Cruz Paniagua, Church Planting Co-catalyst
Cruz and his wife Keydi are from Venezuela and are currently living in Ecuador with their two youngest daughters. They met while studying to be petroleum engineers. After several years of working in the petroleum industry, they realized they were being called to work in ministry. They have served in different areas of influence from the local church with the Church of God to continental leadership roles. Cruz received his masters and doctorate in theological studies. They began to work with Multiplication Network in 2013 as volunteers, training church planters in Venezuela. Between 2015 and 2019, Keydi served as Multiplication Networks’ National Coordinator of Venezuela. Through the Church of God, they have led church planting task forces all over Latin America. Cruz’ passion is preaching and the instruction and development of leaders and new ministries.
John Wagenveld, Church Planting Co-catalyst
God began preparing John Wagenveld for international ministry at an early age. John was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. But when John was two, his family moved to Argentina to serve with Christian Reformed World Missions. With Spanish as his heart language, John went on to become fluent in both English and French. John’s postgraduate education reflects his dedication to the idea that church planting should be front and center on the missions agenda of churches.
He received a B. A. in Theology from Dordt College and an M. A. in Missions and Church Growth at Calvin Theological Seminary. Most recently he received his Doctorate in Ministry from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. John has authored the book Iglecrecimiento Integral (Wholistic Church Growth), which was published in Spanish. He led the team of 22 authors who joined together to produce the book Sembremos Iglesias Saludables (Let’s Plant Healthy Churches), and then edited the compilation. In 2014, he coauthored the book Take Your Church’s Pulse: Ten Vital Signs of a Healthy Church and was also an editor and contributor to Planting Healthy Churches with eight other authors, published in 2016.
Not only multi-lingual, John is multi-cultural. He has lived half of his life in Latin America and the other half in the United States. He and his wife were missionaries in Puerto Rico from 1994 to 2001.
John lives in Zeeland, MI with his wife, Angela. John loves the game of soccer and plays whenever he has the opportunity.
Dr. Chris Gnanakan, Catalyst for South Asia
Dr. Chris Gnanakan has been recognized as the Catalyst for South Asia for Lausanne Church Planting Issue Network. This role entails promoting and developing the agreed-upon vision of the network by catalyzing relationships, initiatives, and collaboration for the global mission of church planting in South Asia.
Chris Gnanakan, from South India, worked as an electrician before studying Bible, Theology, and Missions at the Word of Life Bible Institute, NY and Tennessee Temple University. He researched Pastoral Theology & Counseling at the South Asia Institute for Advanced Christian Studies from where he earned his Doctorate in Ministry in Pastoral Theology, completed his Ph.D. from Leeds University, UK. Chris was awarded his Doctor of Divinity from Trinity Baptist College, FL, USA, for strategic leadership in missional movements.
Chris is our Professor for Theology and Global Studies at Liberty University and serves as the Director of Leadership Development for Christar. Chris and Dorothy have two daughters Alethea and Charis who graduated from LU. Chris loves to motivate people with God’s Word, mobilize them into the fields and mentor the next generation!
Murray Moerman
Murray Moerman was born of an immigrant family whose father helped plant several immigrant churches. Murray met his wife Carol at seminary and together they planted churches on the west coast of Canada before joining Outreach Canada to begin Church Planting Canada which he led ten years. Murray and Carol then served their mission as Area Director in Europe. Murray helped develop the network which became NC2P (National Church Planting Processes) in Europe and helped launch the Global Church Planting Network, which he led until 2016. Currently, Murray facilitates a roundtable of church planting networks with a shared strategy to Collaborate to Saturate.
Murray and Carol live in British Columbia, Canada. They have five children and 11 grandchildren. They are active in their local church and in disciple-making groups as trainers and coaches.
Ron Anderson
Ron Anderson was born in Guatemala where he was raised amongst the Maya Quiche people with whom his parents ministered as missionaries. He met his wife Brenda at Asbury University and together they moved to Spain to start their missionary career in 1978. In addition to being involved in pioneer church planting Ron served for 10 years as the European Director for Field ministries of the European Christian Mission overseeing the ministry in 18 European countries. Ron is the coordinator for the Spain national church planting roundtable www.laplazadelplantador.com and co-catalyst for the church planting issue network of the Lausanne Movement.
Ron and Brenda live in Madrid, Spain. They have three children and 8 grandchildren. They are active members of a new church planting team in Meco, Madrid
Kris Ramsundar
Dr. Krishna (Kris) Ramsundar is the India National Coordinator, Partnership Content Specialist & Ambassador to the Lausanne Movement for the Multiplication Network, an Adjunct Professor of the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in Cleveland, TN, Pastor of the Manantial de Vida Church of God in Grand Rapids, MI, and the District Supervisor for that Denomination’s Hispanic Churches in Michigan. Kris served as the President of the Mexican Bible Seminary in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico for six years, and was also a member and Vice-President of the Alliance for Education in Latin America (ALEAL).
Kris is originally from Trinidad and Tobago where he came to faith from Hinduism as a teenager. After finishing his studies at Lee University (BA) and the Pentecostal Theological Seminary (MA) the family moved to New Haven, CT where he completed the MDiv. Degree in 1996 from Yale University, and his CPE Residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He completed his Doctorate from the Pentecostal Theological Seminary. Kris is married to Dr. Michelle Carattini de Ramsundar, and they have two daughters, Marissa and Gabrielle.
As Ministers Kris and Michelle have worked mainly with Hispanic congregations and planted a multi-national church in Raleigh, NC. Furthering the work of the Kingdom is the driving force behind their ministry.
Matt Fretwell
Dr. Matt Fretwell has been appointed as an Assistant Professor for the Regent University School of Divinity. Dr. Fretwell holds a Bachelor of Science in Religion, Master of Theology, and Master of Divinity in Professional Ministries from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry in Great Commission Disciple-Making from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He serves with the Motus Dei Research Network and the global Movement Leaders Collective. He is an advocate board member of Living Bread Ministries, a global comprehensive Church Planting organization that reaches poverty-stricken cities, neighborhoods, and villages.
The Rev. Dr. Fretwell is an ordained pastor within the Southern Baptist Convention. He has served as a church planter, hospice chaplain, revitalization pastor, and a discipleship and evangelism pastor. He was contracted with the Virginia Affiliated International Pentecostal Holiness Church as the Executive Director of Multiplication. He served four years as the Executive Director for the New Breed Church Planting Network.
Additionally, Dr. Fretwell serves the Eastern Region Evangelical Theological Society as the 2nd Vice President. He has written church planting, missions, discipleship, and church revitalization curriculum for several Bible colleges, denominations, and organizations. He has authored ten books, written articles for leadership websites, and peer-reviewed papers regarding mission, reproducible disciple-making, global movements, church planting, and diaspora. Dr. Fretwell is active in assisting local churches in multiplying, revitalizing, and growing. He currently resides in Virginia Beach, VA.
