OUR TEAM
At Passion Fire International, we endeavor to create a culture of excellence, accountability and honor so that we are reliable, impacting and trustworthy. We are able to accomplish our mission and goals with the help of some amazingly gifted and talented men and women who are committed to serving, leading, and demonstrating God's love to those in need. These individuals demonstrate authenticity, wisdom, faith, honesty, integrity and great moral character.
Meet our Board Of Directors and Advisory Team.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT & FOUNDER
Bethany Paternoga
Bethany and her husband, Joseph have been married since 1995. She and her husband have always had a desire to love, adopt and care for the less fortunate and the orphaned. Bethany is a Mother of seven children ( only 2 are biological) and 3 grandchildren and the numbers just keep growing! She also has many spiritual sons and daughters that are spread throughout the United States and abroad. Bethany gave her life to Christ at 5 years of age and for as long as she can remember she has been talking to God and caring about the things that are on God's heart.
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Bethany has a degree in Interior Decorating and is the owner of Divinely Inspired Designs By Bethany. She has over 24 years experience with foster care and adoption. She formerly worked as a Support Specialist for the Department of Children and Family Services for two years. Bethany felt the call to Full Time Ministry in 2010, but has been in ministry off and on since 1995. She is a Former Student of Pray Tell Ministries E-cademy. She is ordained through Church Growth International of the Americas and Independent Christian Churches International. Bethany was a former Youth Leader, Young Adults Pastor, Preschool Sunday School Teacher, Prayer Pastor, and Organized and led National Day of Prayer in her city. She has also worked in pastoral counseling, Inner Healing and Deliverance Ministry and has extensive training in childhood trauma and mental health crisis.
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When Bethany met Joseph she met the man God designed to compliment her strengths and weaknesses. When God told Bethany to birth Passion Fire Ministries it started as a Women's Revival Prayer Movement in her home and it continued to evolve as God spoke His heart to her and Joseph. In 2019 Passion Fire International was officially born and became a Church on a Mission.
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VICE PRESIDENT
Joseph Paternoga
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Joseph has a degree in Mechanical Design and his current work position is in Sales for an International Company. This doesn't define who Joseph is; that's what he does to support the family. What Joseph does when he is not working defines who he is. He has a heart for the orphans. His mother passed away when he was young and he desires to help children who have lost their parents or who didn't win the lottery with the parent's they have. He knows the void a child has without a parent to help and guide them. He and his wife, Bethany, have the same calling to help those in need.
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SECRETARY
Noël Miller
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Noël has had a calling to Missions from a very young age. It can be said of her that she loves children and loves God. She has worked as a Nanny both for traditional and medically complex children. She was also a former Teacher's Assistant at a DayCare. Noël's heartbeat beats for the least of these. Her love and compassion for children is contagious! She married her husband, Andrew, in October 2019 and he also loves children, loves Missions, and has a strong desire to reach the lost.
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SPIRITUAL ADVISORY COUNCIL BOARD
ADVISOR
Olympia Harper
Currently resides in Milton, Georgia. Her heart and her life long mission is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all Nations and to aid the the hurting and broken. She graduated with a BS from Bernard Baruch College University in NYC in 1972 and became a Licensed Minister with the Assemblies of God in 2014. She carries with her over 39 years of Ministry Experience!
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Administration is her strong suit and she facilitated the management of office work and various tasks required to run and maintain a growing and thriving ministry. Her lists of Administration positions include: First Assembly of God, Evangel Assembly of God, Teen Challenge Illinois and Harper International Ministries. She and her late husband, John Harper Founded, Pastored and Directed Harper International Ministries. Olympia worked alongside John as they co-labored in this field. Olympia, has been recognized for her Six Week Study with “Restoring the Foundation Ministry” and she and her husband also were known for their TV Ministry called “God Moments” hosted on TLN in Illinois.
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ADVISOR
Lisa Burkhart
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Lisa currently resides in New Brooklyn, Illinois, with her loving husband George. She is a wife, mother and Christian School Teacher. She has a passion for worship, teaching and training others to grow in their faith, and intercession (the act of praying for or interceding for others, person, places or events). Lisa’s journey with God and ministry started as a young child, but her journey of faith truly exploded as a teen when she came to a full understanding of Jesus as Lord and Savior of her life. She then was filled with a desire to share this good news with anyone who would listen. She knew Jesus as a Savior, Healer and Deliverer and desired to share that with others! As a College student, Lisa became very involved with Campus Ministry and held several leadership positions within that ministry. She participated in a short term Missions Trip to Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.
Lisa and her husband are very active in attending a missions driven Church that sends Missions Teams into the Nations one to two times per year. Lisa currently serves as a Vocalist on her Church’s Worship Team. She has also served in Nursery Ministry, Children’s Church, The Youth Worship and Dance Team, Hospitality and Women’s Ministries. Lisa says, “ I am thrilled to be involved with a Spirit-led Ministry like Passion Fire International, which so closely mirrors my own focus in ministry”.
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ADVISOR
Zenice Harasymchuk
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Zenice is the mother of three beautiful children and five grandchildren. She is a resident of Louisville,Kentucky. Zenice attended Mc Henry County College. She was a student of Levels 1 & 2 of Francis Frangipane’s In Christ Image Training. She was a student of Pray Tell Ministries E-Academy in 2016. She currently holds a Certificate with the Illinois Partners In the Journey- an extensive, Faith Based, Domestic Violence Training Program meant to equip and train Support Group Leaders of Domestic Abuse Victims. She is the Founder and CEO of Beyond the Miry Clay Ministries, an organization dedicated to helping individuals affected by Domestic Violence.
She is a lover of Jesus Christ. Her Passions include prayer, studying the Bible, worship, taking pictures of God’s beautiful creation and writing. She is an aspiring author and has published one short story in Diane Cunningham’s the Art of Being Brave Book. Her blog
with insights and encouragement can be found at beyondthemiryclayworpress.com and zeniceh.wordpress.com. She is currently taking more writing classes and is in the process of writing and working toward the editing and releasing of her first book. Her heart’s desire is to see people of all ages saved, delivered from their hurts, pain and bondages and to be set free by Jesus Christ.
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ADVISOR
John Shinn
John and His beautiful wife Helen have been married since 1974 and are residents of Manito, Illinois. John was raised in the Catholic Faith, but had his own encounter and came into life long relationship with Jesus Christ shortly after he and his wife Helen were married. He gave his life to Christ as they began attending another Church together. John has been actively involved in the church and ministry ever since. John has 3 children Bethany, Bradley and Benjamin, 15 grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren with more on the way! He worked as a UPS Driver for many years until retirement and then he joined the staff of The Woodworkers Shop. He has a heart to obey and serve God in all things. He enjoys Bible study and dissecting God’s word. He served two years as a Junior High Sunday School Teacher. After that he served an additional 30 years ministering on Sunday Mornings teaching Adult Mens Ministry and later Co-Ed Adults Sunday School Classes.
John could be seen every single morning at his kitchen table Bible opened up and studying the word of God. His Daughter, Bethany says “ Dad lived by example. I have a memory that is forever etched in my mind; that Bible open every single morning. He never pushed his faith on anyone. HE LIVED HIS FAITH, he lead by example”. He is passionate about honoring and serving God with His life. He wants His life to be a testament to Jesus Christ. He encourages his children and grandkids to serve God with all their hearts and lives as they will never live with any regrets having done so.
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ADVISOR
Dr. James Horvath
Dr. James Horvath and his Wife Pastor Michelle Horvath are residents of Rochelle, Illinois. Dr. Horvath has been Senior Pastor Of Calvary Lighthouse Church in Rochelle, Illinois since 1987. It is a Regional Church made up of people from 55 surrounding cities. He and His wife Michelle were married in 1986 and have 7 children: Jonathan, Rachael, Joseph, Joshua, Gabriel, Philip and Micah, and one grandchild (Wesson). He gave his life to Christ in Sept. of 1980 in an Assemblies of God Church in Cleveland, Ohio while working as an engineer for Union Carbide Corp. He was called into ministry July 4,1981 and went to Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri and graduated in 1983 with a B.A. in Bible. From there he moved to Louisville, Kentucky to start a campus ministry on the University of Louisville and attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. A year later he was hired by an evangelistic organization in Tulsa, Ok where he finished his Masters of Divinity at Oral Roberts University in 1987.
Dr. Horvath carries an Apostolic Mandate and function. He is founder of W4J ( World4Jesus.com) a worldwide project which is strategically working toward evangelization of 192 nations. He is also founder of James Horvath Ministries (jameshorvathministries.org) In 2014 the P4J (Philippines4Jesus) initiative led 310,000 people to Christ in a 10 day window holding crusades in 32 cites. In 2017 the I4J (Ireland4Jesus) teams held crusades in 17 of the largest cities of Ireland including Dublin where the churches canceled their services on Pentecost Sunday and gathered in the National Stadium. Then in 2018 Dr. Horvath led 300 ministries in a nationwide invasion into the Bahamas/Haiti going into all 17 Islands and leading more then 35,000 people to Christ (roughly 10% of the nation)! Over 1000 churches participated across the 17 islands and B4J became the main source of distribution for aide relief after Hurricane Dorian hit the nation. B4J teams worked with CBN’s Operation Blessing, Billy Graham’s Samaritian Purse, Convoy of Hope, the Red Cross, and the USA Navy.
There are over 75 different Adult, Youth & Children's ministries and small groups that have been raised up by Dr. Horvath including the Great Miracles Bible Institute (in cooperation with Oral Roberts University). James Horvath Ministries (JHM) has extended to many nations, including; Korea, China, New Zealand, Europe (Brussels, Switzerland, Holland), Republic of Ireland, U.K. (Ireland, Scotland, England), Israel, Jamaica, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameron, DRC Congo, Bahamas/Caribbean, Mexico, South Africa, Swaziland, Eswantini and across much of the U.S.A. and has a major thrust in the nation of the Philippines. JHM has led crusades (averaging 30,000 in attendance) and Schools of Ministry in 55 cities of the Philippines and has worked with major leaders of 20,000 denominations and para church ministries and more than 32,000 churches To date JHM has led over 2 million souls to Christ.
Dr. Horvath authored He’s Coming Soon (Charisma/ Creation House) Nations In the Balance (One Rib Publications) with 4 other books awaiting publication including The Sinners’s Prayer and God’s End-Time Plan of Glory, The Trinity: You Can Understand It! He is a regular host of TBN's Chicago flagship “Praise the Lord” Show.
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