Ron Lindsey, a member of the Ethnos360 Executive Board and the president of Ethnos360 Bible Institute in Waukesha, Wisconsin, speaks from experience when he talks about missions and cross-cultural church planting.
For 18 years, Ron and his wife Carrie lived with the Siawis, an isolated people group of the lowlands of Papua New Guinea. Living in a village accessible only by air, the Lindsey family worked hard to learn the Siawi language and culture and build relationships, with the goal of presenting the gospel.
A tragic automobile accident during a 1989 visit to the United States almost ended their ministry. A drunk driver hit the family car, killing their eldest son, permanently paralyzing their 3-year-old son, and breaking Carrie’s back.
The accident delayed the arrival of the gospel to the Siawi people, but the Lindseys did not let it stop them. They returned to the jungle in 1992, and the Lindseys helped present the gospel to the Siawi people and experienced the joy of a tremendous response. Today the Siawi people continue on with the complete New Testament translated into their language and their own Siawi Bible teachers leading the church.
The Lindseys remained in Papua New Guinea an additional 12 years after the accident, but eventually medical issues necessitated a return to the United States. Since then God has used their passion for missions to challenge and lead the next generation. In addition to his service on the Ethnos360 Executive Board and as president of the Ethnos360 Bible Institute, Ron speaks at colleges and churches and teaches sessions for the Perspectives on the World Christian Movement course.