Bryon Bhagwandin
Bryon is currently on leave from the board of directors because of a family illness. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and currently lives in Centennial, Colorado with his wife Sarah. They have two children, Samuel, who recently graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign, and Leila who recently enrolled in university studies in Colorado.
Bryon holds a Ph.D. in bioengineering and served as the Vice President of engineering for Ondine Research Labs in Seattle, Washington, before moving to Austin, Texas, and then to Colorado. He owns an independent medical product consulting practice.
Jim Messenger
Jim serves as the Treasurer of the Malawi Project. He was born in Lebanon, Indiana, graduated from Lebanon High School, and later received an MBA degree from Dallas Baptist University. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Navy from 1979 to 1999. Retiring as a Commander, and P-3 Orion Naval Flight Officer, he returned to Lebanon, where he served as a Trust officer for a local bank, then joined Edward Jones as a Financial Advisor from 2003 to 2019. He served for 10 years on the U.S. Service Academy Nomination Board as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. His community focus includes past service as President of the Boone County Senior Services Foundation, Lebanon City Council, Boone County Economic Development Corporation, Witham Family YMCA Board of Directors, and currently as a member of the Lebanon Rotary Club.
Jim and his wife, Rae Ann, are the parents of Kristen (husband Lowell) Miller, Stacey (husband Evan) Nordstrom, and Jeff (wife Faye) Messenger. They are blessed with six grandchildren.
Richard (Dick) Stephens
Dick, and his wife, Diana (Suzi), are the co-founders of the Malawi Project. He serves as a co-chairman and member of its Board of Directors. From 1960 to 1980, he served as the editor of the Gospel Vidette, a religious magazine distributed in 100 nations. As would later take place with his involvement in the Malawi Project, Dick juggled the editorial work on the magazine as a non-paid volunteer with his employment in the graphic arts industry.
Dick has helped organize church programs in two other African nations and executed mission trips to Malawi since 1995. He currently does fundraising and introductory presentations about Malawi. He also travels to Malawi each year to coordinate programs between the Malawi Project and Action for Progress.
Dick has authored 29 books and booklets, including six about Malawi. His articles have appeared in 30 magazines in 6 countries.
Diana (Suzi) Stephens
Co-founder, and Medical Director for the Malawi Project. Her career spans over 40 years in hospitals in Ohio, Florida and Indiana. Suzi retired from St Vincent Healthcare System in Indianapolis in 2006 to devote full time to the medical needs of Malawi. Her work has also taken her to South Sudan, Uganda and Mexico. She currently oversees procurement of millions of dollars in medical supplies that are being distributed to over 700 healthcare facilities throughout Malawi. Suzi travels to Malawi each year to review the medical programs, and lead teams of volunteers.
Dan Brewer
Born and raised in western Iowa, he moved to Oregon after high school to attend Columbia Christian College in Portland. There he met Debbie Barnts, and they married in 1986. Graduating in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in Education he taught high school for 2 years, then joined the Oregon Army National Guard in 1998. He remained full-time with the Guard until accepting an active duty position at the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) in Indianapolis. In 2016, he retired from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel. He moved to a civilian position at DFAS. He has served as a part-time minister for the Lobster Valley church of Christ, the Monmouth church of Christ, and the Lebanon church of Christ. He and Debbie have 6 children, 2 in Oregon, 1 in Arkansas, 2 in Indiana, and one serving in the U.S. military.
Ron Pottberg
Ron Pottberg serves as co-chairman of the Malawi Project. He was born in Alamosa, Colorado, and graduated High School in Olathe, Colorado. He is a 3rd generation Coloradoan with both sets of grandparents homesteading in Colorado. Ron and his wife Susan married in 1977 and have three children and eleven grandchildren. They have lived and worked in ministry in Colorado, Texas, and South Africa where they served as missionaries for eight years.
Ron’s work has taken him to over fifty countries, and today he continues to work in ten to sixteen countries as the International Representative for the World Bible School ministry. Ron has served on the World Bible School Board for many years, as well as the Restoration Bible School Board, Jonestown, Liberia from 2014 to the current. He has also served on the Safe Home Children’s Home Board in Flehla, Liberia since 2005, as a consultant for Agriculture outreach in Mzuzu, Malawi since 2003, as well as in Malawi’s Southern Region.
A family mission work, Alpha Mission Project, has done agriculture and community outreach projects in numerous countries for more than 20 years. Ron serves as a consultant for Orphans Life Line International and a minister in Delta, Colorado.
Mark Thiesen
The son of missionaries John and Ann Thiesen, Mark was six months old when the family moved to Malawi to begin mission work at the Lubagha Mission in the Rumphi District of Northern Malawi. While spending his childhood in this newly independent nation, he and his five brothers and sisters grew up in a very remote part of the country. After returning to the states to continue his education, Mark worked in Ukraine for four years in mission work, then returned to Malawi to serve as a missionary in the country’s southern region. Fluent in two of Malawi’s languages, Chichewa and Chitumbuka, he speaks with counterparts in Malawi daily and makes regular working trips to the country. Mark holds a Ph.D. in theology and has published a book on church history in Malawi. Mark currently serves as a minister in Vancouver, Washington where he lives with his wife Ginger and two children Erik and Dana.
Larry Ferrell
Larry Ferrell was born and lived in Tennessee until he was 5, then he was raised in the Muncie, IN area. Went to high school in Modoc, In., there he met Sherrill Baumgartner, and after college they were the first couple married in a Church building he had helped build in Muncie. He and Sherrill had 3 children. Their oldest, a son, passed away 9 1/2 years ago. The two girls both live in the area & worship with mom and dad at the Withamsville Church of Christ. Their oldest grandson is a member of the US Marine Corp and is stationed in Japan, his sister goes to college in Phoenix, Az. The oldest granddaughter lives in Australia and is expecting the first great-grand baby of the family in late Oct. 24 her sister lives in Louisville, KY. and employed by UPS. The youngest 2, a freshman and a sixth grader are in the Loveland school district. Larry has been in the printing industry for a number of years and had his own small quick print shop for about 8 years. He then went to work with his friend from Church in the cabinet business, he then started his own rep firm in the business and now works part time in that field.
Larry has served as a deacon with his home congregation. Led the youth group until a full time youth minister was hired. Currently leads a monthly ministry with a local rehabilitation facility. And currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Midwestern Children’s Home and School where he attended the ground breaking ceremony as a young man. Larry has worked and known Richard Stephens from church in Muncie to the printing days as well. He had worked with him on the Gospel Vidette publication and did a lot of the mailing.