Our Board

Dennis Freed:

Twelve years ago Dennis and Ellen Freed became actively involved both financially and with volunteered time with IDEA (International Deaf Education Association) in Bohol, Philippines.   They immediately built a home and retreat center (to be used when they were in the country and by other groups throughout the year).  It became increasingly apparent that the barrio where they lived needed a great deal of help.  

They became convicted and challenged that they had an opportunity to improve on the safety, health, education and spiritual life of their impoverished neighbors.  Their first assistance was provided to the school in the form of an outdoor performance stage and in the provision of post-high school scholarships to promising and needy students.  Dennis and Ellen shared their calling and challenge with their church, Big Timber Evangelical.  The church responded immediately and generously. 

Several mission trips have followed that came alongside the men and women of the barrio to install wells, cisterns and water systems to each home.  More churches are now involved and today it is no longer an outreach by the Freeds, but a growing vibrant response by several churches to the needs of the barrios through Montana on a Mission.

Dennis has a B.A. in psychology and a Masters in Education and Certification in Secondary Administration.  His career in education started in Bothell, Washington and eventually lead to Egypt where he served  initially as the high school counselor and later as the high school principal.  After several years in education he went into international trading and bidding largely financed by the U.S. AID Program.  Eventually he was contracted by U.S. AID as Chief of Party to provide Afghanistan commodities required to survive within Afghanistan during their war with the Soviet Union.  After several years in Pakistan, he returned to the U.S. and continued on short term assignments for U.S. AID to Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Zambia and also provided commodities to countries around the world sourced in the U.S.  Much of the work he did was humanitarian relief.  Eventually he became a member of a medical startup producing catheters and stents for cardiac lesion intervention.  Since retiring in 1996,  his wife and he have been working in support of IDEA  - Ellen, a registered nurse, designed and equipped medical care facilities for the deaf and set up medical support programs for the barrios – Dennis works on housing  projects for the deaf, participated as a board member of IDEA, and in all areas of income generation, housing, fundraising etc. for the barrio of Calunasan Sur, Loboc, Bohol, Philippines.  Dennis also served as a board member in Pakistan for the International School of Islamabad.

Bryan Baker:

Bryan has a B.A. in English and a Masters in Christian Theology. Bryan is the lead pastor of the Big Timber Evangelical Church in Big Timber, MT. He has been serving there for approximately nine years and has participated in four mission trips with Montana on a Mission. In addition, he is part of the core team that organizes these mission trips, establishes vision and works toward achieving Montana on a Mission’s goals.

Bryan helps call meetings, trains individuals for mission trips, facilitates travel arrangements, raises money and awareness about our mission work, and works with other leaders who do the same. He has several hundred hours invested in the above, not including actual time on mission trips which average two week-stints at a time.

Qualifications:

1. The lead pastor of the church which organizes and facilitates missions work.
2. Has  training in missions, community-building, and organizational development.
3. Has training in board management, leadership development, and fund raising.
4. Has worked in non-profit ministries and or organizations on a paid professional level for 17 years.
5. Has passion for this work.

Jay Pravecek:

Jay Pravecek received his master’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Management from Montana State University in 1995.  He currently manages the Yellowstone River Trout Hatchery for the State of Montana in Big Timber, MT.  He and his wife have been married eleven years and have four children.  They have been living in Big Timber for five years and have participated in four mission trips with Montana on a Mission (MOM).  Additionally, he is part of the core team that organizes mission trips, establishes vision and works toward the achieving of our goals for Montana on a Mission as well as the Big Timber Evangelical Church. He has been serving as treasurer for MOM since 2008.

Jay has primarily been involved with the financial aspect of MOM. However, he also facilitates travel arrangements, raises money and awareness about our mission work, and works with other leaders who do the same. He has many hours invested in MOM, not including actual time on mission trips which average two weeks per year.

Qualifications:

1. Fisheries and educational background aid in development of fisheries projects.
2. Managerial skills help with budgeting and goal development.
3. Has participated in MOM mission trips since 2006.
4. Has passion for this work.

John Campbell:

John has been working with Montana on a Mission for two years. He took his first trip to the Philippines in August 2007. The church he attends, Glasgow Evangelical Church, was sponsoring a youth mission trip where he agreed to be a chaperone. After spending two weeks in the barrio he knew he was being challenged to continue his support. He became an official board member of MOM in February 2009.

John has a B.A. in Communication Arts with an emphasis in Mass Media. His career experiences include 7 years in the publishing and printing field as well as 5 years in banking. He is also a small business owner. He has a degree in cosmetology and has been self employed for 12 years. In addition, for the past two years, he has been serving as church secretary and working at the local hospital as a health unit coordinator. He and his wife have been married for 23 years and are raising their 4 children.

On his first trip to Calunasan Sur, his group was charged with painting and assisting with the renovation of the buildings of the elementary school.

Also, John was asked to assist in the development of a micro-lending pilot program in Calunasan Sur. This assignment led to a second trip in January 2008. During his third trip in January 2009, he continued to work on the lending program and incorporated the funds to train workers in the Calunasan Sur Production Center River Hut project. He is currently working on scholarship programs for the students in the barrio and members of the Loboc Youth Ambassador Band. John is looking for ways to raise awareness for the need of musical instruments and financial support of the scholarships. He will be leading mission groups from Glasgow Evangelical Church to Calunasan Sur in July 2009 and interest has been raised another trip in January 2010.

Richard Parker: 

I have a B.A. in education with a major in Industrial Arts and a minor in History. Upon graduation I joined my father in residential construction and have been working in that field ever since. I currently own my own company/corporation R. Parker Construction Inc. and provide quality building in the Big Timber, MT area. In 2002 I completed an LPA (Lay Pastoral Associate) program offered by the Montana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and have been doing pulpit supply in the area and my home church since completion. I am also currently filling in at Big Timber Lutheran Church in an interim position while our pastor recovers from a stroke. I have serve on church council and as council president and also was on the board of Christikon Bible Camp for six years. I have taken part in three mission trips: one to Texas after hurricane Katrina hit and two trips to the Philippines. I have been married for 23 years to my wife Mary and we have one son and we live in Big Timber, MT.

Thomas Lutke:

Tom is an owner of a landscaping company in Billings, MT since 2001.  He has travelled to Bohol on three different occasions.  The last, in October, 2007 was for an extended 3 month stay. 

Tom is fascinated with missions, especially as they relate to other cultures and is excited about the future prospects of Montana on a Mission.