Leadership

Francisco Tejeda came to the Lord in his teens, and immediately responded to a call to work in the ministry of teaching the Word of God. Since then, Francisco has thrown himself passionately toward the cause of doing God’s work, becoming the regional youth director of the Church of God, Inc. (Iglesias de Dios) and a founding member of the Christian congregation Rio de Dios.

His passion extended toward serving the children of the Dominican Republic. After earning a law degree from Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, Francisco went on to coordinate the formation of the Network for the Protection and Guarantee for the Rights of Children and Adolescents. It was through this work that he first became acquainted with mission of COTN.

Francisco has a postgraduate degree in non-governmental organization management and marketing from the University of Catalunya; a diploma in law from the Children and Adolescents (Grupo Humano); a special certificate of education in Management Accounting for Non-Governmental Organizations; did specialized study in laws governing NGOs in the Dominican Republic at INTEC University; and an accounting degree from the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo. He has also worked as a consultant for other NGOs and as an employee of the Dominican Supreme Court of Justice. He looks forward to expanding the mission of COTN by caring for more children who are in need of help, both in the Dominican Republic and in neighboring Haiti. He is married to Celia Melo, who studied to become an academic counselor. They have three children.

Rev. James Okalo Ekwang, COTN–Uganda

"Pastor James" was born in Kampala, Uganda. He attended secondary school in Lira, and was later accepted to Makerere University in Kampala, receiving a government-sponsored scholarship based on marks. In 1998, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in education, majoring in geography and world history. Later that year, he accepted a teaching position at a secondary school in Kampala and went on to teach at various colleges. God continued to call him into ministry; in 2002, he founded Truth Evangelistic Fountain Church in Lira. The following year, he left teaching behind and entered ministry full time.

Pastor James was first acquainted with COTN in January 2005 when Chris Clark came through Lira on his way to Gulu. At the time, Gulu was a rebel-war hotspot where most NGOs were going. In talking with Chris, James shared that all the problems that were in Gulu were present in Lira. “Why not stay here in Lira?” he asked. The next day, at James’ request, Chris toured the displacement camps with him and witnessed for himself the horrible conditions and immense need. As the COTN team prepared to depart for Gulu, Chris told James, “Pray and perhaps we will return.” He prayed fervently. The following year, COTN returned and began ministry in Lira.

Today, James oversees COTN–Uganda staff, continues his role as senior pastor at Truth Evangelistic Fountain, and oversees 10 Truth Evangelistic Fountain churches planted throughout Uganda.

Hopeson Khondiwa, COTN–Malawi

Hopeson Khondiwa comes from southern Malawi. He lost his father at age 4 and his mother at age 13, and was fortunate enough to be taken in by a distant relative as he finished his schooling. He has a heart for serving vulnerable children who were not as lucky as he was.

Hopeson has years of experience in the non-profit sector, where he has worked as an administration and finance director with multiple European Union programs, Danish-Church Aid, and Trocaire, where he served as the country director. He accepted Jesus as his personal Lord and savior in 1995 at a revival meeting in Lilongwe. He is currently studying to complete his PhD in business administration, holds a master’s degree in strategic management, and is a certified chartered accountant.

Hopeson and his wife, Mavis, who works for Save the Children Malawi, have been married since 2004. Together they have three children—two daughters, Tamanda and Mwayi, and one son, Chisomo. He and his family attend and are very involved at their church, Chikuluti CCAP (Presbyterian), where Hopeson serves as an elder.

Samuel Ngoneh, COTN-Sierra Leone

Samuel was a teenager when the rebel war broke out in Sierra Leone and he spent those years in different parts of the country seeking to avoid the violence. Samuel ultimately ended up in Freetown and says, “that is where I started life again!”

Samuel gave his life to Christ in 1997 after attending a local Bible study group. After completing secondary school Samuel gained various qualifications in electrical installation and refrigeration and worked as a technician for many years in various parts of the country.

After further study of computers and IT, Samuel accepted a position to teach technology in COTN’s Secondary School in Ngolala in 2007. Through diligence and hard work Samuel was appointed Resource Coordinator and then Centre Supervisor and Operations Manager. Passionate about spreading the Gospel in Banta, Samuel has played an active role in the growth and development of Church of the Nations. While working with COTN he completed a degree in Human Resource Management and was appointed to the position of Country Director in May 2019.

Samuel married Alice in 2010 and they have one beautiful daughter, Arlene Ndeleh.