My Ministry

GMF church planting team: Mike and Mary Wagner

 

After Mary’s first Global Missions Fellowship [GMF] campaign to Brazil in 1999, she felt that perhaps her childhood dream of becoming a missionary was a realistic yet distant possibility. She actually envisioned that being a GMF missionary would be a perfect “retirement career” as her “high profile job” at the local NBC television station would allow their family to live well, conveniently minister to others, and retire comfortably.

So they made plans. Mary and her husband Mike (who had joined GMF as a part-time Associate Church Mobilizer in March, 1999) envisioned Mike closing his insurance business within five (5) years so he could enter the ministry fulltime… while Mary continued to work and provide the “necessary income” for their family.

But God had another agenda. Over the next 12 – 18 months, God started to convict Mary that perhaps He had a different plan. There came a day when God’s Spirit told both Mary and Mike (independently) that it was His time for Mary to leave her job at the television station! It surprised them …yet after prayer …and admittedly some real consternation, Mary resigned the next morning. It was a surprise to everyone – their children, the television station, family, friends, even their church – but it was a decision they believed was made in obedience to God’s will. In just a few months, Mary’s application to become a Church Planting Coordinator was accepted by Global Missions Fellowship. But what about her husband?

Mike’s transistion from the secular world to one of ministry was also a little different. Since 1981, Mike had managed or owned “marginally successful” businesses. His businesses provided a living for their family while falling short of bringing any lasting security …or real fulfillment to their lives. Yet during this time, God continued faithful, as He revealed Himself to Mike in a variety of different ways. In 1996, after attending a Promise Keeper’s event, Mike found himself broken, convicted, and yearning for a “whole hearted” relationship with God. This revelation resulted in some revolutionary changes (at least within the Wagner household) which started a chain of God directed activities.

While serving on his local church’s mission committee and in response to the Spirit’s conviction that the Great Commission was Jesus’ command to all those who called themselves a disciple (including himself), Mike took his first GMF evangelism mission trip to Venezuela in 1997. As the “evangelism segment” of a large medical team, he was literally stunned by God’s glory as he saw many hundreds of new professions of faith in just a short one week period. God’s glory was so tangible ….so evident….so very real ….

Although Mike continued to investigate other mission agencies and opportunities for his local church, God kept drawing him back to GMF campaigns… in Ecuador, then Brazil. In March 1999, Mike applied and was accepted as a part-time Church Mobilizer at GMF. After working in this position (and also going on additional mission trips) for the next year or so, in 2001 Mike acknowledged the need for more mission team leaders by applying for and being accepted by GMF as an Associate (part-time) Church Planter. “Charged” with the task of taking at least one (1) campaign overseas yearly…and that “one campaign” not being nearly enough, both Mike and Mary quickly saw that God wanted all of their lives in service for Him. In February 2002, Mike answered God’s call to fulltime ministry by his becoming a full time, GMF Church Planter.

Now late 2005, Mike and Mary have been blessed and fortunate to have lead mission and leadership training team’s to many Latin America, Eastern Europe, India, and now eastern Africa. Currently, Mike also serves GMF in the role of Country Coordinator for Costa Rica while both serve as trainers for new missionary staff.