Who we are.

Priority Evangelism is a non-profit missions organization that has been establishing ministries throughout the world since 1998! It was founded by Missionaries Ken and Sonya Pounders. It is their goal to equip the church to reach the world, and we’re pushing towards that goal one step at a time.

You can read about the members of priority on the page below.

Have questions? Get in touch with us

Ken Pounders

Ken Pounders came to know the Lord at an early age. But through the course of his teenage years he lost sight of God’s purposes for him. As he delved deeper into the ways of the world, he found no hope for his future. Until one day he entered a program where he was saturated in God’s Word daily for a whole year. During that time, Ken read in God’s Word where it said “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” He knew this would be his life calling.

In preparations, Ken attended Bible College receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Bible/Pastoral Counseling; Master of Arts in Biblical Studies and a Master’s of Divinity. He also continued ministering while in college assisting in the Teen Challenge program, preaching and speaking in churches, schools and businesses, and local mission efforts.

Now he finds himself traveling all around the world; India, Moldova, Nicaragua, Honduras, Bulgaria and other parts of the world, preaching the gospel, training men and women to share the gospel and supporting & developing orphanages and children’s programs. He is fulfilling the call of God on his life and seeing much fruit! To God be the glory!

Sonya Pounders

Sonya was raised in a Christian home from the time she was four years old. Her parents were what many have termed as “first generation ministers.”

Her parent’s came from homes of varying differences – her father’s family was large, Lebanese and raised by an alcoholic step-father. Her mother’s family struggled with emotional issues stemmed from the generation she was brought into. But her parents came to know the Lord. They went from secular jobs to doing everything they could to help young people find their way with a relationship with God that would change them from the inside out.

Sonya met Ken after he completed her father’s program and they married. She and Ken have spent the twenty-eight years of their marriage doing everything they can to prepare themselves for the mission work God has called them to.

They are both involved in traveling and ministering around the world as well as in the United States whenever opportunities arise. Sonya knows the power of God to not only change lives but to direct them in amazing paths of opportunity & Godly pursuits. She believes not only in missions around the world, but missions at home as well.

Skylar and Michelle Linderman

Skylar and Michelle are currently working as local missionaries at Outreach Ministries of Alabama in Valhermoso Springs, and are involved with traveling and ministering in different areas of the USA and also of the world. Ultimately, their heart is to see the Kingdom of God established here on earth as it is in heaven, to make Jesus known to a lost world, to see the church equipped and empowered to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and to see revival fire burn throughout the nations of the world. Their message is Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

To summarize, Skylar is a preacher and Michelle is a worship leader. Skylar has travelled all over the nation and world proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ, seeing signs, wonders, and miracles. Michelle believes her highest calling is to be a mother – to raise godly men and women to carry on the legacy to the next generation. Both Skylar and Michelle desire to follow the Great Commission and go to the nations.

Skylar and Michelle decided it to be good and pleasing before the Lord to marry in June of 2019. They are both graduates from FIRE School of Ministry in Charlotte, North Carolina, and are actively growing their family.

Sonny Kirk

Sonny Kirk came to know Christ at an early age. He has worked for the last thirty- seven years in pastoral ministry as a pastor, associate and now a missions team coordinator. He continues to serve at Antioch Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama in pastoral care.

His first overseas mission trip was in 1999 where he took a small team to the Philippines. That was where God first moved on his heart and gave him the desire
for foreign missions. In 2004 when his son-in-law encouraged him to go he went to Costa Rica.

The doors began to open for Sonny to recruit and lead teams on short-term, life changing trips to Costa Rica, which he has done for the last eight years.

When he met Ken Pounders and Priority Evangelism, he felt the Lord pulling him to link up with this established mission organization. After much prayer and preparation, Sonny approached Ken about joining the mission team of Priority! Evangelism.

We are honored to have Sonny working along side of us reaching into Central America.

Mary McAfee

Sean and Mary McAfee live in Rutherfordton, NC with their happy toddler, Ian. They met during a Father’s Vineyard summer youth group service project in 2003, weeks before Mary left for Mexico as a missionary. She served with WEC International for several years before returning to the States with a mysterious continuous headache in 2008. Miraculously healed in 2010, she and Sean reconnected, fell in love and were happily married in Oct 2011. Mary now works at CIT, the Center for Intercultural Training, in Union Mills, and Sean works in Rutherfordton with Youth Empowerment, a mentoring agency for teens at risk. We are glad to have them as a part of the support team for Priority Evangelism. Mary is our liaison in North Carolina. She handles our accounting, mail and other needed tasks in that area.

Randy Johnson

Randy Johnson has his roots in missions. He has served as director to two Teen Challenges; ran a success outreach in Red Hook, NY and after returning to work with the state due to the needs of his father-in-law – he began reaching out to India.

His ministry, Vision India, along with Priority! Evangelism launched the House of Hope – an orphanage reaching out to the children of Arisa. Randy is both a former board member of Priority! Evangelism as well as one of Ken Pounders fellow laborers and friends. He has a heart after God like no other man and continues to be a light to the world for the sake of Christ.