Meet John-Mark & Susan

OMS International missionaries since 1979, John-Mark and Susan Brabon currently serve as development officers, and they make frequent ministry trips to Mexico City. John-Mark is concentrating on funding Phases 2 and 3 of the Campanario Encounter with God Church construction and SEMBIMEX (Biblical Seminary of Mexico), part of the OMS Empowering Leaders for Life initiative. Susan is developing a new ministry called “Dynamic Women.” The Brabons plan to return to minister full-time in Mexico City in August 2008.

John-Mark and Susan served in Mexico City from July 1993 until July 2005. John-Mark was field director from July 1993 until June 2006, overseeing all the ministries and personnel, directing and teaching in SEMBIMEX for a short time, and serving as the senior pastor of the Campanario Encounter with God Cell Church from May 1999 until August 2007. During this time, the Campanario Church grew from 60 to 500 in attendance. Approximately 5,000 people have accepted Christ through the evangelistic efforts of church members and the ministerial staff. Mexico City is the largest city in the world, and the people are responsive to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The main reason that the Brabons are returning to Mexico City is to see Mexicans come to know Jesus Christ.

Susan started and directed the cell group ministry of the church, training leaders for five years prior to turning leadership over to Mexicans she had trained. She was also active in women’s discipleship. Susan is the founder of Mexico City Christian Academy which meets the educational needs of missionary children from various mission-sending organizations.

John-Mark and Susan began their missionary service in South Korea as teachers at Seoul Foreign School. Upon completion of their first term, the Brabons moved to Wilmore, Kentucky, where John-Mark earned a master of divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in 1985. While attending seminary, John-Mark and Susan also directed the OMS Student Center for Asbury College and Seminary. The Brabons are both graduates of Asbury College with B.A. degrees in education.

Upon completion of studies at Asbury Seminary and seven months of language school in Costa Rica, the Brabons moved to Guayaquil, Ecuador, where John-Mark served as a professor and president of the Evangelical Bible Seminary. During the first three years of his tenure, the seminary grew from 4 to 40 full-time students and an extension Bible Institute began, which grew to 285 students. He was also the pastor of training on the Encounter with God church planting team where Susan directed the Christian education program.

The Brabons have four grown children: Christel is an OB/GYN resident at Vanderbilt University Hospital; Suzannah, a graduate of Asbury College, is married to Johnathan Jording who is studying at Asbury Theological Seminary; Melissa is a junior Bible/theology and Spanish major at Asbury College; and Scott is a senior at West Jessamine High School.