From our local community to the nations, we support mission partners who proclaim Christ and serve others. Together, we participate in God’s work around the world.
The Mitchell Evangelical Free Church exists to fulfill the Great Commission of our Lord in Matthew 28:18-20 through supporting world and home mission ministry through prayer, encouragement, and financial support. We see the support of worldwide missions as part and parcel of our responsibility as a Church to fulfill the Great Commission beginning in our own community and then in the rest of the world.
As a church, we believe missions are central to the calling of Christ. That is why we dedicate 15% of all giving to support world and home missions, beginning in our community and extending around the globe. This commitment reflects our shared responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission together.
Our McAllen Ministry:
Just fifteen minutes north of the U S – Mexico border, McAllen is a city with a population of
approximately 142,000 and growing at a very accelerated pace.
In keeping with the three-fold Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) we have as our mission:
1. To share the gospel with our Spanish-speaking friends, especially those from a deeply rooted
Roman Catholic background. In fact, our congregation is easily made up of 90% former
Catholics who have embraced Jesus as their only Mediator between man and God and have
forsaken idol-worshiping practices.
2. To teach the new believers on the importance of biblical water baptism and, a proper
discipleship to allow the believers to grow in faith and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, to share
Christ with others who do not yet know Him.
3. To teach them the importance of the Great Commission in doing missions overseas. This takes
us to our Cuba missions program.
Our Overseas Ministry:
For approximately 20 years, we have been making missions trips to Cuba. Our plans are as
follows:
To spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Cuba through support of evangelical Cuban pastors,
domestic missionaries, evangelists and church planters.
VISION (scope, method, and in order of priority)
1. Encourage Cuban pastors through prayer, face-to-face contact, pastors’ conference and
delivery of scarce ministry and personal resources.
2. Educate Cuban pastors through a curriculum of biblical teaching and practical training in a
conference format at locations throughout Cuba, initially targeting the western province of Pinar
del Rio.
3. Equip Cuban pastors with scriptural studies and discipleship materials.
4. Establish a church-planting program (in coordination with some Cuban pastors who have
been encouraged, educated, and equipped through this TBM Cuba Ministry) by initially
organizing a Cuban church association under which the church-planting program could legally
operate in the country.
5. Enable Cuban pastors (who have been encouraged, educated, and equipped through this TBM
Cuba Ministry) to remain in pastoral ministry by supplementing local giving for the pastors’
financial support for the initial years of a church plant and gradually decreasing income as the
church is able to absorb their pastor’s salary while ministry focuses support on other starting
churches.
Ease the hardships of life for Cuban pastors and their congregations (at association churches)
with practical and partial helps that materially assist in making work more productive and/or the
quality of life better.
OVERSIGHT (Primary Guidance and Accountability)
Tentmakers Bible Mission, Maranatha Bible Church, Missions Committee: regular and Cuba
trip-related advice and support; financial oversight.
Independent Advisory Group, US churches, pastors and other Christian leaders.
Bruce and Julie Powell became members of Wycliffe Bible Translators in October 1985. They
have served in Papua New Guinea and Cameroon, West Africa. They are currently serving in
Waxhaw, North Carolina.
The Powells have three grown children and three wonderful in-laws. They are also blessed with
seven above average grandchildren.
Julie has served in various capacities, including recruiting. At this time (January ’26) she is
recovering from colon cancer.
Bruce is a pilot and is currently focused on training new missionary pilots at the JAARS (Jungle
Aviation and Relay Service) base. You can check out their website here: Covering the Last Mile
of Missions.
When the Powells began their journey with Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT) they helped
celebrate the 300 th New Testament translated from a previously unwritten language. Today
(2026) God has enabled WBT to complete nearly 3000 New Testaments. That accomplishment
represents millions of souls that now have access to God’s Holy Word in a language that they
understand.
Mitchell E. Free Church has been a part of the Powell’s journey from the beginning! Thank you
for joining with us and faithfully praying and supporting us!
“Give praise to the LORD, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has
done.” Psalm 105:1 NIV
Paul and Sarah Carson and their family are originally from south-central Montana. Paul spent the
first part of his working career involved in the building trades and running his own steel
fabrication business. The Lord redirected their family to prepare for ministry which brought the
Carsons to study at Frontier School of the Bible in Lagrange, Wyoming. During their time
studying at Frontier, their family fellowshipped with and served at Mitchel Evangelical Free
Church. Following the commencement of their training, the Carsons joined The Masters
Mission. They began serving in the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina in 2020.
Paul serves as the Associate Director for the Masters Mission where he engages in missionary
candidate recruitment, candidate instruction, and oversees the daily operations of the Masters
Mission training facility. Sarah, his wife, helps with hosting guests and visitors to the mission,
while also directing the meal preparation for conferences and group events the Mission hosts.
The Carsons still have four of their six children living at home who help alongside the ministry.
The Masters Mission is an international missionary training and sending agency. TMM exists to
partner with the local church to train, equip and send Biblically qualified people to take the
gospel of Jesus Christ to unreached people of the world. The Masters Mission is a church
planting and church strengthening mission. TMM trains missionaries to go into the difficult and
hard to reach areas in the world where the gospel has not gained a foothold, to see the local
church established and trained to reproduce. The missionary training focuses on developing
genuine disciples of Jesus Christ who are doctrinally grounded and technically equipped. TMM
ensures missionary candidates have a thorough understanding of the Scriptures, as well as equips
them in practical vocational areas such as heavy equipment operation, mechanics, water system
development, and building construction. More information, inquire at: mastersmission.org
