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Melody Wachsmuth moved to Osijek, Croatia in 2011 in the capacity of a mission researcher and writer. Since that time, she helped plant a church in a Roma community where she served as an elder until 2020.  She completed her PhD in 2020, the content of which is now a forthcoming book entitled Roma Pentecostals Narrating Identity, Trauma, and Renewal in Croatia and Serbia. She has been a part of Roma Networks since its beginning in 2014 and helped start a Roma Bible School in March 2022, serving on its Board. She is also a part of the newly formed ‘Friends of A Rocha in Croatia.’  She currently lives in Zagreb, Croatia where she continues to research, write, and teach topics related to mission and creation care, both at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Osijek and the Roma Bible School.

Rafael Nastase grew up in an Orthodox Romani family in Romania, but experienced a personal conversion while studying philosophy after he read the Bible for the firs time. Subsequently, he joined a small Brethren church. He and his wife served as missionaries in the Republic of Moldova with Operation Mobilization (OM) for seven years, and from 2007-2019 served as the CEO of OM in Romania.  Currently, he works in public relations for OM in Romania, chairs the Board of Romani standard Bible translation (a Wycliffe initiative), and is the vice chairman of the Member Care Committee with the European Evangelical Mission Association (EEMA). He is also a PhD student, researching “The role of the Church in transforming Roma communities in Southeastern Romania after 1990”. His most important role is being a husband and father to two teenage boys.

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Mersina Papantoniou, founded and led the Cross-Cultural Ministries Department through the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, 1987-2000. She has been an advisor to government on domestic multicultural issues and received her Ph.D (2017) titled “Multiculturalism and its Challenge to Sydney Anglican Identity” under the supervision of Prof. Stuart Piggin. Her thesis turned book titled “Multiculturalism’s Challenge to Sydney Anglican Identity” will be published through Regnum.

Her interest includes the progression of postmodernism, neoliberalism and radicalization/polarization affecting Christian belief.

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Keith and his wife Ruth lead Mill Grove, a Christian residential community that has been caring for children in the East End of London UK since 1899. A visiting tutor at Spurgeons College since 1978, he is founder of the Child Theology Movement. Since 1997 he has been studying the life and work of Pandita Ramabai, culminating in the book, Pandita Ramabai (1858-1922): Let the Earth Hear Her Voice! Among his other books are In His Image; The Growth of Love; The Art of Faith; In the Meantime; Reflections of Living with Children (3 volumes), and The NIrV Bible Narrative and Illustrated.

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Kirk J. Franklin (PhD, University of Pretoria) is a researcher, author, and speaker about leading in God’s global mission. He is married to Christine, and they have been members of Wycliffe Bible Translators for over 40 years. They live in Melbourne, Australia.

Susan Van Wynen (PhD, University of Pretoria) is a strategy consultant with a background in organizational and communication strategy. She and her husband, Tom, have been members of Wycliffe Bible Translators for over 35 years. They live in Hampton, Virginia, USA.