Jerry & Rebecca Fields
Jerry & Rebecca Fields
Special Touch National Chapter Coordinator/Illinois Get Away Co-Coordinators
Jerry and Rebecca have been with Special Touch Ministry since the year 2000. They both became involved through the Peoria Chapter ministry and then served as care givers and then team leaders at the Illinois Summer Get Away the last nine years.
Currently they serve as: President and Vice President of the Galesburg Locomotive Chapter, on the leadeship team of their local church, as Life Group Leaders, and Jerry plays trumpet on the worship team. Rebecca has been working with people with disabilities through various positions the last 22 years. Jerry has been the Chapter Advisory Board President the last 2 years, worked in Electronics the last 15 years, previously was working as an Associate Engineer in Research and Development for Caterpillar, Inc. and will currently serve fulltime as an associate missionary for Special Touch Ministry, Inc.
God has called them into the “Marketplace” ministry to startup chapters across America, train and equip chapter leaders, and spread the love of Jesus while providing a connection between the people with disabilities, their families, local community and specialized groups, and area churches. Our main goal is that people with disabilities will find value through Christ Jesus while serving in their community and being apart of a local church.
Contact Information:
309-360-3717 (phone)
jfields@specialtouch.org (email)
Thomas & Angelia Carpenter
Thomas & Angelia Carpenter
STREAM Directors
Rev. Thomas Carpenter has been associated with Special Touch Ministry since 1999. What started out as an invitation to be a chapel speaker has sparked a desire to make everyone aware of the great talents and gifts God has given to extraordinary people who happen to have a disability. He travels with his wife Angelia, and children Jenel, Alexa, and Buck proclaiming hope and encouragement to those who have a disability and their families.
In the summer of 2007, the Lord spoke to Thomas’ heart about the need for Emergency intervention for those who have newly entered the world of disability. After sharing his vision with the National Leadership Team in December of 2007, he was asked to come on board at the National level and implement the STREAM Concept. STREAM is an acronym for Special Touch Ready Emergency Assistance Mission.
STREAM is a three-fold mission aimed at aiding in the process of securing the right agencies and physicians to best help our guests and their families, to network with others who are going and have been through the same difficulties, and to create an accessible place for living to those who need it. STREAM is a referral ministry and all request need to come through the Ministry Office of Special Touch and STREAM.
Contact Information:
870-799-9656 (phone)
tcarpenter@specialtouch.org (email)
Charles & Debra Chivers
Charles & Debra Chivers
Special Touch Executive Directors
Charlie & Debbie founded Special Touch Ministry in 1982. Since that time, the Chivers have dedicated their lives as full-time appointed missionaries working with people with disabilities. Throughout the year, they speak at various churches around the nation encouraging them to join Special Touch Ministry in ministering to people with disabilities. Charlie heads up the National Office as the Executive Director of Special Touch Ministry, Inc. and directs the National Center for Ministry to People with Disabilities for the Assemblies of God. In addition they coordinate the annual Wisconsin Summer Get Away, a retreat/vacation experience for people with disabilities.
Contact Information:
715-258-2713 (phone)
cchivers@specialtouch.org (Charlie – email)
dchivers@specialtouch.org (Debbie – email)
Larry & Carolyn Campbell
Larry & Carolyn Campbell
Special Touch Missionaries & National Representatives
Larry and his wife, Carolyn have been involved with Special Touch Ministry since it’s inception in 1982, but are now full-time missionaries to people with disabilities. They are reaching people with disabilities through the Special Touch Summer Get Away Program, Special Touch Chapter Meetings (local fellowship/family support), ministry training seminars, and by speaking in many churches across the country.
God’s call on their lives involves: Starting a Disability Ministry Training Center to develop ministers and teachers to effectively communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people with disabilities, especially those who need a simple understandable presentation; Provide training and opportunity for people with disabilities to discover, develop and use their gifts and callings for ministry; Planting churches for people with disabilities and their families/caregivers.
- View Campbell Video: Real | Windows Media
- Reference Letter from Dr. Howard Young
- Reference Letter from Rev. John Clark
- Reference Letter from Rev. Randy Sabella
Contact Information:
920-382-7802 (Larry – cell)
920-382-7801 (Carolyn – cell)
715-942-2084 (home)
campbell@specialtouch.org (email)
Joseph & Ann Trementozzi
Joseph & Ann Trementozzi
Special Touch Missionaries & National Representatives
Rev. Joseph and Ann Trementozzi have been involved in international missions work for over twelve years. Joe and Ann have been honored by being appointed Assemblies of God U.S. Missionaries and are now part of the leadership staff of Special Touch Ministry. As National Missionaries, Joe and Ann speak in churches of various denominations and in other venues across the country creating awareness within the church at large that people with disabilities and their families need to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Joe and Ann are the proud parents to Bernie, Matthew, and Beth Ann. Their daughter Beth Ann, who has special needs, created a desire within them to share the love of Christ to people with disabilities and their families.
In addition to being National Missionaries, they also hold the position of Directors of Family Support Ministries, which is a division within Special Touch Ministry that has four departments:
1. Individual and Family Service
2. Advocacy
3. Counseling
4. Pastoral Care/Chaplaincy
Joe and Ann are looking forward to the day when they can complete their calling to reach people with disabilities and their families with compassion and the gospel of the Lord. Currently the Trementozzi family live in Palm Bay, Florida.
Contact Information:
321-723-2188 (office)
321-480-9806 (cell)
Carl & Angie Hespe
Carl & Angie Hespe
Special Touch Executive Assistant & Representative
Since resigning their teaching positions, Carl and Angie have joined the staff of Special Touch as full-time Missionary Representatives. They travel the country speaking in various churches, encouraging them to join Special Touch Ministry in ministering to people with disabilities. They also oversee the “Tech Truck”, a support vehicle used to help facilitate and provide technical support and equipment for the Special Touch Summer Get Aways across the country. Their greatest desire is to see all people reach their full potential in God, especially those with disabilities. They currently live with their 2 sons, Caleb and Zachary, in Waupaca, Wisconsin.
- Interview with Lifespring [mp3]
- Reference Letter from Rev. David McLean
- Reference Letter from Rev. Josh Nagel
Contact Information:
715-256-2648 (home)
920-915-3291 (Carl – cell)
chespe@specialtouch.org (email)
Darrel & Leslie Niemann
Darrel & Leslie Niemann
National Summer Get Away Coordinators
Darrel & Leslie Niemann have been volunteers with the Special Touch Summer Get Away Program since the summer of 1984. In the fall of 2000, they came on staff as the National Summer Get Away Coordinators. While each of the Summer Get Aways has their own volunteer coordinator, the National Coordinators facilitate this program on a National Level. They spend the year planning events, securing locations, speakers, and supplies, and writing and negotiating contracts on behalf of all the Summer Get Aways.
In addition, they oversee the Central Processing Office and train and assist new Summer Get Away Coordinators and staff, getting them off to a solid start. Darrel also spends part of his schedule helping to keep the tech truck in running order and being the general fix-it man. They spend their summer months traveling to as many Summer Get Aways as possible, with the desire that those with disabilities would go home knowing Jesus as a new best friend.
Darrel & Leslie moved to Waupaca, Wisconsin in 2004 to work from the Ministry Office. They are currently attending Highlands Assembly of God in Plover, Wisconsin.
Contact Information:
715-256-9410 (home)
715-412-1316 (Darrel – cell)
715-412-1315 (Leslie – cell)
summergetaway@specialtouch.org (email)
Bradley Mattrisch
Bradley Mattrisch
Special Touch National Coordinator of Support Ministries
Brad Mattrisch has been involved with the Special Touch Summer Get Away Program since the summer of 1982. At the first Get Away, he as a guest with Cerebral Palsy sensed God calling him to help people understand the Bible. Brad later earned bachelor degrees in Management Computer Systems as well as Bible & Theology. After a 13-year career in Information Technology with a large consulting company, he decided to make his ministry hobby his full-time calling.
Despite Brad’s disability, he is an Ordained minister with the Assemblies of God. Brad now oversees the ministry’s Pastoral Care department that includes a fair amount of writing and speaking. He wants to develop friendships with others that need encouragement and Biblical counsel. Brad also coordinates the ministry’s Information Technology needs. He lives with his cats, Penny and Oreo, Daisy, in Appleton, Wisconsin. Brad currently attends Radiant Fellowship in Waupaca, WI.
- Excerpt of Brad speaking in church [YouTube]
- Brad’s pastor shares about Brad’s ministry [YouTube]
- My Journey: Disappointments are Not Destinations [Article in Pentecostal Evangel, 8/16/2009]
- Living It: God’s Leaders [Article in Pentecostal Evangel, 1/10/2010]
- What others are saying about Brad’s ministry
Contact Information:
920-735-6093 (office)
920-810-4083 (cell)
bmattrisch@specialtouch.org (email)
Tom & Gayle Leach
Tom & Gayle Leach
Special Assistants for Project Development
Rev. Tom and Rev. Gayle Leach experienced the dynamic way God uses Special Touch Ministry in 1986, when they began attending Summer Get Away. God used Special Touch to heal hurts caused by living with quadriplegia and to pave their way back into full-time ministry after Tom’s car wreck in 1983. The couple has served on the minstry’s full-time staff since 1995. They now spearhead the development of new programs and products, such as the Word Walk Curriculum. Tom and Gayle represent Special Touch in the Dakotas and minister around the nation wherever God opens doors of opportunity. They currently live in Ellendale, ND and are the proud parents of their grown son, Benjamin.
Contact Information:
tleach5671@drtel.net (email)
