Who We Are
Howdy, we're Jeff and Patsy Gilliland.
We have served together since 1989 and filled many roles in ministry across several states. We started as youth workers at Angelus Temple in Los Angeles, California. From there we moved to Missouri where we served as pastors and church planters for community and inner city churches for over ten years.
Following our time as pastors, we took on new roles: Jeff served as construction project manager for Kiewit and Sons construction, and Patsy began teaching special education. We currently serve our home church, Northplace Church in Sachse, Texas, as Missions Coordinators and look forward to impacting communities around the globe for years to come.
What We Do
Short Term Volunteers Abroad
We currently serve as STVAs through the
Assemblies of God World Missions. Our calling is clear: to serve and support church growth globally by providing construction management and oversight to ministry projects in Africa. As newly appointed MAPS workers, Jeff will serve as the Construction Consultant for the West Africa Region, and Patsy will serve alongside Jeff as Project Administrator for the construction projects. We will be partnering with national church leaders and local pastors to build Bible schools, tabernacles and church infrastructures. West Africa is experiencing tremendous growth and has many opportunities to advance the Kingdom. It is our goal to partner with you to reach a vision for a greater redeemed and transformed Africa.
Where We Serve
Lomé, Togo, Africa
We are currently located in Lomé, Togo, a small West African country situated on the Gulf of Guinea. It is here where we will be based at the West Africa Advanced School of Theology (WAAST) campus. Lomé is one of the largest port cities in Africa. It is a primarily French-speaking country. While Christianity is roughly 42% of the country's religious makeup, an equal number are either Muslim or "folk religion." We see great opportunity for spiritual growth and the spread of the gospel here and look forward to ministering to our friends in Togo.
Our Story
Patsy and I grew up in two vastly different worlds. Patsy was raised in Los Angeles, California, one of the most diverse cities in America, and I grew up in the small town of Caseyville, Illinois. I am a proud military veteran with a background in construction management, and Patsy is a passionate educator with a background in teaching.
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Together, we have traveled the world serving and supporting church leaders through mission work. We have spent the past 25 years of our ministry living and working alongside some of the world’s most diverse and rural churches in the U.S. and internationally.
Five years ago, after stepping down from my professional construction career, I believe the Lord dropped an idea in my heart. In early 2018, we began working and building relationships with foreign missionaries, area directors and national church leaders in Africa. We partnered with organizations on large scale construction projects that need professional construction management and oversight in their countries. Over the past several years, Patsy and I have been intentional in staying connected with church leaders we connected with through these missions.
The purpose of these relationships is twofold. Firstly, we are prepared to invest in them and their infrastructure needs. Anything that I have learned in the last 40 years of construction and construction management is any of the knowledge and resources we could bring to the table from construction building practices would be available to them. Ultimately, we want them to know that they are not forgotten…that people “like us” value what they are doing and identify with the challenges of leading and building up the body of Christ.
Secondly, we are going to learn from them. Somehow, someway, our future is connected with effectively engaging in areas with the gospel. These leaders are on the front lines of ministry and can greatly help prepare us for whatever it is God is doing in us.
Let me reiterate, this is first and foremost a relational journey. We are committed to go and let these leadership teams and their needs dictate the recourses and time we spend together. We believe God will use us to equip leaders to build strong foundations of faith in the cities and villages we serve.
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Ultimately, we want people to know that they are not forgotten…we value what they are doing and identify with the challenges of leading and building up the body of Christ.
