Our Team
MR. JUDD SAUL
Judd Saul is a family man, award-winning documentary filmmaker, entrepreneur, and missionary who embarked on a call to action in Nigeria in 2011. He and his wife Sherry have 5 children, all witnessing the vision unfold when Grandfather Duane Wessels invited Judd to join him on a mission trip. The trip changed Judd's life forever. He realized the stark reality, of the risk and sacrifice facing these people, and a burden was placed on his heart for the lost and persecuted Christians in Nigeria.
Since then, ministering to Nigerians has been a part of Judd's life, regularly serving in Nigeria for over ten years, and he continues to visit 3-4 times a year. It was apparent that escalating attacks outpaced the few Christian missions and organizations effectively responding to the attacks. Talking to local ministers and missionaries, Judd decided to start Equipping The Persecuted to respond and help persecuted Christians in need quickly.
The local leadership affirmed that there are effective ways to help persecuted Christians in addition to victim aftercare. A proactive, prevention mission was put together with a team of “tested by fire" pastors, missionaries, and dedicated supporters to avert crises - creating the boots on the ground, locally managed Equipping The Persecuted.
Dr. BENEDICT ALIKU
Dr. Benedict Joseph Aliku, Ph.D., is a recipient of the Peace Ambassador Award, from the Institute for Crisis Resolution, and blesses the ETP Mission as our Operations Manager. Dr. Aliku is known for his commendable drive for sustainable peace. He previously served as the president of Eagle Creek Vision Initiative (ECVI)®, championing the course of transformation of individuals, one person at a time, assuming leadership roles over the past two decades with direct involvement in the training of officers and men of the police force, para-military, civil servants, religious leaders, youths, etc.
Dr. Aliku provides the boots-on-the-ground Nigerian leadership and involves and builds strong local communities and keeps ETP transparent to donors through weekly progress reports and candid photos, and provides situational awareness for possible conflicts. In addition, his experience in large-scale electrical projects makes him a great asset in creating the Fountain of Hopes Orphanage.
His passion and resourcefulness in the transformation of the human mind and making it yearn for keeping and maintaining peace has taken him all over Nigeria and West African Countries. His inspirational leadership pattern is exemplary and emulated by several facilitators which earned him a nickname as a ‘Transformer’. It is his testament that people in Northern Nigeria where he is based, are shying away from reprisal attacks and inter-religion conflicts. He has consistently continued in this trend since 2012 and there is no sign of stopping. He is also a notable author on the subject of peace and reconciliation.
MR. STEVE FISHER
Steve Fisher, known in Nigeria as "Grandpa Steve," is originally from Sioux City, IA, and now
resides in Ponca, NE, with his wife, Leanne. In the fall of 1971, while attending Augustana
College, Sioux Falls, SD, he accepted Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Steve’s love for Africa was born when he spent three years with the Peace Corps in Ghana, West Africa, teaching math and science at a secondary school. He also assisted the local missionaries with Scripture Union Bible study with the students. Upon his return, Steve and Leanne were married and had five children, all of which were homeschooled, and they now have fourteen grandchildren. Steve received a Master’s in Electrical Engineering degree from Iowa State University in 1989. Steve and Leanne are members of Cornerstone World Outreach in Sioux City, IA.
MRS. FAITH PACE
ETP would like to introduce Faith Pace our Executive Assistant Extraordinaire. She’s the smile behind the voice when you call and the creative energy behind the website. She brings a cadre of management skills and keeps us all in line. ETP is very blessed to have someone so talented join our ministry. Give her a call at (712) 430-3060, EXT 0, or shoot her an email at faith@equippingthepersecuted.org.