Don Rogers

Don Rogers is the founder and International Director of ELI which began in Kenya and has now expanded to the neighboring countries of Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Southern Sudan. Don’s short-term trip to Tanzania in 1989 was the first of many that eventually led to the founding of ELI in 1994. He pioneered the work by developing relationships with key national Christian leaders, working with them to establish Skills for Life Training Centers, Christian schools, orphanages, and health ministries. The strategy for empowerment integrates Biblical teaching with dynamic ideas and skills that help the poor address the challenges oppressing their lives spiritually, physically, and economically. Don serves with his family, both in East Africa and the U.S., dividing time according to the needs of the ministry. Kenya is a “home base” and Don travels to Tanzania, D.R. Congo, and Southern Sudan as needed and also enjoys researching with our African leaders and applying new appropriate technologies and business ideas. Amy loves ministering to the women in the village and our boys relish the adventure of living in the “great outdoors.” Don and Amy invest strategic blocks of time in the U.S., sharing the vision of ELI with individuals and groups in order to expand the growing network of supporting partners and churches. Working with the staff in our Upland, California, office and helping to equip short-term teams traveling to Africa is also part of their ministry. Don graduated from Azusa Pacific University – B.A. Religion with Minors in Psychology and Christian Education. Don received his M.A. from Asbury Theological Seminary with a focus on Cross Cultural Missions. Prior to ELI Don served with Youth For Christ in Southern California as well as in the church as youth and senior pastor. He is an ordained minister with the Free Methodist Church.

 

Ron Higgins

Ron Higgins is a licensed architect and received a Master of Architecture degree from Harvard University. He completed his undergraduate work at the University of Washington where he obtained a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree. In 1984, Ron formed a real estate development company with his childhood friend, Jim Luse. For the last 25 years, he has been president of L&H Construction, Inc. and has designed and built over 400 homes in the Sacramento area. Mr. Higgins has served on various non-profit boards and church leadership/elder boards. He joined Empowering Lives International after observing the ministry first hand during a mission trip in 2005. “What impressed me the most about the work of ELI was the balance between the compassion of providing ‘relief’ and the commitment to help break the cycle of poverty through empowerment trainings. The African testimonies I heard along with my first hand observations made me a fan for life!” Ron is married to Terry, his high school sweetheart, and has two girls who have both graduated from Azusa Pacific University. After attending APU, they are currently serving the Lord with the International Rescue Committee and Empowering Lives International.

 

Gary Enniss

Pastor Gary Enniss has served in many different forms ministry over the past 30 years. His roles have included Youth Pastor, Associate Pastor, and Church Planter, and he has served as the Senior Pastor of Lamb's Fellowship Lake Elsinore for the past 12 years. Gary is also a licensed Marriage Family Child Counselor and has had a private practice for seven years with a focus on ministry-related issues. Gary has been associated with ELI for almost 20 years since serving on a church staff together with Don Rogers. His wife and son were on the first team Don took to Africa back in 1989. Gary has participated first hand on a dozen trips to Africa with ELI over the last 14 years. Gary enjoys the privilege of serving on the Board of ELI and has the specific role of care for the missionaries and the national directors. Gary and his wife Marty have been married for 38 years. They have two grown children, Jon and Jen, and three grandchildren.

 

Ron Messenger

Ron Messenger's healthcare industry expertise spans over 30 years. Ron was Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Paracelsus Healthcare Corporation from 1983 to 1996. Under his leadership, Paracelsus grew from a 12 hospital system to a 38 hospital system, generating more than $1 billion in revenue. Prior to becoming CEO of PHC, he was Senior Executive Officer of National Medical Enterprises (NME) in charge of development. In this capacity Ron acquired over 60 hospital properties. Earlier positions at NME included operational responsibilities for their eastern and western divisions. During his career, Ron served on numerous hospital boards Ron has always had a soft place in his heart for orphans and after retirement he prayed for God's direction in his life. A friend told him about ELI and the possibility of partnering with them to support programs and construct facilities that would reach out to and provide care for orphans. He was very impressed with the organization's heart for the Lord and the quality of the individuals working with ELI. He and his wife decided to start Orphan's Hope International as a tool to help support care for orphans and vulnerable children in partnership with ELI. Today, he feels blessed to have been given the opportunity to help ELI empower and expand the horizons of many in Africa and in particular the children who have been left alone through no fault of their own. Ron is married to his wife, Fran, of 43 years and has two married daughters and five grandchildren. Ron is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he received both his BS and MBA.

 

Kris Baxter

Kris Baxter is a worldwide sales director working for the Micron Technology Inc. semiconductor company and has also managed multi-national engineering teams since the year 2000. From 1985 to 2000, Kris worked as a lead engineer and project manager for an aerospace propulsion company in the Sacramento, California area. He received two engineering Bachelor degrees from the University of California Davis in 1985. Kris has served on the elder board of his local church where he also served as the lay pastor and high school student ministry leader with his wife, Jamie. Kris first learned about the impact and lives of those touched by Empowering Lives International ministry through a meeting at the home of an ELI staff member. He and his family were inspired to visit the ministry first hand during the summer of 2009, and were blessed to witness the Christ centered ministry and hearts of the African and US staff making an impact at the Illula and Kipkaren sites. Convinced that God is being honored and He is active in changing the lives and hearts of people through ELI, Kris is humbled to be the most recent board member serving alongside the ELI team. Kris and Jamie have been married for 23 years and have two children that are currently attending universities in California. Their son, Jordan, is studying international agricultural business at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, and their daughter, Blake, is studying nursing at San Diego State University.

 

Jen K Brasington

Jenn Brasington brings a wealth of administrative and accounting experience to the ELI Board.  Growing up in a pastoral family, Jenn heart was naturally drawn to ELI’s focus on outreach and the mission of empowerment. She currently works as the Financial Administrator on the Executive Team of the Free Methodist Church in Southern California, a conference of about 50 ministries.  Jenn has also served on the ship Logos 2 with Operation Mobilization for a 2 ½ year period as the ship ministered in port cities in Western Europe, the Caribbean, South and Central America and Mexico.  She traveled to Ethiopia in 1999 and again in 2007 to assist a movement of new churches with accounting structures and fiscal protocol as they organized into a new conference of Free Methodist ministries including medical clinics, mission posts, and churches.  Jenn has also served in local church leadership positions, is very competent in media and administration roles and enjoys singing on the worship team.  Jenn and her husband Steve were married in 2002 and live in Wildomar, CA where Steve serves as the Associate Pastor at Lamb’s Fellowship church.

 

Daniel Belko

Daniel has been married to his lovely wife Jessica for over two years. He is the Marketing and Web Director at Concordia Supply Co, a church supply distributor. He also gained business experience working for a municipal finance firm after college. He completed his Bachelor of Economics at Whitworth University in 2007, with a focus in Social Entrepreneurship. He recently completed an MBA from San Diego State University. 

Daniel’s passion for overseas missions was sparked by his family’s mission work in Romania, ministering to orphans and street kids in Romania. His first experience with ELI was on a short-term trip with his brother Phil and a team from Water of Life Church in April of 2011. Daniel says about his experience with ELI, “I felt this organization offered the perfect package for my passions; small business and orphans.  The business, agricultural, and life skills training going on are truly amazing and the children’s homes are a beautiful glimpse of the Kingdom of God here on earth.” What Daniel experienced on this trip convinced others in his family to go with a team to Kenya as well. 

As the most recent addition to the board, Daniel is humbled, yet excited to help empower lives! He hopes to bring a unique perspective, ideas, and guidance for income-generating projects and business development opportunities.