Alabama native Amy Folkes Stowell and her husband, Pascal, have joined more than 5,100 Southern Baptist International Mission Board workers sharing Christ in 185 countries and among 1,125 ethnic people groups.
The Stowells were among 58 people appointed March 17 by the International Mission Board during a service at First Baptist Church of Raytown, Mo.
In 2001, International Mission Board missionaries and their overseas partners baptized 395,773 new believers. They started 5,775 churches and reported more than 5.8 million members in 61,569 churches overseas.
The Stowells will help to start churches in Brazil. Their emphasis will be on the lower middle class in Minas Gerais, which is the largest population segment in that area.
Amy Stowell was born in Alexander City to Charles and Janice Folkes, now of Fairhope. She received the bachelor of science degree from Mobile College (now University of Mobile), and a master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.
Pascal Stowell was born in Shreveport to Bill and Patty Stowell, who live there. His father is pastor of Emmanuel Baptist in Shreveport. Stowell received the bachelor of arts degree from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Ark., and a master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Since 1999, Stowell has served as pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Arcadia, La., where his family lives. He previously served as minister of youth at First Baptist Church in Arcadia. Other churches the family considers influential are Emmanuel Baptist Church in Shreveport, La., First Baptist Church in Fairhope and First Baptist Church in North Mobile.
Stowell has participated in several volunteer trips to Mexico and Brazil. “Through my experiences, I know that God has been calling me to go,” he said. “But I have always said ‘not now.’”
His wife accompanied him on his last trip to Brazil. She remembers herself as a child fascinated by people of foreign lands. Missionary speakers and Girls in Action, a missions education program for young girls, further captivated her interest and slowly lit a passion for missions.
During the volunteer trip in Brazil, the Stowells felt certain God wanted them to commit their lives to international missions service.
The Stowells have two children: Charles Micah, born in 1997, and William Matthew, born in 1999.
(IMB)
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