John and Carol are second generation missionaries raised in Brazil South America. John’s parents served with Ethnos360 which was formerly known as New Tribes Mission. Carol’s parents (now with the Lord) served with Missionary Aviation Fellowship. They met at an Ethnos360 school for missionary children in central Brazil.
After high school John and Carol attended the Ethnos360 Bible Institute in Jackson Michigan (now closed) and married on June 19th, 1976. After the birth of their first child (Andrew) they enrolled in the Ethnos360 missionary training program which they completed in 1979.
In 1981 they left the US for their first overseas assignment in Paraguay South America. Their second child (Angela) was born shortly after their arrival and, a few years later, they were blessed with yet another daughter (Amber).
During the 21.5 years the Pierces served in Paraguay they were involved in various ministries such as
- guest home host and hostess
- supply buyer
- field paper editor
- church planters among an indigenous people group
- field leadership
Their primary ministries were that of evangelism, discipleship, and church planting among the Chamacoco people located in various villages along the Paraguay River.
John and Carol were blessed with both Ethnos360 team mates and Wycliffe Bible Translator team mates Matt and Rosemary Ulrich. The Ulrichs analyzed the sounds of the Chamacoco language and proposed a workable alphabet for these sounds. The Chamacoco community leaders and school teachers approved this alphabet and, once approved, the Ulrichs went on to translate the entire New Testament, portions of the Old Testament and many hymns. All this they accomplished in roughly 12.5 years.
Not long after the dedication of the Chamacoco New Testament the Pierces and their co-workers moved out of the Chamacoco village and left the care of two fledgling churches in the hands of ordained native leadership.
In 2002 John and Carol transferred from Paraguay to Brazil where they served as instructors to Brazilian missionary candidates in training with New Tribes Mission of Brazil at the Ebenezer Language and Linguistics Institute. The institute later became a Portuguese learning center for foreign missionaries coming to serve in Brazil and an English learning center for Brazilian missionaries going to serve abroad. For a time John served as the director of this institute and Carol served as one of the English teachers. The Ebenezer Language Institute is located on the same campus as the school for missionary children (where they met). John also served on the school board and together they served at a local Brazilian church as teen leaders and counselors for married couples. For a time John served as an elder. These ministries were all very rewarding and today some of their Brazilian and American teens at the school and church as well as the students in training at the Ebenezer Language Institute are involved in spreading the gospel to indigenous people groups in Brazil and Mozambique Africa.
In 2008 John and Carol transferred from Brazil to ministries with the Member Services Department at the Ethnos360 Home Office in Sanford Florida. Today they serve a vast number of Ethnos360 around the world by:
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Drafting special letters on their behalf for ministry purposes
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Communicating with members ministry partners and home churches
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Maintaining current contact information
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Facilitating ministry transfers and communicating with members on home assignment
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Keeping personnel records up to date and running background checks
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Rendering assistance (as needed) with seminars and conferences
John and Carol also assist John’s parents (Jack and Barbara Pierce) who reside at The Homes of Ethnos360, a retirement community for Ethnos360 missionaries, located near to where they live in Sanford Florida. John and Carol’s children are now grown, married, and together they have blessed them with seven grandchildren.