The Alliance for the Unreached is a coalition of ministries and churches that are focused on bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people groups that have little or no access. Leaders of the Alliance are available for interviews or speaking engagements related to the quest to reach peoples across the globe with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jeff McLinden, Executive Director
Jeff comes to the Alliance after having worked for Christian nonprofit institutions since 1979 including senior roles in resource development, marketing and management for Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru), The Christian Broadcasting Network, and Bible Literature International. For twenty years he was vice president of a consulting group that helped a broad variety of ministries. In 2015, as vice president of Bibles For The World, Jeff was one of the founding members of the Alliance for the Unreached and served on its board of directors for five years. Jeff and his wife Lynn have five adult children, nine grandchildren and make their home in Colorado Springs.
Board of Directors
Ruth Kramer, Chair of the Alliance for the Unreached; Executive Producer of Mission Network News
Ruth began a career in media in 1985 with her first paid print news story. She went on to work for an NBC affiliate in Toledo, then as an announcer at WCDR in Cedarville, Ohio. In 1990, she worked for the LeSEA Broadcasting Network in FM and shortwave radio and television. That was followed by a five-year stint behind the news desk at WUFN in Albion, Michigan. Ruth joined Mission Network News in 1997. Today, Ruth handles the overall sound and feel of MNN as they use radio and web to bring glory to God by telling the stories of His work around the world. MNN aspires to activate the body of Christ to pray, give, and go. Ruth also serves with the Alliance for the Unreached and sits on the board for FMI (Forgotten Missionaries International). Ruth and her husband, Warren, live in Norton Shores, MI. In her spare time, Ruth coaches a high school cross country and track team, is a masters sprinter and sings tenor. Her husband plays a mean jazz guitar and they have three adult children who have flown the coop.
Jon Fugler, Vice Chair of the Alliance for the Unreached; Chief Content Officer of TWR (Trans World Radio)
Jon Fugler directs global content for TWR (Trans World Radio), a radio ministry that broadcasts the Gospel to 4.2 billion people each day. Jon spent seven years in leadership with Reach Beyond (formerly HCJB Global). Before God called him there in 2011 to take the gospel to other cultures, Jon worked in non-commercial Christian radio in California. He was the Executive Director of Logos Broadcasting (1994-2011), starting and operating stations along the California Central Coast. Before that, Jon founded and led Shepherd Communications (1983-1993), establishing KLRD, which became the flagship station for the Air 1 Network. Jon has served as Director of Radio for Campus Crusade for Christ and has consulted with a number of ministries over the years in the areas of development, ministry impact and staffing. Jon has a passion to take the love of Jesus to unreached people groups. He and his wife, Noonie, live in North Carolina. They have three children and seven grandchildren spread throughout the country.
Bill McCoy, Secretary of the Alliance for the Unreached; Sr. VP for Prayer Ministries, Seed Company
Bill has served in a variety of leadership roles at Seed Company and other organizations and companies. His heart for prayer is a key element in taking the gospel to the unreached. Bill and his family reside in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.
Rob Myers, Treasurer of the Alliance for the Unreached; President and Chief Executive Officer of DOOR International
Rob was born in the Los Angeles, CA area to parents who were software engineers working on Voyager I and II. With mathematics in his blood, he studied physics, mathematics, and German as an undergraduate, and went on to earn a Masters and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of California – Berkeley. He worked as a professor of mathematics (and later Dean of Sciences) at Bethel College in Mishawaka, IN for ten years. It was at Bethel where Rob was first introduced to the Deaf community in 2005, and his life was forever changed.
Rob now serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of DOOR International. His passion is to see the Deaf trained and empowered to lead a movement to make Christ known and lead other Deaf into a relationship with Him. Rob supports DOOR through leadership in strategic planning, fundraising, partnership development, and program implementation in coordination with DOOR’s US board and DOOR’s International Leadership Team, a majority Deaf group responsible for establishing strategy and methodology. Rob is fluent in two sign languages (American Sign Language and Kenyan Sign Language) and conversant in three other sign languages.
In addition to his interests in math, language, and ministry, Rob has worked as a semi-professional violinist and plays four other stringed instruments. He and his wife, Michelle, have four boys and live in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.
Greg Kelley, CEO of Unknown Nations
In 1998 God powerfully called Greg into full-time ministry from a career in the insurance industry. Since that time he has served as the Executive Director of World Mission, recently renamed Unknown Nations, whose primary objective is to impact unreached people groups with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Greg has spoken and preached in more than 30 countries as an advocate for bringing the gospel to the billions of people who have yet to hear the precious message that Jesus saves.
Greg is a graduate of Western Michigan University and was the MVP of their 1991 football team. His greatest passion is his family, which includes his wife, Kathy, their children, and grandchildren. They reside in Byron Center, Michigan. He enjoys golf, snowboarding, college football and anything with his family.
Steve Sanford, Ethnos360
Steve and his wife Sharon moved to Venezuela in 1993 to serve as church planters among the Joti people, one of the last people groups to be discovered in South America. They began teaching God’s Word in early 1998. When the gospel was presented the entire village trusted Christ. Since then the Joti believers have grown in their faith and are carrying the gospel to the rest of their people spread throughout the jungle. Since 2006 Steve has served as an instructor at Ethnos360’s Wayumi program in central, PA, and was recently named Executive Director of Ethnos360 based in Sanford, FL. In addition to his role there, Steve also serves on the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors for Ethnos360.
Dave Meyers, President of ZimZam Global
Dave is known for his love for people, Chicago sports teams, anything barbecue, and hanging out with his family! Dave served for nearly 30 years with New Tribes Mission – a global church planting ministry that focuses on unreached and unengaged people groups without access to the Gospel. He has served in various leadership roles as Int’l Mobilizer, President of a Training Center, Director of Development, Mobilizer, and Mentor to new cross cultural missionaries. Speaking, training, and serving others in +70 countries over the past 35 years has given Dave a unique perspective on cultures, communities, and global causes. He has a passion for unreached people groups and children worldwide to have a healthy growing church in which to worship God. Dave is now focused on the vision of a church for every child by multiplying healthy churches among all peoples through children, youth, and families.
As a life-long learner, and aware of the changing global landscape, Dave has studied Global Leadership through Fuller Seminary. As a founding partner of ZimZam Global, Dave is impassioned with casting vision among global leaders; creating global opportunities for leaders to plant churches; and helping children, especially those with disabilities, to come to know, love and serve Jesus.
Dave and his wife Carolyn met in college in TN and have been married since 1984. They have three adult children, one of which has special needs, one daughter-in-love and three precious granddaughters, one who is in heaven. They make their home in the Valley of the Sun in Phoenix, AZ.
Jim O’Neill, Director of Mobilization, Frontier Ventures, Co-Founder and President of NextGen Leaders Conference
Frontier Ventures collaborates with the Body of Christ catalyze movements to Jesus expressing the fullness of the Kingdom among the unreached Peoples of the world. As part of this effort, Jim directs the mobilization efforts to see Hubs developed in major urban settings which focus on the Unreached in their regions and beyond. Previously Jim served for 13 years as a missionary in the Philippines then served as a professor of missions, academic administrative leadership and mission organizational leadership. Jim wrote Teaming up with God: How God invades Pagan Culture. Jim, along with his wife, founded the NextGen Leaders Conference in 2003 for younger leaders growing in ministry capacity and serving in global service.
York Aspacher, Marketing Director of OM USA
Since 2013, York has served as Marketing Director for OM in the US, managing domestic brand representation for multiple OM USA departments and initiatives. He is also Project Manager for the development of an OM International discipleship and church planting tracking app. With a dual degree in Marketing and Religion from Grove City College, and coursework in Graphic Design, York is passionate about bringing great ideas to life and bringing order to challenging business processes. York and his wife, Jenny, have served previously with OM onboard the M.V. Doulos, and now make their home, with their five children—Jake, Madeline, Grayson, Owen and Morgan—in Tyrone, GA. York is also an avid musician and serves as Worship Leader for their church.
John Pudaite President and CEO of Bibles For The World
John, the son of Dr. Rochunga and Mawii Pudaite, was named President of Bibles For The World (BFTW) in May, 2015. He previously served BFTW since 2006 as the Vice President for International Ministries. He also served for seven years as the Executive Vice- President (COO/CFO) at BTFW’s Colorado Springs headquarters. John was installed as President in May of 2015, succeeding his parents to lead the ministry for the coming decades. He oversees ministry activities both in India and around the world. John is also an award winning filmmaker and is passionate about appropriating new technologies and sustainable development to help advance the cause of Christ.
Mark Kordic, Seed Company
As a CCNL (Certified Christian Non-Profit Leader) and Enneagram Coach, Mark secures partnerships with international missions leaders who want Gospel Access for All, especially those who are passionate to #EndBiblePoverty. Those who know him best call him a passionate equipper and a super-connector.
Mark wants everyone in the world to have access to the Good News of the gospel. An accomplished and integrity driven leader with more than three decades of success in advancing Christian ministries and leading teams in the areas of international missions, Bible translation, Christian Media, Christian higher education, Healthcare and Churches.
Mark produces and hosts Joshua Project’s daily ”Unreached of the Day” podcast with subscribers in 100+ countries. He and his wife, Paula, live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area.
Heath Hale, Co-Founder and Board President of The BLESS Foundation
Heath is the co-founder and Board President of The BLESS Foundation. He grew up in a family of auctioneers and has been developing this unique craft since childhood. He and his team at Cowboy Auctioneer have raised over $160 million for non-profits and community causes across the world. Heath’s passion for making an impact for God’s Kingdom and serving the vulnerable, combined with his auctioneering talent and vast experience in fundraising, led him to founding The BLESS Foundation with his wife Tabitha in 2017. In just 5 years, BLESS has funded grants across 35 Unreached countries, helping provide access to Christ among more than 160 Unreached People Groups. Heath is a Texas State Bobcat graduate, Austin Ridge Bible Church member and an avid world-traveler. Heath lives in Austin, Texas with his two daughters and wife, Tabitha.
Kurtis Amundson, Missio Nexus
Dr. Marvin J. Newell
Marv has served the missions community for over four decades. On the field in Indonesia with TEAM, as the Executive Director of Cross Global Link, professor of missions and intercultural studies at Moody Seminary, and as Vice President of Missio Nexus, where he now serves part-time as Ambassador at Large. Marv has also authored a number of missions books, including his most recent, A Third of Us: What It Takes to Reach the Unreached. He and his wife, Peggy, live in Michigan. Marv was a founding board member of the Alliance for the Unreached and served as our first Executive Director.
Mark Kordic
As a CCNL (Certified Christian Non-Profit Leader) and Enneagram Coach, Mark collaborates with Christian leaders who want Gospel Access for All. Those who know him best call him a passionate equipper, super-connector and a Go-Giver/Growth Giver.
Mark wants everyone in the world to have access to the Good News of the Gospel. An accomplished and integrity driven leader with more than three decades of success in advancing Christian ministries and leading teams in the areas of international missions, Christian Media, Christian higher education, Healthcare and Churches.
Mark produces and hosts the daily ”Unreached of the Day” podcast sponsored by Joshua Project; in addition, Mark’s weekly “Two-Minute Tuesday” reports on courageous Christians showing compassion among the Unreached.
Wayne Pederson, Advisor to the Board
Wayne began his radio career in 1967 as an announcer on KTIS in Minneapolis. In 1997, he was promoted to Executive Vice President for Media at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, Minn. During those years Wayne also served on the board of NRB, and as Executive Director of the Christian Music Broadcasters and President of the Mission America Coalition. In 2004, Wayne was hired by Moody Broadcasting, where he eventually became Vice President of Broadcasting. In 2008, God called Wayne to serve as President of HCJB Global, now Reach Beyond. Since “retiring” in 2016, Wayne has been serving on the boards of several international ministries. Wayne and his wife, Willi, live in Florida, and enjoy spending time with Wayne’s two daughters and nine grandchildren.