SLM Branch History
1952–Georgia: SLM vision started in Madison.
1958–Guatemala: Branch started and cared for hundreds of students through associate schools (ADSs).
1960–Jamaica: The Kingston Branch started with Charles Gilmore as Director. Soon it was turned over to George Webster, who led the organization in founding six Christian bookstores and leading many to know Jesus as their Savior. Joy, his wife, was interim director after his passing until John MacFarlane took over in 2021. The Branch is involved in Bible correspondence and has a Christian bookstore in the city.
1971–Guyana: Miss Emily Chung became the first National Director in 1971. Winston Abel, who served with her in the ministry, became the acting Director when she passed away. In 2020, Dwayne Daniels became the Discipleship Training Branch Director who is currently in leadership and is serving five Associate Discipleship Schools.
1975–Mexico: David and Rosita Beam started the Branch followed by Manuel and Ruth Lopez. In 2022, Rosa Santiz became the Branch director. The Branch is involved in Bible correspondence and contacting local churches to use SLM material.
1975–Peru: Earl & Adele Newell started the Branch and in 1978 Pablo Correa became National Director until 2022. Enrique Machado took the leadership and became the National Director in April 2022. The Branch is involved in Bible correspondence, discipleship for children and discipleship for adults in local churches, prisons, and rehabilitation center ministries. They have 34 active ADSs.
1978–Chile: Earl & Adele Newell started the Branch in 1978, and Guillermo Salazar became National Director in 1979. He and his wife Vicky continue serving in the Branch leadership. They are involved in evangelism and discipleship ministries. They now have seven active ADSs.
1979–SLM India: Started by Pramod Das in 1979. Since that time the ministry has grown into five branches.
1979–New Mexico: In 1979, BIBLE STUDIES BY MAIL, INC. (BSBM) was started by George & Mary Baker. In 2005 Darryl Evans became the Director. The work of SLM New Mexico’s correspondence lessons has steadily grown through word of mouth and BSBM’s website. While approximately 95% of the lessons are mailed to a US address, the rest are sent to places overseas like England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Israel, and Sri Lanka.
1980 – Philippines: Dr. Luz D. Nacionales founded the Branch which is now led by Dr. Nestor Serrano. The “PhilSOL” team covers 11 regions of the Philippines. They have ministries focused on correspondence, church planting, prison ministry, adult Bible studies, and missions.
1980– India, Orissa: S. Prahan started with SLM in Cuttack doing training, tailoring ministries (business as missions), and working among the “neighbors’.”
1981–India, Central Zone: D. Wilson started working with Source of Light in the city of Hyderabad. Since then, D. and his dear wife have developed ministries like church planting, discipleship, correspondence, seekers conferences, Bible study fellowship groups, and tribal ministry outreach.
1982–India, South Zone: Since 2007, H. and A. Peter continued the ministry of H’s father in the city of Bangalore. They have ministries covering a wide variety of disciplines: correspondence, the Tabernacle ministry (evangelism and Christian education through a historical journey through the Tabernacle), social media and radio teaching, orphan ministry, and church planting.
1982–Brazil: Eugene Bunt and Bruce Russell established the Brazil SLM Branch. Samuel Milanez became the National Director in 2018. Source of Light Brazil has 121 Associate Discipleship Schools. They support local churches in evangelism and discipleship through the Source of Light courses.
1982–Florida: Started by Brother Eifert then taken over by Doug Starkweather.
1985–Korea: Led by Paul Bahn with many churches reaching both North and South Korea.
1986–Kansas: The ministry began in 1986 through Herman KIaassen. The current Director is Leon Scott. They have been blessed to be involved in Bible correspondence in English and Spanish, prison ministry, camp ministry, and sharing in mission conferences and churches.
1987– Liberia: Johnny and Janice Connelly, SLM American Missionaries, started the work in Liberia. When they left in 1996, they turned the ministry over to national leadership. In 2014, Nelsen Cyrus was appointed the National Director. He and his wife operate a school to help support their ministry and they use the Source of Light lessons as part of their curriculum. Nelsen also pastors Seedtime Community Church.
1989–India, North Zone: This ministry is directed by Sanjeeb and Anita Sahu, who serve their local community, New Delhi, through a slum ministry, Train up the Child, health education, correspondence, church planting, and leadership training extends their ministry into missions in Northern India and Nepal.
1990–Romania: The Romanian ministry was started by Pavel Greucean and carried on by Cristian and Rodica Oprea from the city of Brasov. They are involved in correspondence, ministry to prisoners and refugees, and have a vision to start a Christian Chemical Dependency Treatment center.
1991–Kenya: Earl and Adele Newell started the work in East Africa. Also key to the success of Source of Light’s work in East Africa are Mr. and Mrs. Jack Stiles and Mike Titus, who were active in leadership before our current Director, Timothy Kyuli. SLM Kenya is highly active serving local schools with the Bible lessons. They serve tens of thousands of school students each year.
1994–Colorado
1995–Alabama
1995–Japan: Pastors Koji Yamazoe and Takuji Yamazaki began the vision of SLM Japan. God has opened the doors for them to serve in the ministries of correspondence, church planting, discipleship, prison ministry, and an international church.
1996–India, Northeast Zone: K. and S. Jena started a work with SLM in Calcutta. Since that time, God has developed through them a ministry of evangelism, discipleship, preaching, teaching, “neighbors” (Muslims), slum ministry, youth ministry, and children’s ministry in nine provinces of India.
1996–Singapore: Florence Lim is involved in correspondence, local church ministry, foreign missions in the Filipino slums, and discipleship.
1996–Ghana: The SLM Branch was started by Daniel Sappor, the current Director. The work operates two offices, one in Accra and another in Tamale. They have several full-time workers who serve 150 Associate Discipleship Schools. The SLM courses are used in homes, schools, churches, and prisons. SLM Ghana is also involved in church planting and providing education to children in rural areas.
1996– Ivory Coast: Ministry began under the direction of an American missionary, then was turned over to national leadership, Johnson Bello, in 1999. Bello died in late 2011, and Isaiah Bernasko, a previous board member, became the Director. Isaiah is passionate about discipleship and evangelism through the Source of Light Bible studies. He pastors a church and is overseeing several new church plants. He and his wife are caregivers at an orphanage, and he has been faithful to disciple some of these children to become active in ministry themselves.
1996–Bolivia: Paul Rustine established the Branch in 1996 and was Director until 2003 when Miguel Sanchez became the National Director. They are involved in prisons, camps, vacation Bible schools, and adolescent confinement house ministries. They currently have 35 ADSs.
1996–South Africa: Fanie Buys started the ministry. He advertised in the newspaper and had an overwhelming response from people who were interested in taking Bible lessons. They currently have four Associate Discipleship Schools and have been able to provide Mozambique, a neighboring country, with lessons as well.
1997–Heartland (Midwest Branch)
1998–Haiti: Randy Christopher started the work. The Branch grew out of correspondence that was done by two of the women at the home office, Florence Houck and Naomi Ammann. It is currently headed up by Claudy Jean-Baptiste, the Director since 2012. The Branch is involved in Bible study, evangelism, Bible classical school, children’s ministries, Sunday schools, and prison ministry.
1998– Togo: Sika Yawo became the National Director in 2003. The national office is in the capital city of Lome. The primary focus is winning lost souls and discipling them through the SLM Bible lessons. They have planted four churches, have ministries in 12 prisons, and are in more than 40 schools. They minister to the military and operate an orphanage called “The Joseph Project.”
1998–Uganda: Aloni Wandeeka established the Uganda Branch followed by James Byakika, who has served as Director since 2016. SLM Uganda is involved in preaching, teaching, evangelism, assisting converts facing opposition, prison ministry, church ministry and school ministries. They have 130 Associate Discipleship Schools.
1999–Nigeria: The SLM Nigeria Branch began under the leadership of Sanya Dosunmu in Lagos. In 2006, Sanya took over the kingship of his tribe and relocated the SLM office to Abeokuta. Sanya passed away in 2021 and his wife, Bosun, became the acting Director at that time. The DTB in Nigeria has eight Associate Discipleship Schools and serves thousands of students each quarter.
1999–Argentina: The Branch was established by Jorge Ovando in Lujan. Since April 2022, Carlos Aranguren has led the Branch. He is a pastor and church planter, works with ADSs, and runs a rehabilitation center.
2002–Alaska: Established by Don and Rose Nabinger with schools reaching into the interior.
2002–Democratic Republic of the Congo: Brian and Gwenda Trapp established the ministry of Source of Light in the D.R. Congo. On April 3, 2002, the ministry became a Branch and Vedette Nlandu appointed Director. The D.R. Congo has five Associate Discipleship Schools, one of which is in the neighboring country of Brazzaville, Congo. They distribute the Bible lessons through a dedicated team of volunteers.
2005–Myanmar: Philip Thang is the founder and is involved in orphan ministry, correspondence, church planting, missions, Associate School development, and music ministry.
2005–Ethiopia: Started by Haile Tefera, their ministry involves open air evangelism, publications, schools, and evangelism.
2005– Canada: Joe Homontowski began the Canada Branch in 2005. They supply lessons and encouragement to those who use our lessons in Canada. They do Bible correspondence and support ministries like home schools and area churches. The lessons go into Hutterite, Mennonite, and Amish communities. The Branch is located in Hepburn, Saskatchewan, Canada.
2008–Jamaica: Don Schiffer became the Director of Follow the Source, SLM’s Branch in Western Jamaica. They have been useful in delivering and grading lessons for school students. They house and equip short-term mission teams and support the local church discipleship program.
2009–Indonesia: Purwoko Arsito started the ministry in Solo City and is active in correspondence, overnight pastors’ prayer meetings, church encouragement, blind ministry, youth ministry, children’s ministry, adult Bible study, and radio ministry.
2014–Pakistan: M.B. and his wife start the work. Through M.B.’s work in Faisalabad. Through M’s work, God has started ministries of correspondence, church planting, orphan care, prison ministry, village ministry, Hope children’s school, evangelism and “neighbors” ministry.
2019–Colombia: The Branch was established in 2019 by Gilberto, Sandra, and Laura Vanegas. They are serving the Lord in discipleship for adults and children through local churches, rehabilitation centers, prisons, and homeschooling ministries. They have 32 ADSs.
2022–Spain: Jorge Vecchiarelli started the Branch in March 2022 and continues to serve as its Director. They are involved in discipleship with churches and prisons, and already have contact with several Spanish-speaking churches in Italy, Germany, and Portugal.
