The Executive Team
The Executive Team is responsible for bringing the JV’s longterm strategy and vision to life. It is formed by both national and international staff.
The JV Council
The JV Council consists of all the JV country leaders. This is invaluable in forming a longterm strategy and focus of our ministry as it is informed by the needs of the countries in which Josiah Venture serves.
Executive Team
Like the rest of our staff, our executive team members are support-raising missionaries. They also live and work on the ground in Central and Eastern Europe.
Our Leadership
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JV Council
These passionate full-time missionaries have devoted their lives to equipping young leaders in Central and Eastern Europe through the local church.
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JV USA Board Members
Director and Chairman H. Philip Vierling serves as a Director and the Chairman of the Josiah Venture US board. He is President of Plumb Line Vision, Inc., which performs management and consulting services to the medical device industry. Philip has over 40 years of management experience in the medical device industry, having served as the CEO/President for both Kalypto Medical and Empi Inc, and interim CEO for SubioMed Inc, BioMedix, and Liver Cell Technologies, Inc. From 2016-2018, Philip served as Department chair and Assistant Professor at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, MN. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for SubioMed Inc, and as a Trustee for the University of Northwestern St. Paul. His initial involvement with Josiah Venture was as a participant in English camps in Poland in 1998, and Philip has served on the Board of Josiah Venture since 2002. He is a graduate of Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee and holds an M.B.A. from the University of South Florida. Philip and his wife, Becky, have three children, four grandchildren, and live on a hobby farm in Minnesota.
Director and President Dave Patty is one of the founders of Josiah Venture. He and his wife, Connie, became missionaries to U.S. servicemen and their families in the 1980’s, and through mission outreaches into former Communist bloc countries, became convinced that young people were ready and eager to hear the Gospel, put their faith in Christ, be discipled and trained up as young Christian leaders. Born to missionary parents (his parents founded Cadence International), Dave has been on the mission field for over 30 years. He is a graduate of Multnomah School of Bible in Portland, Oregon and holds a master’s degree in Educational Ministry from Wheaton College. He and his wife, Connie, live in the Czech Republic and have three children.
Director and Treasurer Frank Fernandes has been a private asset manager since 1993. Prior to this, from 1980-1993, Frank was a commodities and options trader at the Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and the Chicago Board of Options Exchange. He is involved in several boards and committees, including Josiah Venture, English Language Institute China, and Grace Foundation. Frank is a graduate of Wheaton College, in Wheaton, Illinois. He is married and has two children.
Director Don Christensen is the Executive Vice President of the Professional Athlete Division of Ronald Blue Trust, providing expertise in financial planning and investment management for professional athletes. Along with being active in various ministries, speaking engagements, and mission projects, Don serves on the boards of Endurance and Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO). He earned his BS in Accounting from Arizona State University and received his Master’s degree in Christian Leadership from Western Seminary. He and his wife reside in Arizona.
Director Jack Webster first learned about JV when his church was looking for ministries that excelled in disciplemaking. That led to a trip in early 2011 to meet the team and to see first-hand what was taking place in Josiah Venture. It did not take long for Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY to become a partner in this exciting ministry. Jack joined the JV NFP board about the same time and has a passion for what JV does, and will do, as we move forward. Jack and his wife, Linda, have two married children, and eight grandchildren.Jack has served in leadership roles in the corporate sector, along with ministry positions. He is a certified leadership trainer, an ordained minister, and someone who loves to be with people and help them succeed.
Director Dr. Dann Spader is Founder of Concentric Global, an alliance of organizations committed to mobilizing indigenous movements of multiplying disciples around the globe. Concentric is presently in 130 countries around the world. Dann also serves as Founder of Sonlife Ministries, a designated to train church leadership in discipling as seen in the Life of Christ. Dann is married to Char and they have three daughters, two sons-in-law, and eight grandchildren. All three of their daughters are involved in ministry and Dann and Char currently live in San Diego, helping their two son-in-laws who are planting a church there. Dann is a graduate of Moody and Trinity Seminary. He has written numerous training manuals and several books. Over 1,000,000 leaders globally have been through live training with these materials. Dann’s two latest works are Live Like Jesus and 4 Chair Discipling. Dann’s passion is taking people to Israel and teaching the life of Christ while in the Land. Dann has led over 60 tours to Israel.
Director Dave Jamerson is a former professional basketball player who was selected by the Miami Heat in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft. After a record-breaking collegiate career, Jamerson played for the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, and New Jersey Nets in his 3+ NBA seasons. Dave is currently the President and Founder of E4 Missions, which focuses on strategically connecting and mobilizing God’s people and Church for global harvest. Before launching E4, Dave served as the Founding and Lead Pastor of Renovate Church in Austin, Texas for ten years and as the outreach pastor for seven years at the 10,000 member Traders Point Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Dave became a Christian while playing in the NBA, and therefore, brings a unique perspective to outreach and how to strategically connect the gospel to culture. Prior to coming on staff at TPCC, Dave served as the President and International Director of Champions for Christ, was the founder and President of Champions Academy–a world-class basketball training academy that uses sport to reach and influence the next generation of basketball leaders, and served on the NABC (National Association of Basketball Coaches) ministry team in charge of all outreach activities at the NCAA Final Four and Convention. Dave, who was a first-team Academic All-American while getting his Communications Degree from Ohio University in 1990, has helped to plant churches and lead ministry in over 40 countries. He resides with his wife of 33 years, April, in Leander, Texas and has four adult children.
Director John Deedrick is an experienced senior executive, as well as a company founder and board director/advisor. In addition to Josiah Venture, John serves on the Athletes in Action board for the Uncommon Award presented by Tony Dungy and the NFL Coaches Fellowship. John is President of CHIP Solutions, a business consulting firm that serves the Defense Industry and the Medical Technology Industry. He is Co-founder and Executive Chairman of ActivOrtho, Inc., and Co-Founder and Director of Endogenex, Inc. He holds a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Business Administration from Northwestern University of St. Paul and an MBA from St. Thomas University. John and his wife, Kelly, have been married for 40 years. They live in Minnesota and have 2 sons and 5 grandsons. The Deedrick family loves serving others by shining the light of Christ!
Director and Vice-Chair Russ Schultz serves as a Director and Vice-Chair of the Josiah Venture US board, and most recently, was the Chief Operating Officer for New Life Ranch, a Christian camp and retreat center in Oklahoma, where he was part of the leadership team for more than two decades. Prior to his full-time ministry role in camping, Russ spent 18 years in technology and business. He is passionate about his family, God’s creation, leadership, and discipleship of the next generation. Russ is active with other NPO boards and enjoys time with his wife, Deedra, their six children, and three precious grandchildren.
Director Kevin Wilson was most recently President and Chief Executive Officer of Heska Corporation (NASDQ: HSKA) (2013-2023), a business focused on veterinary healthcare, with locations in the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Australia, and elsewhere, until its sale to Mars Petcare Inc. in June of 2023. He resides in Colorado with his wife of 30+ years and is blessed with a wonderful family, including three sons, a daughter, two cats, and two border collies. He is chairman of the board of Vail Christian High School (VCHS); while he didn’t complete college, he encourages his children and all VCHS students to do so. Kevin began to follow Jesus at the age of 15. At the age of 20, he began founding and operating start-up businesses in medical diagnostics, image detection, telemedicine, software, and related services, several of which resulted in positive mergers and integrations. He skis (alpine and cross-country) and cycles (road and mountain) and sails – each more slowly every year.
Director David Swain is cofounder of two healthcare companies: OB Hospitalist Group and Proactive-MD. He enjoys mentoring business leaders and young men and advising/investing in startup organizations. He received a degree in Math and Computer Science from The Citadel and a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Carolina. David has been married to his beloved wife, Mary, for 40 years. Both are enthusiastic supporters of Josiah Venture. They live in Greenville, SC and have 6 children and 8 grandchildren; 7 of which live next-door!
Director Leslee Holiday is a ministry leader, Bible teacher, and mentor to women across professional sports communities. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies from Ozark Christian College and a Master’s in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. Leslee served as the Director of Women’s Ministry for Pro Athletes Outreach (PAO), where she established and expanded a multi-league women’s ministry focused on discipleship, leadership development, and spiritual formation. For more than 25 years, Leslee and her husband, Matt—who spent two decades in Major League Baseball—have built their family around faith, service, and sport. Together they are raising four children: Jackson, a professional baseball player with the Baltimore Orioles, and his wife, Chloe; Ethan, drafted by the Colorado Rockies; Gracyn, a competitive high-school cheerleader; and Reed, a multi-sport middle-school athlete. Leslee is committed to equipping women to grow in Christ, lead with integrity, and live out their God-given purpose.
Director Matt Reagan currently serves as an Associate Pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, where he has been on staff since 2006, investing in student ministry, preaching, leadership development, and helping shepherd leaders across campuses and beyond. He and his wife, Sarah, enjoy creating an open-door home where conversations flow, people are welcomed, and life is shared around a crowded kitchen table. Together they’ve raised five incredible kids, and much of their world revolves around their schools, sports, and the friendships that have grown around their family. Matt is passionate about encouraging pastors, activating emerging leaders, and inspiring people to follow Jesus with humility, courage, and dependence on the Spirit. His own faith journey has been shaped by the slow work of abiding—learning that ministry isn’t about striving but about staying close to Jesus—and Romans 8:19 continues to anchor his calling to live fully as a child of God. When he’s not teaching or traveling, Matt can usually be found at home working with his hands, enjoying a noisy dinner table, or sitting on the back deck with Sarah, savoring the simple moments where God speaks and restores.
Director Stojce Nikolov serves as the Team Leader of Josiah Venture in Serbia. After completing his theological studies in Serbia, he briefly returned to Macedonia but soon sensed a strong calling to serve in Serbia. He began working with youth in Bačka Topola and later planted a church in Pačir, where he continues to develop a vibrant community with a focus on raising young leaders. Stojce also mentors other pastors in Pačir and oversees a thriving online ministry that shares God’s Word and the gospel with thousands of Serbians worldwide. He lives in Bačka Topola with his wife, Marija, and is deeply committed to investing in the next generation of leaders and equipping local churches for lasting impact.
JV UK Board Members
James Courtis-Pond serves as the Josiah Venture UK board Chairman. He is part of a church planting team at St. Peter’s Brighton. James has led many Alpha courses and Christian Men’s Groups—even having had the privilege to speak to the South African rugby team about Jesus during the 2015 Rugby World Cup. James has a law degree, practiced law with two Magic Circle law firms, and was General Counsel of a US energy company. He is currently CEO of AnyData Solutions, providing business intelligence and contract management software and services to global companies. James is married with 3 children and lives near Brighton.
Paul Bowman serves as a Trustee of the Josiah Venture UK board and has over 20 years of experience in full-time youth ministry in the local church. He has served in a variety of settings throughout Ireland—both urban and rural—working with churched and unchurched young people. He is passionate about developing youth ministries that are rooted in the life and ministry model of Christ. For many years he led teams of young people on short-term mission trips to the Czech Republic to serve in the Josiah Venture Camp ministry. He is committed to training and equipping the next generation of youth leaders and seeing young people mobilised to make disciples throughout the world. He holds a BSc Hons in Community Youth Work and has a Masters in Transformational Leadership. He lives with his wife Val and their three children in Saintfield, Northern Ireland.
Mel Ellenwood serves as the Executive Vice President of Josiah Venture (JV). Prior to joining JV, Mel served as a youth pastor for churches in Peoria, IL and Three Lakes, WI for 10 years. Mel, along with his wife Amy and their three children, moved to the Czech Republic and became missionaries with Josiah Venture in 1998. Since then, Mel has worked in various roles throughout JV, developing a model youth ministry in Czech, leading the camp ministry, and shepherding national teams across the organization.
JV Canada Board Members
Jay Sandiford serves as a Director of the Josiah Venture CA board and the Lead Pastor at Willow Creek Baptist Church in Midhurst, Ontario—where he serves with his wife Mandy and his two children Hayden and Parker. Before moving to Midhurst in May 2012, Jay served as the Youth and Associate Pastor at Springvale Baptist Church in Stouffville, Ontario, for 13 years. He is a graduate of Lexington Baptist College (now Boyce College of Louisville, Kentucky) and Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, Ontario. Jay was first introduced to Josiah Venture when taking a team from Springvale to Poland in 2009 to lead an English camp. It was here that he felt an instant connection with the vision, mission, and people of JV.
Gord Jackson serves as a Director of the Josiah Venture CA board and has served as both a volunteer and a staff member of various organizations and ministries in Ontario’s Region of Waterloo, since 2004. Prior to that, Gord, along with Liz and their children, served with Josiah Venture in Poland in the early days of JV’s ministry. Gord currently serves as the Coordinator of Volunteer Engagement for a local non-profit charity, as well as being very involved as an elder and ministry leader in his local church in Kitchener, ON. The Jackson’s eldest daughter, a JV Kids alumnus, currently serves on the JV/Fala team in Poland, continuing the Jackson’s commitment to supporting the cause of equipping young leaders to fulfill Christ’s commission through the local church.
Mel Ellenwood serves as the Executive Vice President of Josiah Venture (JV). Prior to joining JV, Mel served as a youth pastor for churches in Peoria, IL and Three Lakes, WI for 10 years. Mel, along with his wife Amy and their three children, moved to the Czech Republic and became missionaries with Josiah Venture in 1998. Since then, Mel has worked in various roles throughout JV, developing a model youth ministry in Czech, leading the camp ministry, and shepherding national teams across the organization.