A message from Byron:

In March 2018, I began my work guiding the mission and ministry of Heartland International Ministries (HIM) as the Executive Director. As I look back on the last two years of transitioning the leadership I look forward to sharing with you the hopes, dreams and vision that I believe I have been given for the future of H.I.M.  

For the last few years, our founder, Fred Kornis, has been focused on and praying for the future direction of the organization.  He built Heartland International Ministries from the ground up and he wants the mission to continue for the next generation of leaders and workers. He has not left us, by any means, but he has begun to walk a new path and transition into a different role as Minister-At-Large.  We continue to plan and talk future strategy with him so the future of H.I.M. is bright and he will continue to travel and share the Gospel with people across the globe. 

While attending Phillips University in Enid, OK, I met Jerri, my wife of 38 years.  We have three children and two grandchildren. As the children became our reality, we both made a decision to rededicate our lives to Jesus Christ in 1990, at Overland Park Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Also around this time we founded a national distribution business which has been central to our life’s ministry and today we employ over 200 associates across the US.

Jerri and I have served actively in ministry now for over three decades. After hearing God’s calling I worked as the Campus Pastor for Christ Church - Mill Creek church plant from 2004-2006, and also accepted the Lord’s calling as the Executive Pastor for a season at the Regional Evangelical Alliance of Churches.  Most recently, I have served as a church-planter for house churches and start-up congregations through Homer’s 2:42, Inc., where I have been the Executive Director since 2008. Homer’s Coffeehouse is a culturally relevant gospel centered ministry focused on building communities like those described in Acts 2:42-47.

God has blessed Jerri and I with many ministry assignments in our life and to have the opportunity to further expand upon the missionary platform of H.I.M. is an amazing call to leadership.

Since joining the HIM Board of Directors in 2016, we have accomplished a lot to prepare the platform of H.I.M. for the future. Expanding on our 20-year history, the By-Laws and Policy Manual were updated, a new leadership team for the Board of Directors was gathered together, and a fresh new logo and mission were created to build on our legacy.  

The HIM ministry has impacted the world because one man, Fred Kornis, took seriously the words that our Lord Jesus shared as he was ascended to heaven, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Fred took this direction very seriously and H.I.M. will continue to do so in the future.

My primary objective is:

To continue the legacy initiatives of HIM in countries like India, Philippines, Nicaragua, Africa, and so many others. Doing so, means being committed with additional financial resources and additional support. The indigenous people we have served historically are more desperate and in need than ever before. My hope is that we can raise the awareness of the ministry with our PALS (Partner and Leader Servants) by being a major source of influence for Christ to the global ministry we embrace. 

A favorite verse of mine is in Acts 13:36, which says “….. for after David had served his generation according to the will of God, he died ….”   That is my hope and prayer and I hope you will agree, that we each have been given great gifts and to use them to support God’s believers around the world is a worthwhile purpose for my life.