NAMB appointees with Florida ties include Tampa BCM worker

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (NAMB)-Ten missionaries with ties to Florida have been appointed by the North American Mission Board.

James D. “Dan” and Tara L. Byrd serve in Huntington, W.V., where Dan Byrd is a local collegiate evangelism missionary.

Byrd, a Florida native, is a graduate of Asbury College in Wilmore, Ky., and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He previously served two years as a Nehemiah church planter in Quincy, Mass. He also has previous ministry experience as a youth minister or minister of music at churches in Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida and Alabama.

Tara Byrd, a North Carolina native, is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has previous experience as an audiovisual assistant for Southeastern Seminary, a lab supervisor for the University of North Carolina, and a YMCA supervisor.

The Byrds have two daughters: Grace, 4, and Olivia, 2.

Dean A. and Jaime C. Delfosse serve in Seattle, Wash., where Dean Delfosse is a member of a church planting team. They were appointed under the US/C-2 program, in which young adults complete two years of missions service in the United States or Canada.

Delfosse, a native of Jamaica who grew up in Miami, is a graduate of Florida Baptist Theological College and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He previously has served in youth ministry positions with churches in Louisville, Ky; Thomasville, Ga.; Naples, and at his home church, First Baptist Church of Perrine, Miami.

Jaime Delfosse, a Florida native, is a graduate of Florida Baptist Theological College and attended Southern Seminary. She has worked as a secretary, summer youth intern, Christian school teacher, preschool teacher and summer missionary.

The Delfosses have one son, John, who will be 2 in May.

Jason C. and Jennifer A. Dukes serve in Orlando where Jason Dukes is a Nehemiah Project church planter working to start Westpoint Fellowship Church in West Orange County.

Dukes, who grew up in New Orleans, is a graduate of Union University and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He previously served as pastor of River Fellowship Church in Kenner, La. He also has earlier ministry experience in Orlando; Summerville, Ga.; Dyer, Tenn.; Jackson, Tenn.; Denham Springs, La.; and Ripley, Tenn.

Jennifer Dukes, a Florida native, also is a graduate of Union University. She has worked as a registered nurse since 1998, and has volunteer experience as a youth worker, collegiate ministry worker and medical missionary to Honduras.

The couple has one son, Caleb, 2.

Melody Harper serves in Tallahassee, where she is a local collegiate evangelism missionary. She was appointed under the US/C-2 program, in which young adults complete two years of missions service in the United States and Canada.

Harper, a Florida native, is a graduate of Samford University and the University of Alabama, where she received a master’s degree in social work. She has been associate director of Baptist Collegiate Ministries in Tallahassee since 2003. Earlier she served five years as an International Mission Board missionary—including three years as a student mobilization coordinator in Singapore through International Service Corps and two years as a journeyman Baptist youth ministries coordinator in Brisbane, Australia.

Kelly R. Paskoff serves in Tampa, where she is a local collegiate evangelism missionary. She was appointed under the US/C-2 program, in which young adults complete two years of service in the United States or Canada.

Paskoff, of Naples, is a graduate of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., She previously served three years as a foreign expert/English teacher in China and as a ministry assistant for Campus Revolution in Alpharetta, Ga. She also has been a youth small group leader and middle school youth worker for churches in Alpharetta and Naples.

Theodore J. and Jennifer J. Richard serve in Tarpon Springs, where Ted Richard is a Nehemiah Project church planter.

Richard, a Florida native, is a graduate of the University of South Florida in Tampa and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has previous ministry experience as a youth intern for Palm Harbor Community Church in Palm Harbor. He also served three years as a teacher for the Upper Pinellas Association for Retarded Citizens.

Jennifer Richard, who grew up in Florida, is a graduate of Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, N.C., with a degree in culinary technology. She has worked as an executive chef, cheerleading/gymnastics insructor, teacher assistant and in retail sales. She also has been a youth worker and Sunday school teacher.