Matt Sweeney began serving in missions in the early 1990s. The first nine years were served as a volunteer chaplain in both adult and juvenile corrections. In 2002 he began his career as a full time missionary with Rogue Valley Youth for Christ (now known as Youth 71Five Ministries.) serving as the head of the Juvenile Justice Ministries. Though 71Five is a ‘local mission’, Matt has developed vision and management skills that are valuable to any missionary program.

Today, Matt is a director who oversees multiple ministry programs within Youth 71Five Ministries. His heart for missions is rooted in his love for and relationship with Jesus Christ. Matt is married to Jan and together they love to spend time with their grandkids.

Those who have worked with and around Matt appreciate his calming approach to problem-solving. He has earned the respect of countless youth and parents in our Valley. His wisdom is much sought after, and his counsel is always valuable.

Lee is a retired 76-year-old who spends time with his wife Cheryl loving on his four grown children and six grandchildren. In 1985 he decided to leave his Orange County advertising agency and moved to Talent, Oregon for a less hectic life in the country. They have been busy servants of Lord ever since, sharing their home with family and friends who needed a place to live for a while, being foster parents, ministering to kids who love to be around and ride horses.

In response to several local business requests for marketing and advertising help Lee and Cheryl created Lanphier Associates, Inc. in 1986. They operated the business as a ministry to their customers and staff doing their best to be good stewards of what God provided and solid representatives of Jesus in the community. Lee joined the Board of Rogue Valley Youth for Christ and was twice elected Chairman in the 90s. He was elected Chairman of the Rogue Valley Workforce Development Council and named one of Oregon Business Magazine’s Top 50 business leaders in 2007.

Lee has been a consistent leader in his church. He believes that every life encounter is a divine appointment and every turn in the path a God sent opportunity.

Ron is a Calvary Chapel pastor and short-term missions team leader, who’s goal has been to give others opportunity to experience short term mission work by leading teams into the mission field. Ron has been taking mission teams into Mexico on house building trips for over 10 years. He has been an elder, Family pastor and Youth Pastor at Ashland Christian Fellowship.

He sits on the Board of Directors for Helping Hands International, an organization whose number one goal is to be the hands and feet of Jesus all over the world, by leading project mission trips to India, Africa, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and new countries each year. He now proudly serves on the Board of Mission Ready Inc. because of his long-term support of missionaries in Africa.

Ron is the husband of Stephanie, and the father of two adult sons, who lives in Oregon, and he likes to say, “we get to live where others come to vacation.”

Beside leading mission building trips, Ron puts his fabrication, technology, and management skills to use for a major Cell Company. He loves to rebuild old cars and trucks. He has also been a pilot for more than 20 years, whose longtime dream has been to fly for Mission Aviation Fellowship.

Jemima is a passionate follower of Jesus. She strives to do the Lord’s work and see people come to know and love him. Jemima has known since she was young that she would pursue ministry as her future. She has a heart for missions and for people to find deeper relationship with the Lord.

She works in Corvallis Oregon as the director of the Courtyard, a Christian housing co-op at OSU. She has enjoyed mentoring many college

students over several years as well as using her natural abilities for fun and

connection to make the Courtyard a wonderful home for students.

Jemima met Wendy Elerick on a mission trip through her church

and was bitten by the Malawi bug. She's visited several times, including leading a team from her church in 2021. She hopes to bring her college students out soon.

Jemima believes that the goal of those of us at home is to support anyone that God has called overseas. She has seen the challenges and joys of missionary life and knows how important it is for every missionary to

have a strong team behind them.

Jim was saved in 1978. He started in ministry in 1980 on staff at Horizon Christian Fellowship, San Diego. In 1982 he moved to Maui to help with a new church plant. He moved to Medford, OR in 1986 and met his future wife, Debra. They married in 1988.

They started attending Rogue Valley Fellowship and raising a family. Jim became a staff Pastor and elder. In 2001 after several short-term mission trips to Haiti, Jim, Debra and their family moved to the Dominican Republic to teach English as a second language at Nueva Vida, a Christian school in the village of Sosua.

Over the next 14 years in the Dominican Republic Jim and Debra started and pastored a church, Iglesia Cristiana Villa Paraiso, a vocational training center, Instituto Tecnico Villa Paraiso, and a feeding program to help the Dominicans living in and around the poor community of Villa Paraiso. These continue to operate. The church and feeding program are overseen by a Dominican Pastor that God raised up in the church. The Technical Institute is operated by another ministry. 

They returned to Oregon in 2014.  

Jim and Debra still attend Rogue Valley Fellowship. Jim serves as a member of the Mission Council at the church.