Our Mission

Brooks and Nina met at San Diego Christian College and married upon graduation. Brooks worked in the field of accounting and eventually as a CFO of a Dutch multinational. Through their time in the word, and with the blessing of their local church, they eventually felt led to church planting among an unreached people group. In 2003, after 2 years of training, they, along with their 3-year-old son, left for Papua New Guinea and lived among the Yembiyembi people. By God’s grace, they became fluent in the language, developed an alphabet, taught the Yembiyembi to read and write, translated the scriptures, and saw the Yembiyembi church born and brought to maturity. In 2016, they returned to the U.S. where Brooks now serves as the President of Radius International and Nina is the Hospitality Coordinator. Brooks recently received an honorary doctorate in Linguistics and Bible Translation from San Diego Christian College.

Before joining the staff in 2012, Carl and Myra lived in Iowa where they owned and operated a business for 16 years. They applied all that they learned during that season toward their various responsibilities at Radius. Carl is the Business Administrator (overseeing the financial, business, marketing, and technology) as well as managing the myriad of construction projects that have taken place on the campuses over the past 10 years, while Myra does the job of Office Administrator (supervising the bookkeeping and donation processing). Carl and Myra are very involved in their local church Paseo Del Rey, in Chula Vista, CA. They have two married children who live locally and four darling grandsons they dote on.

Joe and Rachel have been Radius on-site staff for seven years. Joe, who earned his BS from Liberty University, has many positions within Radius including Director of Operations MX, Los Altos Campus Director, and classroom instructor. Rachel has parlayed her experience as a preschool teacher, home-schooling mom, and trained delivery and postpartum doula into her roles overseeing the Gap Year interns, developing the childcare program, and helping expectant students navigate having a child in Mexico. Their fun and adventurous family is made up of three grown children and a fourth who still lives at home.

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Zac is a business professional in San Diego, CA. He and his wife, Shelbi, have been active and faithful members at Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Diego since 1997. During that time, Zac has served in a variety of ways, including being an elder and long-standing member on the missions committee. Passionate about sending, the Shiras been an encouragement to Radius in many ways since its inaugural year. Zac and Shelbi are the proud parents of a daughter and two sons.

Brad and Beth spent over 20 years planting a church among the Iteri people in Papua New Guinea. After the Iteri church could function on its own, they returned to San Diego where Brad was the Missions Pastor at Clairemont Emmanuel. In that role, he observed a disturbing increasing attrition rate among missionaries and, along with some other like-minded pastors and others in the missions community, identified the need for quality cross-cultural training for missionary candidates. After years of research and prayer, Radius was born. Brad is its primary church planting instructor. He and Beth also travel extensively around the U.S. speaking at conferences and churches. Brad and Beth have 4 married children and enjoy spending as much time as possible with them and their 10 grandchildren.

Brandon and Rachel met at Christian Heritage College and were married shortly after graduating in 2001. After several years in the workforce, they completed a two-year missionary training program with Ethnos360 (formerly New Tribes Mission). In 2006, along with their daughter (3) and son (1), they moved to Papua New Guinea with the goal of planting a church among one of the country’s many unreached language groups. In 2008, they began living among the islanders of Biem, off PNG’s north coast. After years of language and culture study, they were able to present the Gospel in the Biem language in 2012, and the Biem Church was born. Over the next 13 years, they discipled believers, translated Scripture, and helped develop local church leadership. They also served as consultants for broader church-planting efforts among other language groups in Papua New Guinea. After 19 years in PNG, Brandon and Rachel have returned to the States, where they now serve with Radius International.

Eddie and Maggi Passmore were married in 1978. Their growing family eventually included three children. Eddie started full-time ministry in 1980, which led to jobs as a youth pastor, program director at a Christian camp, associate pastor of missions and outreach, and a senior interim pastor. In May of 2003, Eddie and Maggi began their next chapter as co-directors at Mexico Caravan Ministries. Eddie is now the Director of Mobilization at Radius Serve.

Sent by Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, Joseph and Jessica have been on staff since 2012. Before joining Radius, Joseph received a B.A. from Taylor University in both Biblical Studies and Christian Education, and a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and then served as an Associate Pastor at RiverLakes Community Church in Bakersfield, CA. He is now the Director of the Castillo Campus and the Instructor of Spiritual Disciplines. Jessica, who received a B.A. from Taylor University in Christian Education, teaches the Culture and Language Acquisition Practicum. Joseph and Jessica lead a Community Group and along with their 4 children feel incredibly blessed to share in the day-to-day life of the students.

Before Neil began working with Radius in 2024, he served in various leadership roles at his church and Banner of Truth. During that time, Neil also gained over 15 years of professional experience in management and recruitment at companies such as Apple and executive search firms. He earned his bachelor's degree in leadership and MBA in Organizational Science from Azusa Pacific University. Neil and his wife are foodies and love cooking for others at their home. They also enjoy reading and recommending books for all occasions. They have two young children that they are excited to raise alongside other families on campus in Mexico. Neil is passionate about connecting the right missionaries and partnerships for the glory of God.

Spencer and Cassidy met in 2017 while attending Bible college in Nebraska where they both earned their B.A. in Bible and Intercultural Studies from Grace University. After graduating, they moved to Iowa where Spencer was the youth and missions pastor at the church he grew up in. Spencer later completed a master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling from Crown University.
In 2020 they moved to Tijuana, Mexico, where they began serving in full-time cross-cultural ministry. Spencer serves as the Director of Radius Serve (formerly Mexico Caravan Ministries), and Cassidy assists with the intern program and group coordination. They are committed to mobilizing and educating the Church for God’s global mission.
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They have two small children, both born in Tijuana. As a family they enjoy beach days and all the wonderful Mexican food in TJ.

Wayne and Gail, both originally from Taiwan and with Master of Divinity degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, have served at Radius Asia since its inception in 2018. Wayne was a pastor in Northern California for 5 years before they and their two daughters moved to the island of Biem in Papua New Guinea to plant a church. After the Lord brought that church to fruition, and desiring to help others prepare well to minister in an increasing difficult to reach world, they agreed to join the Radius team. Wayne is the Director of Radius Asia which includes not only the responsibility of training students but also the development of a staff team able to teach the myriad of components of the program. Gail, according to Wayne, does everything else.

Originally from Los Angeles, Peter (Master of Divinity from Capital Bible Seminary) and Sandy (Master of Education from UCLA) have served in a wide variety of ministry platforms. Peter has been in pastoral ministry in the roles of children's pastor, youth pastor, college pastor, associate pastor, and senior pastor in churches in CA, MD, KS, and NM with an emphasis on training men to teach and lead in a variety of contexts. Sandy had been actively involved with children's and women's ministries as well as has worked for several independent learning charter schools. They serve as on-site staff over-seeing a community group and the ESL program. As parents of 3 children, they both have a heart for discipling families with young children.

Before joining Radius as on-site community group leaders, Trent and Kellie lived in Texas where he worked as an operations manager in the Oil and Gas Industry, and she was a healthcare manager and then a stay-at-home mom. Graduates of the Radius program and sent by Indian Creek Baptist Church, they share a burden to see churches planted amongst unreached language groups. Utilizing their understanding as alumni, business knowledge from the workplace, ministry experience serving in the church, and life experience as spouses and parents, they labor to train and equip students to be faithful cross-cultural church planters.

Abigail is originally from Michigan. Sent by her home church Covenant Life Community Church, she moved to Radius as a Gap Year intern in 2022. The following year, she joined the staff as a Gap Year Lead and has had the privilege of leading the female interns during their time of service at the school. Abigail will attend online school in the fall of 2024 for accounting as she pursues a future in the mission field.

As the Administrative Assistant to the President, Adrianna works closely alongside Brooks and Nina Buser to assist them in the ministry the Lord has given them. Throughout her college years and through the faithfulness of her brother, Adrianna learned the call from Scripture to be faithful in bringing the gospel to unreached language groups. It was when her brother and his wife trained through Radius that she and her family learned the heartbeat of Radius and came to value this ministry. She and her husband, Manny, enjoy serving as members of their local church in San Diego, California. Though he doesn’t have an official role, he plays a humble and behind-the-scenes part in helping Adrianna fulfill her responsibilities at Radius.

Jada had the privilege of growing up in beautiful southeastern Pennsylvania. She received an associate degree in Business Administration from Thomas Edison State University. After years of desiring to support missions, she counts it an honor to do so through serving as Operations Coordinator at Radius International.

Cathy and her husband, Mike, met in their hometown of Rapid City, South Dakota. After they married, they worked as missionaries in Papua New Guinea for 10 years, after which they ministered in Tijuana, Mexico for an additional 10 years. Currently, Cathy enjoys substitute teaching for her Bible Study Fellowship, teaching English to her international students, and assisting as needed for Radius in Accounts Receivables. Cathy and Mike have two grown children and 2 granddaughters.

A longtime San Diego resident, Lisa worked as a nurse before she married John and until she chose to stay home to be a full-time homemaker. She enjoyed those full years as a busy mom to four children and an active volunteer at their home church. In 2016, Lisa rejoined the workforce as a 911 police dispatcher and, in 2019, joined the Radius staff working as Accounts Payable and as a member of the finance team.

Madeline is sent by Christ Proclamation Church in Connecticut, where she was born and raised. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting and Graphic Design from the University of Hartford. After graduation, she worked in Bible restoration in South Carolina and then served as a Radius Gap Year Intern in 2023 and again in 2025. She is excited to spend the next few years as staff and continue supporting Radius’ goal of training students to plant churches among unreached language groups.

Rebecca counts it a huge privilege to be part of training students to take the gospel to unreached language groups. Originally from the UK, with a background in Library and Information Management, she serves as Classroom Coordinator and also provides administrative support for the Culture and Language Acquisition program. She lives on campus and enjoys being involved in the everyday life of the students.

As the student registrar, Shelly works with the applicants as they navigate through the admission process. Highlights of her job include phone conversations with prospective students and churches as they seek to learn more about Radius’ training program and communicating with admitted students as they are making arrangements to live in Mexico. Shelly and her husband, Jim, raised their 3 children in San Diego while attending Clairemont Emmanuel Church where they have served in a variety of ways throughout the years and grew in their knowledge of the importance of Jesus’ last command.

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Brendan is originally from Vancouver, Canada and has lived in El Cajon, CA for the last 20 years. In 2000, he graduated from Southern California Bible College and Seminary with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies. Currently he works in Asset Management for Hamann Companies. Brendan’s zeal for International Missions is evident in the variety of ways he actively contributes his time, resources, and enthusiasm. He is married and has 4 children.

Zac is business professional in San Diego, CA. He and his wife, Shelbi, have been active and faithful members at Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Diego since 1997. During that time, Zac has served in a variety of ways, including being an elder and long-standing member on the missions committee. Passionate about sending, the Shiras been an encouragement to Radius in many ways since its inaugural year. Zac and Shelbi are the proud parents of a daughter and two sons.

After graduating with a degree in Business from San Diego Christian College, Brooks worked for an international company until he and his wife, Nina, chose to leave the cooperate world to plant a church in an unreached people group in the lowlands of Papua New Guinea. After 14 years, due to God’s good grace, the Yembi Yembi tribe had a healthy, Gospel-centered church and Brooks, Nina, and their son, Beau, transitioned back to the states. Brooks has served as the President of Radius International since 2016.

As one of the founding board members, Joel has over 25 years of pastoral experience. He has also worked for a Christian foundation and has coordinated and instructed multiple Perspectives classes. Currently, he gives oversight and direction to missions in his local church, which focuses exclusively on unreached language groups. HIs day job involves project management across California for an earthmoving company. He has been married for over 30 years and has 10 children and one grandson.

Barry is an Agricultural consultant. Barry has a Master’s in Business Administration and Intercultural Studies and has held positions in sales, marketing and management for a variety of global businesses. He and his spouse have been married since 1986 and have three children.

Chad Vegas is the founding pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Bakersfield, CA, where he has served since 2006. Chad received his M.A. from Talbot School of Theology. He also spent nearly two decades in public school education as both a teacher and board member. He has been married to Teresa since 1994 and they have 2 children.

Nathan grew up in Papua New Guinea as a missionary kid. Nathan studied Music at Point Loma Nazarene University where he met his wife, Kendra. Since 2000, he has been the Worship Leader at Clairemont Emmanuel Church where he now serves as both the Missions Pastor and Music Pastor. Nathan also enjoys leading worship at the Radius Conferences. Nathan and Kendra have raised three children and all of them are following in their talented musical parents’ footsteps.

Saved in a Perspectives class in 2010, Jeff immediately began to grow in his understanding of God and His plan of redeeming all nations to Himself. Jeff is a Heavy Civil Contractor in Bakersfield, California and works in the family business that was established in 1952. He and his wife, Lori, attend Sovereign Grace Church where Jeff participates in missions leadership and together they lead a community group. Jeff and Lori enjoy spending time with their children and growing family.

An avid supporter of Radius since its inception, Jonathan, a professor at Baylor University in Waco Texas, is passionate about exposing others to God’s heart of reaching all the ethne of the world. Since 2007, Jonathan has served in various ministries — deacon, missions board, elder, missions and sports ministries, and music ministries. Married 19 years, Jonathan and Julie have three children: Miles, Luke, and Vivian. They credit their family’s zeal for the completion of the Great Commission to their local church body and its history and strategic plan for sending out workers as well as taking the Perspectives course.