Meet Our Founders
Ron and Kathy Aubrey
Ron and Kathy Aubrey are both graduates of The Pines Training Centre, a Christian training college located at Maroochydore in the State of Queensland, Australia. Both are comparatively long term Christians, and both have a strong personal desire to save children from the streets of the world, introduce them to Jesus Christ and give them a new start in life. Ron and Kathy also have a strong personal desire to encourage others in God’s family to a much closer relationship with Jesus Christ.
sv rolex daytona 116505 40mm mens automatic rose gold toneRon is retired. He is a veteran of the war in Vietnam, and was an Engineer by profession with experience in the aviation, underground mining and steam generation industries. His particular gifts are in administration and organization.
Kathy has a servant heart and has worked with home care teams, Meals on Wheels and many other care and compassion organizations. She is deeply interested in “Pastoral Care” and believes that this area of ministry is not the responsibility of the church pastor alone.
Ron and Kathy are self funded from a war veteran’s pension, and spend as much time as possible in the ministry, their roles mostly relating to organization and administration, establishing the ministry and new projects in other countries, and traveling widely promoting the ministry and it’s work both in Australia and overseas.
Meet Our Team In Australia
Joan is a Director of Family Connections Ministries (Australia), and is also responsible for the Tranquillity House Program. Being brought up in Christian homes, Joan and her husband were taught many things of the Lord at a very early age. After meeting as teenagers they joined Youth For Christ music and preaching teams in and around Brisbane and the surrounding country areas. They also became involved in prison ministry with a chaplain at the Brisbane Women’s Prison. This was good foundation training.
After marrying, Joan and her husband spent most of their time in church work; Sunday School, Youth Clubs, Hospitality and Missions, and often opened up their home to people in need of spiritual and physical help. Looking back, the Lord’s hand is evident in the preparation of Joan for her role today with Family Connections Ministries.
Glenice Palmer, BSocWk
Glenice is a Social Worker by profession and nearing the end of her career with the University of Queensland where she served for 30 years. Her work has been in administration and counselling staff. Glenice also served as a staff member with Scripture Union Queensland for 9 years, working throughout the State with High School students, and she also served for 24 years in an honorary capacity on the Board of Scripture Union. Although this work occupied a large portion of her “free time,” there was great reward in seeing young people helped and many changing direction in their lives, becoming witnessing Christians in their schools. Glenice lives in Brisbane and brings to the Board of FCM Australia, much needed experience and love for the children of the world.
Pastor Frank Van Ophem, YWAM Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Meet Our Team In The USA
In the United States of America FCM International has appointed a Board of Directors. This Board is responsible for all programs in the U.S.A. and the development of the ministry in Mexico and other Latin American countries. Various ministries are operated along the border and northern regions of Mexico. Future plans in the U.S.A. include a Missionary Preparation and Discipleship Training Center at our ministry headquarters in Seguin, Texas.
Board of Directors:Linda Dwyer (Managing Director); Seguin, Texas.Ron Aubrey; Yandina, QueenslandKathy Aubrey; Yandina, QueenslandMichael J. Dwyer, M.D.; Seguin, Texas.Pastor George Schultz; Kingsbury, Texas.
Linda and Michael Dwyer
Mike and Linda Dwyer were college sweethearts. Linda is from a Christian family, and came to know Jesus as her personal Lord and Saviour when she was twelve years old. After meeting Mike she prayed long and persistently that the Lord would give Mike the opportunity to make a decision himself. Mike made that commitment in 1970 when he was serving as a physician volunteer at a Young Life summer camp in New York. Linda was also serving at the Saranac Lake Camp that year as a camp counselor. Later in that year they were married. Thirty years on and neither has lost their love for the Lord, or for each other.
They have had eight children, five natural and three adopted from Chile. Both have served in the Vietnam War (Linda was a nurse with the Red Cross) and Mike served in the Gulf War. They have seen five of their children make commitments to Christ, and they continue to witness for the Lord at every opportunity. Mike and Linda support their local church with the same enthusiasm as they support missions, all in addition to a busy and demanding life. Mike is a surgeon at a local hospital. Linda is involved in many activities, not the least of which is caring for their eldest son Christian, who is confined to a wheelchair.
Their love for humanity, their deep concern over the tremendous poverty in the poor countries of the world, their burden for the lost children of the world’s streets and their commitment to Christ have brought Mike and Linda to the Board of Directors of FCM in the USA. They lead by their example, and their devotion to each other is an encouragement to all who meet them.
George Schultz
Samuel “Dick” Gates
John Bushnell (webmaster)
Meet Our Team In Other Countries
In several countries FCM INternational has appointed Ministry Representatives who work under the name Family Connections Ministries in their particular country. The following people have been appointed to date:
Mexico: Hector Reyes Ramirez (Lawyer), Tapachula, Chiapas.
Europe: Michel and Angela Ruskauff, Veenendaal, Holland.
India: Suresh and Roja Vemulapalli, Purtigadda, Andra Pradesh.
FCM International is continuing to talk with people in haiti, Honduras and Guatemala, and also in other countries seeking to appoint local Ministry Representatives wherever possible.
Pastor Bart Lindeman, The Netherlands.
Hector Reyes Ramirez, Mexico
Michel and Angela Ruskauff, The Netherlands
Michel and Angela are comparatively young Christians yet they possess such an obvious love for the Lord that it is difficult not to be affected by it. Their enthusiasm for, and devotion to, all things of God has led them to want to work with children and young people and, based on their own experiences, to pass on to them the dangers extant in the world today, in the hope of leading them to the Salvation offered through Jesus Christ. This desire has brought them to Family Connections Ministries.
Michel did not come from a Christian household, and so developed an aggressive attitude towards Christianity. He has worked in many countries around the world and wherever he went he was involved in the drug, alcohol and party scene. His life seemed to be one of reeling from one drunken hangover to another until one day he was confronted with a man whose life had been changed by the Lord. This man was Angela’s brother. His words to Michel, although not bringing him to the Lord that day, made him aware that there was something more to life than parties and drugs. Then one day when everything seemed to go wrong Michel called out to God, if He really was there, to help him. The rest is wonderful history as the saying goes.
Angela, on the other hand, knew about God. She went to a Christian school and heard Bible stories, yet she never grew up with God. She also became involved in the “good time scene” which is so easy to become involved with in Holland because of that country’s extremely liberal laws. Angela also saw the change in her brother. Slowly this began to make an impact on her life, although for a time both she and Michel thought Angela’s brother had gone mad. Eventually she too accepted Jesus as her saviour. Since that time she and Michel prayed consistently that God would lead them into ministry work. The changes in their lives are a testimony to the many young people they minister to through their local church in their home town Veenendaal. Coming to Family Connections Ministries they not only bring with them administrative and building skills, but also an understanding of what the world is offering children and young people today. With their help this ministry is working to get children off the streets and into a new life led by Christ Jesus.