Leadership Teams
International Executive Team
GEM’s International Executive Team consists of men and women serving from various locations throughout Europe and North America, providing oversight and leadership globally for Greater Europe Mission.
Rev. Jon Burns, Chief Executive Officer
Yarm, UK
Thad McAuley, Chief Operating Officer
Tennessee, USA
Chris Tweedy, Chief Financial Officer
Kandern, Germany
Rachelle Neal, Vice President of Europe
Frankfurt, Germany
John Gilberts, Senior Vice President Internationalisation
Colorado, USA
Sarah Robins, GEM US President
Texas, USA
Collin Sanford, Vice President of Personnel
Lille, France
International Board
GEM’s International Board exists to provide oversight and directional guidance to the organisation. The Board contributes not only operational and practical stewardship, but also spiritual care which enables GEM to catalyse Gospel efforts across Europe.
Rev. Jon Burns
President & CEO, GEM
Ms. Karina Clausen
Mrs. Emily Firnstahl
Operations Chair
Mr. Corey Grindal Sr.
Finance Chair
Mr. Carl Hefton
Vice Chair
Rev. Charlie Lyons
Mr. Duane Martin
Secretary
Rev. Karl Martin
Mr. John Rhodes
Kathy Sharp
Rev. Eric Wakeling
Chairman
Jon Burns, Chief Executive Officer
Jon’s background is as a pastor and church-planter. He has held key positions in various Christian mission organisations, including Director of Evangelism for Youth for Christ and UK Director for More than Gold, in conjunction with the 2012 London Olympics. He is the founder of the ‘Lionsraw’ movement (lionsraw.org), and was recognised for his work with Lionsraw in 2014 as a CNN Hero of the Year. In 2015, Jon was honoured by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with a British Empire Medal for his work around the world with children and communities. Jon was commissioned as President and CEO of Greater Europe Mission in January 2016.
Jon and his wife, Sandra, have been married since 1989 and have 2 adult daughters, Rosie and Emmie.
Jon is a huge football fan, an international preacher, and a global mission enabler. He loves to travel, ski, watch sports, and spend time with his family and friends.
Our history
You could say that the seed for Greater Europe Mission was planted in France during the Second World War. It was in 1944 when a U.S. Navy chaplain’s motorcycle struck a landmine. Bob Evans was the first Navy chaplain to enter combat zones during WWII, and it was while he was recovering he realised the deep spiritual needs of Europe would only increase after the war.
Following the Lord’s leading to equip Europeans for Gospel work after World War II, Bob established the European Bible Institute in Paris in 1949. The following year, he established Greater Europe Mission emphasising educating, training, and discipling Europeans to reach Europe with the Good News of Jesus across post-war Europe. Under Bob’s leadership spanning 30 years, GEM started additional Bible institutes in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Austria, adding graduate-level seminaries in Germany.
After establishing fruitful European Bible Institutes, GEM missionaries began recognising deeper spiritual needs across Europe and embraced different expressions of Christian ministry and outreach throughout the continent. Greater Europe Mission broadened the scope of ministry from education to include evangelism, creative outreach including sports, camps, music, the arts, business as mission, church planting, and discipleship multiplication.
Accentuating GEM’s defining shift towards becoming a truly international mission, Jon Burns became the first European to lead the organisation as GEM President and CEO in 2014.
Then, in 2022, GEM closed its US office and relocated the International Headquarters to Frankfurt, Germany. Furthering the belief that they must continue to engage European Christians in missions.
Today’s Greater Europe Mission holds to its historical vision: to see Europe transformed by the love of Jesus. As geopolitical and economic shifts change the landscape of Europe, GEM presses forward with missionaries from North America, Europe, and other parts of the world to see more Gospel workers in more fields across Europe, sharing the love of Jesus and making more disciples.
