Gary and Merri Lee Hipp
Discipling for Development, A ministry of The Navigators
Africa, Southeast Asia and Bulgaria
In 1979, Merri Lee’s father Richard Patterson founded Mission: Moving Mountains because no other mission group he sought to partner with would embrace a ministry that integrated medicine and discipleship. “We were sent out as their first full time missionaries in 1986. With our daughter Carissa (3) and son Samuel (almost 1), we led a team of three families to Uganda, East Africa. Here we worked for a decade pioneering a ministry approach we call Discipling for Development (D4D): a community based development approach integrated with evangelism and discipleship.
Since merging with The Navigators in 2007, we have expanded D4D ministry from five countries in Africa to twelve. We have also expanded into four countries in SE Asia (Philippines and three others), two cities in the USA (Atlanta and Colorado Springs) and in 2016, Bulgaria in Eastern Europe (working among the Roma people – Gypsies). Our work as Directors of Discipling for Development and as International Mentors is an exciting God-given stewardship of grace.
Our two children are married and we have two granddaughters. We are blessed to partner with our Chapel Hill home church in advancing the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into more and more nations. Thank you for your partnership!”
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