachelor’s degree in visual arts education. In 2018 she received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Eastern Michigan University. Part of Erin’s educational training included student teaching at Morrison Christian Academy in Taichung, Taiwan. In March 2022, she began serving in Budapest. Her time is split between establishing a children’s program at the Free Methodist Church in Budapest and working with Set Free throughout Hungary.
Kristi Lancaster
Kristi Lancaster grew up in Columbus, Georgia, where she attended Columbus State University, majoring in Early Childhood Education. She later completed a master’s degree in middle grades English. Kristi has passionately served military families and students for the last 14 years, teaching in Fort Moore, Georgia. She anticipates serving at the Mosaico Tutoring Center in Spain while assisting with church planting.
Catherine Leech
Catherine serves as a project manager with Josiah Venture (JV), equipping young leaders to fulfill Christ’s commission through the local church across Central and Eastern Europe. Having previously taught math in secondary schools in the U.K., she is excited to use her teaching experience and skills while serving JV’s school ministry highway. In addition, she provides support for projects in sports, music, and summer camp ministries. Catherine lives in the Czech Republic and serves with the youth group in her local church.
Michael & Maria Long
The ongoing refugee crisis has changed the focus of Michael and Maria Long’s ministry. The FM Church of Thessaloniki is multicultural and multilingual, with Muslims regularly visiting since Easter 2016. Currently, there are separate meetings in English and Farsi. The Greek FM nongovernmental organization (NGO) called Anagenesis (New Birth) runs language classes, youth activities and women’s groups to befriend refugees and build family trust as a community. These activities open the door for sharing the gospel and growth in the Christian faith.
Cida Matos
Cida Matos has served as a missionary in Portugal since September 2000, supporting church-planting work and developing leaders. As an ordained elder in the Free Methodist Church, she leads the cell-group network in Portugal. She also teaches at the theological seminary and trains evangelism groups.
Todd & Deann Miller
Todd and Deann Miller have been married since 1982. As partners in ministry, they served 29 years in youth ministry, taking numerous teams of adults and students on short-term mission trips in seven different countries. Following their years in youth ministry, they served as VISA missionaries in Belgium. After their return to the States, they planted and currently lead The Gate, a congregational network of missional communities in Indianapolis. Todd and Deann provide pastoral care and support to our Free Methodist missionaries in Europe. This role includes encouragement and care through Zoom, phone calls, emails, field visits, and special care in emergencies and times of crisis.
Camilo & Magaly Mora
Camilo and Magaly Mora were appointed to Europe and moved to Madrid, Spain, in September 2019. They are part of the training center helping implement the Community Church Planting strategy through the Impact Europe Network, where national leaders are developed to reach others. The Moras started a new community church in Mar de Cristal in Madrid. In addition, Magaly teaches at the John Wesley Theological Seminary in Spain, and Camilo serves as regional director for Southern Europe.
Misha & Lena Petrochenko
Misha and Lena Petrochenko have served in Rivne, Ukraine since 2010. As director of the Christian Mission, “The Lighthouse of Hope,” Misha oversees the recovery ministry for drug and alcohol addicts. He also serves as the Rivne church team leader and is involved in leading the Next Step program for the men who have fulfilled the rehabilitation program. Lena serves on the leadership team of the Rivne fellowship, directs children’s ministry programs and serves as secretary of the mission.
Moisés & Jacione Souza
Sent by the Free Methodist Church in Portugal, Moisés and Jacione Souza serve as international missionaries to the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe off the west coast of Africa. They launched the first Free Methodist church in São Tomé in January 2019 and now work consistently through various discipleship ministries for children, youth and adults. Many believers are growing in their faith. The couple’s next goal is to identify and train leaders for pastoral ministry. Both Moisés and Jacione were ordained as elders at the 2020 annual meeting of the Free Methodist Church of Portugal. Because the church in Portugal is the sending church, this mission district is under the European area.
Children: Filipa, Giovanna
Larry & Katie Winckles
Larry and Katie Winckles served as career missionaries in Hungary from 2000 until 2025. They will continue to be part of the FMWM team as U.S.-Based Partners sharing about missions in Europe, serving as advocates and consultants for missionary colleagues and national leaders in Europe and advising leaders in other world areas as needed.
Creative Access Europe
Creative Access workers are involved in education, leadership development, discipleship and micro-enterprise.
GO
Spain Long-Term Missionary: Church Planter
Church planters in the region of Madrid and possibly other regions in Spain. Minimum of two years or more for most positions. Open to single persons or couples. Must be fluent Spanish speaker or willing to take an intensive language course upon arrival. Teaching/training abilities needed as well as experience in the specific position.
Spain Long-Term Missionary: Leadership Development Assistant
Help with leadership development and the Bible training institute. Minimum of two years or more for most positions. Open to single persons or couples. Must be fluent Spanish speaker or willing to take an intensive language course upon arrival. Teaching/training abilities needed.
Spain Long-Term Missionary: Youth Ministries Coordinator
Youth ministries Coordinator(s) for Madrid churches. Minimum of two years or more for most positions. Open to single persons or couples. Must be fluent Spanish speaker or willing to take an intensive language course upon arrival. Teaching/training abilities needed as well as experience in the specific position.
Greece VISA Voyagers
Greece is looking for youth workers, musicians, church planters, evangelists and ESL teachers. Minimum one-year commitment.
HEARTBEAT
God’s Calling to Reignite the Church in Europe
For the past 100 years, church attendance in Europe has been declining, and the continent has largely seen the church lose its roots in the local...
When the Church Prays
Merly, an immigrant from Ecuador, began attending our Bible study in 2020. She had come to Spain many years ago to start a new life here. She...
Friends with a Cause
For over two decades, we have watched Gabi and Zsuzsi blossom from young girls into remarkable women. Gabi, a social worker in Szeged, Hungary, and...
Resourcing the African Diaspora
"When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love...
Crossing the Globe – Spreading the Gospel
Nearly a century ago, in 1928, Massayoshi “Daniel” Nishizumi, a Free Methodist pastor from Japan, embarked on a remarkable mission. He moved to the...
Revolving-Door Church
Most pastors despise the idea of a ministry where members come and go but rarely stay. Yet, God has blessed the Free Methodist Church “Anagenesis”...