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H.E.A.P. Ministry (H.E.A.P. Ministries, Inc.) is a non-profit organization founded in 2013 in the USA to help care for pastors and their families in Brazil.
Initially, we could not imagine that H.E.A.P. Ministry would continue to receive donations for over 10 years. However, after a decade of serving pastoral families, the ministry continues to grow and dream of an expanding support network for these families. While in years past most donors have been from the USA, we believe that in the upcoming years we will see an increase in the number of Brazilians willing to contribute for the care of the pastoral families of the Church of the Nazarene.
Our Framework - About Us
H.E.A.P. Ministry is incorporated in the state of Kansas. It is composed of a board of men and women, ministers, and laypeople from various fields of expertise. This board is responsible for making strategic decisions for the organization and determining the allocation of resources received through donations.
In addition to the board in the USA, there is also a committee in Brazil comprised of men and women, ministers, and laypeople. The Brazilian committee makes recommendations to the board regarding the use of resources for crisis relief, preventive care, and personal development, and then the board makes the final decisions. All members of the board in the USA and the committee in Brazil serve as volunteers for H.E.A.P. Ministry.
Our Co-Founders
Steve and Brenda Heap got married in 1968 and served as pastors in the state of Oklahoma before being sent as missionaries to Brazil. They arrived in Brazil as missionaries of the Church of the Nazarene in 1974. After the initial years in Campinas, where they learned the Portuguese language, they served the Church in various cities throughout Brazil, including Brasília, João Pessoa, Recife, and São Paulo. They served as pioneer missionaries, pastored churches, taught at the seminary, and led the Church of the Nazarene in Brazil for over two decades.
Today, the couple is retired and still living in Brazil. Even in their retirement years, they continue to visit pastoral families, minister wherever the Lord allows, and serve the Kingdom. They have also been enjoying time with their three children’s families: Stephen, Brian and Jennifer. They are proud grandparents of three grandsons and five granddaughters.