On Tuesday, June 4, 2019, the Oregon Conference executive committee “unanimously and enthusiastically” voted to invite Tom Evans to become the next outreach ministries director of the Oregon Conference. He enthusiastically accepted the role and will begin his duties in Oregon on Aug. 1, 2019.
Evans comes from the North New South Wales Conference in Australia, where he has served as president since 2017. Before that, he was the associate director at the North American Division Evangelism Institute for six years. He brings a wealth of experience in church planting, outreach and evangelism, coaching, and church health.
“I believe the most effective church-growth strategy is ‘word of mouth,’” Evans notes. “Jesus speaks of this reality in Luke 6:45: ‘For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.’ Passion for Jesus must overflow in order to be contagious. When we are contagious as Seventh-day Adventist Christians, the church grows.”
“We are very excited to welcome Tom Evans to our Oregon Conference team,” states Dan Linrud, Oregon Conference president. “For the past 20 years Tom has been a foremost leader working with pastors and members in church revitalization, evangelism and church planting, among many other things. We feel blessed that God has orchestrated bringing someone of Tom’s passion, skills and broad experience to our field.”
Evans and his wife, Mara, as well as their two boys, Lukas, 15, and Andre, 13, are excited to be joining the Oregon Conference family. Together, they enjoy hospitality, often opening their home to new friends, who especially enjoy Mara’s Brazilian food. Tom also makes vegan banana/carob waffles that have become very popular in their current home church. Lukas enjoys basketball, while Andre enjoys snowboarding.
Coming to Oregon is a homecoming of sorts for Evans. It was at Gladstone Camp Meeting he first made a decision to be baptized, at the age of 10.
Evans is a graduate of Walla Walla University as well as of Andrews University (twice!), with a Doctor of Ministry degree focused on evangelism and church growth. “My passion,” he adds, “is to equip pastors, church leaders and members to fulfill the Great Commission in their context.”
“We anticipate God doing significant things," says Linrud, "through the new partnership that Tom will have working with our churches, schools and other ministries to become even more effective in serving and sharing Jesus with others.”
Watch Evans' acceptance video and learn more about his connections to the Pacific Northwest on the Oregon Conference website.
Tom Evans enthusiastically accepted the role and will begin his duties in Oregon Aug. 1.
Tom and his wife, Mara, as well as their two boys, Lukas, 15, and Andre, 13, are excited to be joining the Oregon Conference family.
