TIM AND MARTA CARRIKER
FLORIANOPOLIS, BRAZIL

Rev. Tim and Marta Carriker are Presbyterian Church (USA) mission co-workers seconded to the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil. They live and work in Florianopolis, an island capital of the southern state of Santa Catarina.

Tim is a professor and missiological consultant doing research and producing resource materials on mission. He is working on several projects, including a book titled The Church's First Great Missionary: The Life, Gospel and Ministry of the Apostle Paul. He has also published numerous books and articles on missiological and biblical themes in Portuguese. Marta ministers by teaching in mission training programs at the local church, leading prayer meetings and singing. She also facilitates visits by groups throughout Brazil.

The Carrikers were PC(USA) mission workers from 1977 until 1998, when Tim began to serve as director of the World Mission Initiative at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and director of the New Wilmington Missionary Conference. After their brief interlude in the U.S., the Carriker family returned to Brazil in 1999. Tim has served in camp ministries, evangelism, and new church development in central and southern Brazil (1977 to 1984). From 1984 to 1992, Tim was co-founder, academic director, dean, and professor at the Protestant Mission Center. This was the first institution in South America to offer long-term training for mission service. From 1993 to 1998, he was professor of mission and evangelism at the Presbyterian Seminary of the South in the bachelor of theology and master in missiology programs. From 1997 to 1998, he also served as chair of the Department of Pastoral Theology at Mackenzie University, a Presbyterian university in São Paulo.

Marta is a native of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. She and Tim married in 1977. She is a proficient linguist and has used her skills to edit, translate and write materials for publication. Marta is also a talented composer of Christian music. She has served as a teacher of linguistics and language learning for missionaries at the Evangelical Missions Center. While in Pittsburgh, she was involved in ministry to the elderly at Mount Lebanon United Presbyterian Church.

The Carrikers have three children: Jenny; Tim, Jr. and Sarah.