Our Missionaries
Our missionaries are normal people from all walks of life who have dedicated their lives to serving and following Jesus wherever He calls them. Want to meet them? Check out our Missionary Directory.
Jim and Lynda Dugan
Missionaries to Australia
Ministry Description
Our passion in ministry is teaching and preaching the Word of God. In Australia we have the great privilege of sharing the Gospel of Christ in public high schools. The Lord has allowed us to combine this opportunity with our KICKOFF evangelistic outreaches. Working with school scripture teachers and youth pastors, we minister to thousands of young people every year.
Sharing the Word of God to both the young people and to the more mature is a great honor. In our ministry we hold leadership training throughout the year and hold our Leadership Development Conferences in February. On a great many of Sundays, one will find me preaching the Word of God at a local church somewhere in Australia.
In 2013 I became a board member of Word of Life PNG to “coach and cheerlead” their new and growing team. I travel to PNG a few times a year to assist the team in ministry and with their administration needs. I also assist Randy Gilmore, the WOL Pacific RIM Director with administration needs. For the past few years I have been traveling to the Philippines to teach at the WOL Bible College. In 2020 Lynda and I have taken on the role of Missionary Care for the Word of Life Indo-Pacific Region. There are 70 couples and 100 singles who are serving in the Indo-Pacific Region. Pray for Lynda and I as we pray for, connect with and visit with the Missionaries in the region.
About Jim
Having eight years of perfect attendance in Sunday School in my teenage years was the perfect setting to hear Harry Bollback preach on Hebrews 2:3. I was challenged to accept Jesus Christ as my personal Savior or to get out of the church. I praise the Lord that on July 19, 1975, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
During my year (1977) at the Word of Life Bible Institute, I answered the call to serve the Lord full-time. I finished my education at Citadel Bible College in Ozark, Arkansas, where I met Lynda, who became my wife on 16 January 1982. We were accepted to serve the Lord with Word of Life International in 1983 and arrived in Australia in 1986. During the past 36 plus years of ministry, Lynda and I have seen the Lord’s hand in our lives as we ministered as Dean of Students and lecturer in Australia’s Bible College and served as the camp director. In 2005 the Lord led the Australian team to sell the camp property and move the ministry out to the people!
About Lynda
I accepted Jesus Christ to be my personal Saviour after my public high school teacher shared the gospel with me. This same teacher has been and still is a godly influence in my life. After attending Pensacola Christian College for two and one half years, I transferred to Citadel Bible College and graduated with a major in Bible/Missions Education. It was during a missions conference at my home church in Memphis, Tennessee, that I knew that God wanted me to serve Him full-time overseas. When Jim and I met at Citadel, we both knew that God had called us to serve Him overseas. We are grateful that God called us to serve Him with Word of Life in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Our son, Jeremiah, was born in 1984 and I home-schooled him through high school. Jeremiah and his wife, Jess, have two beautiful daughters named Bella and Brooklyn and one wonderful son named Hudson.
Life Verse
“Brethren, Pray for us.” 1 Thessalonians 5:25