Western North Carolina Slavic Ministries was officially founded in October of 2005 in Asheville, North Carolina by Mike and Fran Graham. Both Mike and Fran have worked with the Slavic community since 2002.

Mike & Fran are both from Georgia, and met at the Baptist Student Center at the University of Georgia.  They married on August 27, 1977.   

Fran grew up in Columbus, Georgia near Fort Benning, and graduated from Tift College.  After college, she served as a Missionary Journeyman through the Southern Baptist Convention from 1975 – 77 in Hong Kong.  Fran has worked for the Department of Juvenile Justice at Swannanoa for over 14 years.  For the past seven years, Fran has worked part time in clerical for the Nursing and Clerical Departments.  This gives her an opportunity to coordinate and participate in Slavic ministry activities.

Mike grew up in North Georgia near Toccoa, Georgia, and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1974 and Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville June 1981.  After seminary, Fran and Mike moved to Asheville to live.  Mike has worked for the State of NC for 17 years with the Department of Juvenile Justice located at Swannanoa, NC.  Twelve of those years, he worked as a social worker.  For the past six years, Mike has been working with the computer system with the same department.

Because of their work with Slavic immigrants, Fran and Mike were commissioned to serve as CBF Field Personnel in 2005.  They continue to serve as Coordinators of WNC Slavic Ministries, Inc in Asheville.  With increasing support from sponsors, Fran and Mike hope to continue to expand the variety and extent of ministries throughout the Western North Carolina area.

For more information, visit http://wncslavicministries.org/index.htm.