DR. GARY CRAWFORD is the visionary and Co-Founder of Amazon Vision Ministries. He graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Doctorate of Ministry. Gary is an Emeritus Pastor at Westside Baptist Church and the founder of Gary Crawford Leadership, through which he currently does leadership coaching that empowers transformational growth. In addition, last year he started Global Missions 365, bringing the hope of Christ “everywhere, everyday to everyone.”

Gary has served on the board of trustees for the Baptist College of Florida, the Florida Baptist Convention, State Board of Missions, and International Mission Board. He has served and led mission trips to over 25 countries.

MICHAEL ALLEN is a seasoned business owner and consultant who lives an unapologetically evangelistic lifestyle. He brings an entrepreneurial mindset to our ministry and loves the challenges and creativity that operations demands. Through his personal experience with international missions, Michael has learned that it takes a strong willingness and unwavering commitment to execute a shared vision. His passions for preaching, teaching, and discipleship make him an asset to our leadership team. He currently is pursuing a Master’s in Theological Studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

TIM McLENDON is a staff attorney at the Center for Governmental Responsibility, a legal research institute attached to the University of Florida Levin College of Law. He has worked closely with prosecuters and judges in many parts of Brazil, as well as other parts of Latin America, on comparative law training projects in areas of constitutional law, environmental law, mediation and human rights. In his private legal practice, he has also advised non-profit organizations on matters involving incorporation, organization and securing 501(c)(3) status.

Tim is a deacon and teaches Sunday School at Westside Baptist Church in Gainesville, Florida, where he has been active in the singles and special care ministries. He has participated in various mission projects in Haiti, Florida and elsewhere in the United States. He and his wife, Amy, currently have a daughter, Hannah (5), and a son, Isaiah (2).

INGRID CRAWFORD has served alongside AVM for over ten years and has served as a Board Member during the past five. Ingrid has worked in the Client Relations industry for over 20 years. In August of 2017 she joined Gary Crawford Leadership to help clients identify and apply their individual strengths in their ministry, career, and personal lives. Not only is she currently serving as Executive Director of Global Missions 365, she is also pursuing her masters in Executive Leadership and Global Studies through Liberty University.

Ingrid shares, “Visiting the west Amazon basin and meeting the Ribeirinhos people will change your life forever. The people are warm and welcoming and eager to learn about Jesus.” This warmth and love of learning drives Ingrid to strongly support AVM’s vision to bring the Hope of Christ to all of the Ribeirinhos.

STEPHEN GREGORY serves on the AVM board. He retired from Albertson’s Food Stores after 25 years of service, and recently retired from Publix Super Markets, Inc. His educational background includes studies at Gulf Coast College, Troy University and The Baptist College of Florida.

Stephen and his wife, Brenda, have been members of Westside Baptist Church in Gainesville, Florida for over 32 years and are involved in various ministries. He serves as a Bible study teacher, World Impact Team member, mission leader, Decision Ministry Coordinator and Samaritan’s Clinic volunteer.

Stephen is also a board member of Share His Love Missions. He has participated in and led mission trips since 1999, serving on multiple projects in Zambia, Kenya, the Congo, Sudan and Asia Minor. Stephen and Brenda have been married for 34 years, and have two children and 4 grandchildren.    

REV. PHILLIP HERRINGTON serves as Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Live Oak, FL. He is a graduate of Mercer University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Rev. Herrington has served churches in Georgia, Texas, and Florida in numerous pastoral capacities as well as on the Florida Baptist Convention’s State Board of Missions. He has led teams to Mexico, Brazil, and various places in the U.S.

Phillip and his wife, Cristina, have been married since 1997. Their daughter Emma is in high school and loves to dance. Their son Jack, whom they adopted from Haiti in 2012, loves Legos and soccer.

BILL LASSITER has served on the AVM board in various capacities since 2007. He is an Account Manager at OEC Business Interiors, Gainesville, Florida and is a charter member of Westside Baptist Church, which his parents helped found. Bill teaches an adult Sunday school class at Westside, and has been involved in working with the children’s ministry, RAs and Vacation Bible School. He is also very active in the Prayer Ministry at Westside.

Bill has been on eighteen mission trips to Brazil, working with AVM on sixteen of those trips and serving as a team leader five times. Bill is married to BJ, and they have five children.

Bill shares: “The people who live in the remote areas in the Amazon Basin need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I want others throughout the world to know about these wonderful, gracious people that I love and have much respect for.”

SHERRI LEE has been involved with AVM since 2008. She has served on ten mission trips to Brazil and has also done ministry in Cambodia and Ecuador. She attends Wellborn Baptist Church and lives in Lake City, Florida. She has served in the Awana program, helped in the youth ministry, and has chaperoned numerous youth events and camps.

Sherri explains: “I’m so thankful I’m a part of the AVM ministry. I’ve learned so much and have grown spiritually through my trips with them. AVM can – and has – made a difference to the people groups on the river. What a blessing it is for me to serve on the AVM board.”

REV. STEVE LOY serves as Pastor of Spruce Creek Baptist Church, located in Port Orange, Florida. He is a graduate of The Baptist College of Florida and Jacksonville Baptist Theological Seminary. Steve has served churches in Florida and New York as pastor, church planter (NAMB), and young adult, college, and youth pastor. He has acted as moderator for the Halifax Baptist Association and has also been involved with the Florida Baptist Convention in various facets. He is an AVM board member and has led mission teams to Brazil and various places in the U.S.

Steve and his wife, Leah, have been married since 1993. Leah has worked for the Florida Baptist Convention and is now a teacher with VIPKID and teaches children in China, virtually, how to speak English, using the content areas. She loves serving God as a teacher. Their daughter, Hannah, is in high school and loves singing and going on mission trips to Brazil. She has surrendered to God’s call to be a missionary and one day hopes to be on the mission field in Brazil.

RANDOL SCHRIMSHER was born and raised in Orlando, FL. He grew up attending First Baptist Church of Orlando and graduated from The First Academy. Randol has served on many mission trips. While working with The JESUS Film as a technician, he recorded audio for the film in languages from the Philippines, Togo, and Cameroon. Both he and his wife share a passion for missions, and together they have served on mission trips to India, Cuba, and Ireland. He is excited to now serve as a Board Member with AVM.

His interests include computers, technology, and design. The greatest passion in his life is his family, and he is thrilled to announce that he and his wife just gained a new addition by adopting a newborn baby girl.

JANE McEWEN is a recent addition to our Board. She and her husband Barry owned and operated a wholesale plant nursery for over 30 years. She serves at her church as a superb women’s Bible study teacher and a life group leader. She is a member of the World Impact Team within her church that encourages participation and giving to missions. In the early 1970’s Jane and Barry served among the Kuna Indians of the San Blas Island of Panama. Their year on the island of Ailigandi sparked a desire in her heart to serve the indigenous people of the Americas. In 2014 after the passing of her husband she embarked on the first of now six trips to the Amazon. Her passions is discipleship, so sharing the life-living guidance of the Bible fuels her desire to return again and again. The friendships she has made along the west Amazon basin are the joy of her heart.

PASTOR ELI PERES is the child of missionary parents and was born in an indigenous tribe in the Amazon. He studied at a missionary school in his youth, where he learned English. Eli worked on the river alongside his father for several years before attending seminary in Recife, Brazil. It was there he met and married his wife, Silvana. They spent 20 years living among another indigenous Amazonian tribe while working with New Tribes Mission.

Eli has been with AVM since it’s start in 2002 and plays a vital role to maintain the AVM boat, guide team’s work along the river, provide Biblical training to new believers, and maintain contact with local pastors after teams leave. Eli and Silvana are passionate about the spread of the Gospel and share that it has been a challenge and blessing to their lives to work with AVM. They have one son and are excited to welcome their first grandchild later this year.

Tabta Almeida grew up the daughter of a pastor in small towns in Northern Brazil. As a teenager she moved to Manaus to study. It was there that she became involved with missions and started as an interpreter for Amazon Vision Ministries. She developed a deep passion for missions and paused her work and college to study missions. This led to a change in her major to Translations and Interpretations and to pursue a deeper relationship with AVM.

She has worked in various capacities for AVM over the last thirteen years and currently manages team logistics and finances in Brazil. She believes that “everyone should take a chance on missionary trips at least once in their lives for this is a real tool the Lord uses to shape our hearts and make us see beyond our walls.”