Mission Profile:
John and Diana Bowers

Address:
2881 Scott Mill Place
Jacksonville, FL  32223

Phone:
(904) 262-4446
(904) 739-0065 (Proclaim! Office)

E-Mail: 
Johnbpi@bellsouth.net

Ministry Focus

Proclaim! International - Public evangelism in support of national churches in the challenging places of the world.

Primary Ministry Activities

John wears a number of “hats” so here is an overview:

• Evangelist/musician - helping plan, organize and lead evangelistic projects and meeting.
  L ast year we were on evangelistic campaigns in Peru, Croatia, Turkey and Kyrgyzstan. Starting this October and looking at the next year we will have evangelistic tour campaigns in North Africe, Peru, Germany and Serbia.
• As a Co-director John is one of three leaders in Proclaim who share the responsibility to lead the mission; responsible to develop ministries in the Americas. We are adding a Proclaim Canada and a Proclaim Peru this fall. He is also responsible to recruit short term workers, and to give oversight to appointees in the deputation process.
•  There is also the responsibility to oversee the main Proclaim U.S. office including administration, missionary services, general fund development, and recruiting. In all he gives oversight to about 15 people including office staff, field staff and appointees.
• We are both involved in local ministries including two bible studies John teaches in the fall and spring – one is an evangelistic Bible study with about 30 members and a second is for about 25 college age students.
• Diana is very involved in every aspect of the ministry. She travels on evangelistic tours as a performer, and personal evangelist. She works as a mentor with younger women in our ministry. Here in Jacksonville, she mentors several women, and works 20 hours a week in the office doing donor relations and processing donations.

Opportunities and challenges
– or What can you pray for us about?

• Our ministry is expanding internationally very rapidly. We need the balance of audacious faith and patient wisdom, we need to do no more or no less than God desires. We need boldness and courageous workers to go into the Muslim areas where we have open doors for public evangelism.
• In addition to continuing the public evangelism that Proclaim has been doing for many years we want to continue developing ministries where is God opening doors. We expect to see more staff and ministry partners from other nations. In the past two years we have new staff and short term workers from Peru, Canada, France. Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Germany, Spain, and Ireland. We have added Staff resident in North Africa.
• We felt an urging of the spirit to expand to more Muslim countries and we have been in three countries in North Africa, two in Central Asia and continue to work in Turkey.
• The most exciting thing is to see how music has opened doors for the gospel in Muslim countries and more over to see the power of God to draw Muslims to Christ – The gospel is the POWER of GOD!
• We also have a deep desire to see our missionaries really grow and develop spiritually. As a mission we have been studying “Renovation of the Heart” to take positive steps toward our spiritual formation.

Personal Journey - Call to Christ

John: I confessed Jesus as Savior and Lord in February, 1970 at a “College Life” meeting at Georgia Southern College.  My heathen lifestyle was abandoned and finding forgiveness, cleansing, and meaning, I determined to live only for Jesus Christ.

Diana: I took Christ as my Savior at the age of 8 at a children’s evangelistic meeting at church.  It’s been my desire to walk with Christ since that time and I’ve been privileged to have training to lead others in following Christ.

Call to Missions Service

John: I was recruited to join Campus Crusade as a musician, evangelist upon my graduation from college.  I was quite surprised when my assignment was to join a music team in London, England.  Then God confirmed Europe as a focus of work over the next 30 years.            

Diana: Two months before I graduated from college I was challenged to tell others about Christ.  I realized that even in a Christian college there were many students who really didn’t know Christ personally.  I joined Campus Crusade in 1970.            

Fruits of Our Labor

Evangelism:  On three Proclaim! tours in the past several years John was the public evangelist, giving the gospel in Croatia, Turkey, and Kosovo.  In Kosovo about 90 indicated a decision for Christ.  Through follow-up many of these are being confirmed as having come to Christ.  Diana continues to hear from Ganinet, a young woman she witnessed to in Pristina, Kosova.

Multiplication:  In November, 2001, Proclaim! added its first evangelism staff member, Branko Hovacenic, our Croatia friend and long-time co-worker.  Branko is developing a full-time evangelistic team and pastors one of the churches Proclaim! helped plant.

Recruiting-discipling: John and Diana recruit many short-term workers and disciple them through the short-term and career missionary process. They are working with both couples and singles on an on-going basis.

Support Needs

• $300 per month
• One time funds for fall tours - $3000

• Monies can be sent to Proclaim! International; P.O. Box 56888; Jacksonville, FL  32241