Dr. Jonathan Brooks
President
Jonathan Brooks was a double major at Oral Roberts University, Bachelor of Arts – English Bible and Music (1979), Masters of Divinity (1985), and Grace School of Ministry (1989). In 2009, he received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Kosin University of Busan, Korea.
Prior to coming to VOCA he worked as a house-parent, a fisherman, a clerk-typist, an airline customer service supervisor, an assistant pastor, and an editor.
His deep love for foreign missions led him first to Latin America and the Middle East, and now permanently to Asia.
Jonathan joined Voice of China and Asia Missionary Society, Inc. in April 2005. On August 1, 2007 he became President of the USA ministry and Director of Voice of China and Asia (Canada), Inc. He serves as the liaison with North American based partners and all foreign fields of service and edits ministry publications.
Since joining VOCA, Dr. Brooks has guided the ministry to once again focus on China with an emphasis on equipping rural believers through legal Bible distribution, pastoral training and transportation. Also, with a renewed emphasis on Christian Education, he is leading the ministry’s southern and western expansion into the closed nations of Asia.
Dr. Brooks serves on the Board of Directors of Tulsa Christian Businessmen, and is an Advisory Board Member of World Ministry Fellowship. His hobbies include time with family, gardening, deep-sea fishing, and reaching forgotten believers in rural China.
Jonathan and his wife Susan work together at VOCA. They, have been married 32 years and have one son, Bodan.
David L. Brooks
Chairman
David attended the University of Redlands, earning a Bachelors degree in Public Service Management. At Azusa Pacific University he received his Masters of Arts in Organizational Management, and Masters of Governance, California School Board Association.
Mr. Brooks is a retired police captain from the Costa Mesa Police Department in Orange County, California. He also served as a Trustee for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District for 16 years. In 2003 the VOCA Board of Directors selected him to serve on its board and he became Chairman in 2007 when the organization moved to Tulsa, OK.
As a police officer he became a police helicopter pilot and certified flight instructor. Through innovative thought and perseverance, he combined the Public Safety Flight Bureaus of four police agencies into one Joint Powers Association which resulted in significant efficiencies and budget savings to each agency.
When elected to the NMUSD school board he worked to pass two school bonds that renovated sub-standard school sites; one bond for $163,000,000 and the second for $273,000,000. All thirty-three school sites were renovated and the four comprehensive high schools received state of the art stadiums with artificial turf, rubberized tracks, performing arts centers, and fifty-meter swimming pools. The curriculum was revised which resulted in NMUSD receiving an award for the highest percentage of high school graduates in the United States.
Mr. Brooks is a Vietnam era Army veteran and served as a Motor Sergeant in II Corps during the war.
Mr. Brooks attends Mesa Church for the last 50 years, served on the Board of Elders numerous times, Director of Royal Family Kids Camp, (a camp for abused, neglected, or abandoned kids) and currently serves on their Safety Team utilizing his peace officer skills. He is also a chaplain at the Costa Mesa Police Department.
He and his wife have been married for 51 years, have three grown daughters and five grandchildren.
Gwen Olin
Secretary
Gwen Olin majored in Business at Texas Tech University in the 1960’s. She spent several decades working as a Secretary and Bookkeeper/HR Director in the business world, as well as in church/ministry work, her longest service being with Grace Fellowship, Inc. in Tulsa, OK. Through many of those years, Gwen served alongside her husband, Chip, in his role as Associate Pastor at Grace.
Chip passed away in 2007 and Gwen continued to volunteer at Grace as Director of Ladies Ministry as well as doing Hospital visitation and substitute teaching in Sunday School.
In 2019, Gwen was led of the Lord to attend Charis Bible College in Colorado and she graduated in May, 2022. After graduation, Gwen moved back to Broken Arrow, OK. With a servant’s heart for ministry, Gwen volunteers at HomeChurch in the Children’s ministry, serves as a Mentor at Mabel Bassett Correctional Facility through the ministry of Redeeming Love Prison Ministry, assists with conferences and prayer ministry with Bob Yandian Ministries and serves the Voice of China & Asia Missionary Society as a Board Member and ministry volunteer. Gwen has been blessed with two wonderful daughters who married Godly men and she is the proud grandmother of 5 amazing grandchildren.
Mark McDermott
Treasurer
Mark was born in Texas and spent his early years in Louisiana where he attended Louisiana Tech University. After graduation, he served in the United States Marine Corps for five years where he began a high tech career path. While in the Marines, he came to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
After his time in the Service, Mark moved to Florida, where he worked at an aircraft simulator manufacturing company for seven years. He later moved to Oklahoma and continued working in simulation for 23 years, during which time he co-founded Cymstar Simulation Engineering and Manufacturing LLC, of Broken Arrow, OK.
Mark joined the VOCA Board of Directors in 2018 and currently serves as Treasurer. He enjoys assisting VOCA with his gift of administrative organization.
Mark lives in Texas with his wife, Jennifer. They have been married for 46 years and have one daughter and two grandchildren. When he’s not serving, working, or spending time with family, he can be found on a golf course.
Rev. Geoffrey "Geof" W. Jackson
Director
“Geof” Jackson was born in Columbus, OH in 1950. As a child he attended church regularly, but never made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ until confronted with the Gospel while serving as a medic in the Navy. During pre-med training at Capital University of Bexley, OH, his interests were drawn toward Biblical studies. A transfer to Oklahoma Baptist University ensued and student pastoral ministry began. In 1976, Geof joined the staff of Sheridan Assembly in Tulsa, OK and concurrently pursued a degree at Oral Roberts University.
In December 1984, Geof was commissioned to create, administrate, and direct The School of the Local Church in Tulsa, OK, to teach “Pastoral Ministry” to those called to serve in a Local Church. The school continued until 2012, training over 700 students in the areas of Biblical Doctrine, Music, Youth & Children’s Ministry, and Church Administration. Concurrently he also served as Director of Pastoral Care at Grace Church (now HomeChurch of Broken Arrow, OK).
Geof has created extensive teachings on 17 Books of the Bible, and completed 16 Studies on major Bible themes including Salvation, the Work of Jesus Christ, the Ministry of the Holy Spirit and Church Government. He continues to serve his church in both teaching and pastoral care ministry and is also in popular demand as an international professor for the Texas University of Theology of Hurst, TX.
In addition to ministering in over 15 nations, Rev. Jackson has participated in 18 overseas missions teams for the Voice of China and Asia and developed a Chinese Pastor’s Study Bible training program that has now touched 40,000 rural ministers. In gratitude for his accomplishments in ministry and for his contributions to the VOCA Korea Association of Peniel Churches, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity Degree by the Busan, Korea based Peniel Seminary of the Voice of China and Asia in 2018.
Geof is greatly assisted in life and ministry by his wife of over 50 years, Jan. Geof and Jan enjoy long drives to “nowhere” destinations – “it’s just about being together.” He joined the VOCA Board of Directors in 2020. His hobbies include a passion for landscape and scenic photography.
Rev. BJ Cummings
Director
BJ Cummings majored in Business and Marketing at the University of Central Arkansas and Arkansas State University. She has served as Office Manager & Business Manager for manufacturing companies in three states, a Sales and Marketing Representative for multiple software houses throughout the United States and Canada, Secretary for the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, Green Country Marketing Association Board of Directors, as well as the Executive Director of Pryor Main Street in Pryor, Oklahoma prior to pastoring churches.
BJ married the love of her life, Phil Cummings, in 1994. In December of 2002 B J & Phil joined their talents selling major appliances and sewing equipment through owning and operating the Cummings Home Center in Salina, Oklahoma. After attending The School of the Local Church at Grace Fellowship and Rhema Bible College, Phil and B J co-pastored Holy Mountain Praise and Worship Center in Kenwood, Oklahoma for 10 years. They then founded the Band of Believers Church in Salina, Oklahoma and co-pastored until Phil went home to be with the Lord in 2012. B J continues to serve as pastor of the Band of Believers Church today and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Voice of China and Asia Missionary Society, Inc.
Dr. Paul Stanton
Director
Dr. Paul D. Stanton graduated from Oral Roberts University with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Chemistry. He graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 1986 with a Doctor of Medicine degree. He also completed a year of special studies in church development and missions at Dallas Theological Seminary. He completed clinical training with a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and a fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He has worked as a clinical Gastroenterologist in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for over 32 years.
He was born and raised in Pakistan in his early years with missionary parents. He became a Christian at the age of 11 through a discipleship class at his church. He has been active in his faith through-out his life including working with children’s ministry and children’s Mission teaching.
He has been on many short term medical and children’s ministry mission trips. He served on the Board of Blessings International for many years to help provide medicines for Missions to over 100 countries. He has been married to Dr. Karyl Stanton for 40 years and has four children and two grandchildren. His hobbies include gardening, nutrition, and travel.
Dr. Karyl Stanton
Director
Dr. Karyl Stanton graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Baylor University in 1978 and a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in 1982. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and a residency in adult neurology at the University of Texas Health Science Center and Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Dr. Stanton practiced adult neurology at the City of Faith Hospital and Clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from 1986-1988 and was a Clinical Instructor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Oral Roberts University Medical School from 1986-1989.
Dr. Stanton is a diplomate in the specialty of neurology and is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology from 1988 to present.
She is married to Dr. Paul Stanton, who practiced gastroenterology in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They have been married for forty years and have four children, including two with developmental disabilities, and two beautiful granddaughters. Dr. Stanton laid aside her practice of medicine to raise her family and to provide educational guidance to her children, especially those with special needs.
Both she and her husband have extensive experience on the mission field with medical missions, medical education, and children’s ministry. Drs. Stanton pioneered children’s missions education at their home church for over 15 years. In 2001, they started World Changer Kids, Inc., a non-profit foundation dedicated to raising up the next generation of Christian missionaries through fun and exciting missions teaching for kids and through projects that facilitate children’s evangelism and children’s ministry worldwide. (www.worldchangerkids.org)
Dr. Stanton serves on the Advisory Boards for The Little Light House, (a Christian Developmental School for Children with Developmental Disabilities), Blessings International (a Christian Ministry that provides Medicines for Missions) and World Changer Kids, Inc.
Dr. Chester "Chet" Egert
Director
Chester “Chet” Egert graduated from Oral Roberts University in 1980 with a BA in Biblical Literature, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity in 1984, and a Doctorate of Ministry from Erskine Seminary in 2016. At ORU he worked extensively with the Spring Break and Summer Mission programs, going on four missions to Mexico and Europe between 1977-1979.
During seminary he was ordained by the Assemblies of God. In early 1985 he entered active service in the United States Army and served as a chaplain, retiring in 2014. During his military career he deployed five times, to Iraq, Somalia and Haiti.
Coming from a military family he is a third-generation career servicemember, starting with his grandfather who was a chaplain in World War II. Growing up as an Army brat, Chet lived in Latin America and Europe. Altogether he has lived outside the United States for over 15 years, traveling extensively in five continents.
Chet met his wife, Rhoda, at ORU and they have been married 43 years and have two daughters, and seven wonderful grandchildren. Rhoda holds her BA from ORU in Psychology, and MA and D.Min. from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in pastoral counseling and ministries. Together Chet and Rhoda have been involved in pastoral care and ministry to military chaplains and veterans since his retirement from the Army in 2014.
Chet preaches regularly at Grand Lake Christian Center, in Grove, Oklahoma, and has led veteran’s ministry and young adult ministry at Crossroads Church in Grove. His interests and hobbies include health and fitness, gardening, and American, church, and military history.