Rev. Cody Lorance

Pastor / Church Planting Leader / 1Stone Director 

Cody has served in Chicagoland since 2002. Before that he did youth and college ministry in Oklahoma. He earned an M.A. in Intercultural Studies from Wheaton Graduate School in 2005.

Katherine Lorance

Church planter / Treasurer  

Katherine has been engaged in cross-cultural ministry since 1999. She and Cody married in 2001 and have served the Lord together among many different people groups. They have three children: Christopher, Hannah, and Paolo.

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Rev. Talargie Tafesse
Apostolic Pastor of Ethiopian Ministries / Senior Pastor of Tensae Church 
Talargie joined the TIBM team in 2006. He is a native of Ethiopia where he served for many years in full-time Christian ministry. Talargie earned an M.A. in Intercultural Studies from Wheaton Graduate School in 2006.

Scott Alexander

Refugee Peoples Ministry Leader / ESL Director 

Scott joined the TIBM team in 2006. His focus of ministry is on those people who come to Chicagoland as refugees. He is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University.

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Pastor Soe Rah

Lead Pastor of Karen Baptist Church / Church Planter
Soe Rah and his family joined our team in December of 2007 when Karen Baptist Church (Glen Ellyn, IL) was born. Originally from Burma, Soe Rah recieved Biblical and theological training in Thailand where he also served as a pastor and Bible college teacher. He has served in ministry leadership for a number of years.

Pastor Eh Say Wah

Lead Pastor of Karen Baptist Church of Rockford / Church Planter
Eh Say Wah and his family began serving with TIBM when Karen Baptist Church (Rockford, IL) was born in 2008. Originally from Burma, Eh Say Wah pastored for nine years in Thailand before coming to the United States.

Pastor Hailu Wuibishet

Associate Pastor of Tensae Church

Hailu joined the team in 2007 to help meet the needs of the growing Tensae congregation. Hailu is a gifted preacher and worship leader.

Jeri Entrekin

Next Generation Ministry Specialist

Jeri joined the TIBM team in early 2008.  Before coming to Chicagoland, she served as a US/C2 missionary with the North American Mission Board in Oklahoma City.  Jeri’s experience and training are in urban cross-cultural ministry, linguistics, and education.

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Sarah Bordewick

Associate Next Generation Ministry Specialist

Sarah is the latest addition to the TIBM team, having officially joined us in June 2009.  She is a recent graduate of Southern Illinois University where she majored in Psychology.

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Aklilu Abebe Damtew
Instructor of Biblical Hermenutics  
Aklilu serves the TIBM team as a traveling instructor.  He especially focuses on teaching Ethiopian lay leaders how to effectively study and interpret the Bible.  Aklilu is an experienced teacher who has recieved theological training in Ethiopia and has earned an M.A. in Biblical Exegesis from Wheaton College.

Ian Smith
Church Planting Intern  

As a part of the TIBM team, Ian is engaged in a intensive internship focused on various aspects of cross-cultural church planting. He has earned an M.A. from Wheaton Graduate School in Intercultural Studies and has had previous field experience in East Asia.