Leadership History
ELDER DONALD K. LANCE : General Director, 1981-1991
From humble beginnings on a farm in Indiana to a management position in the USDA Federal Meat Inspection, Donald K. Lance once boasted that he wouldn’t leave the USDA “for God or anybody.” What he didn’t know was that God was orchestrating each move.
In 1967, due to a promotion within USDA, he was living in Chicago, IL. It was there that the dealing of God brought Bro. Lance face to face with Truth and totally changed him when he received the Holy Ghost. Shortly afterward, when he was offered the coveted USDA position in Washington D.C. he’d been striving for, he had no problem turning the promotion down because his priorities had changed.
In 1971, Bro. Lance followed the calling of God into evangelism and began traveling across the country preaching faith, holiness, and salvation.
In 1978, Bro. Lance took a mission trip to the Philippines and was overwhelmed by the experience. He took the burden to heart and supported the mission, testifying everywhere he went of the work of God in the Philippines. Three years later, the missionary called to tell Bro. Lance that he was giving up the work. Falling prostrate on a linoleum floor, Bro. Lance began to pray for those missionary works. TRAVELING WITH ELDER STEVE HANCOCK AND WITH HIS ASSITANCE THE AIM WAS CREATED – Apostolic Independent Missions. ELDER LANCE TOOK the oversight of the missions. In ten years, with the help of other seasoned ministers, the works grew to 210 churches.
Being faithful to his calling to evangelize in the US, Bro. Lance prayerfully turned the leadership over to other Apostolic ministers but never distanced himself from AIM. He continued to support the Philippine mission works – in prayer, financial support, and visits to the Philippines. If you were ever in a church where Bro. Lance was in revival, you more than likely saw his table of books, messages, magazines, singing tapes, etc. Any monies from the sale of these items went directly to AIM. He never lost the burden for those precious souls.
In 2011, the need arose for Bro. Lance, at the age of 74, to once again become involved in AIM leadership. He asked his pastor, Elder Michael Couch, to pray with him about the responsibility and God’s direction. That year, with both men feeling the leading of God, Bro. Couch travelled with Bro. Lance to the Philippines and took the oversight of the mission works as General Director with Bro. Lance as the Assistant Director.
Elder Lance remained active in support and oversight of the missions until his death in July of 2013.
(To view Elder Lance’s Homegoing Celebration Service: http://vimeo.com/71475667)
ELDER C. E. GEORGE: General Director, 1991-1999
Elder George received the Holy Ghost at the age of 22 and started preaching in 1955 at age 26. He first visited the Philippines at the request of the missionary and was immediately burdened for the work of God there. He so willingly and with such a burden fulfilled the position of Assistant Director of AIM during Elder Lance’s tenure as General Director, that there was no question who should take the oversight when Elder Lance stepped aside. Elder George faithfully served the people and worked with the Philippine ministers until his death in January of 1999.
ELDER RAUL ALVEAR SR: General Director, 1999-?
Bishop Raul and Janice Alvear are lifelong missionaries in Brazil. Bishop Alvear Sr. came at a young age to Brazil from Chile with his family to work in missions and Missionary Janice Alvear came to Brazil in 1968. Both worked as single missionaries and then at a conference in June 1972 they met in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. After a short courtship they were married in December of the same year.
Mission work has been their whole life. From a humble beginning under a tree in a pagan village the work today boasts of several hundred churches, scores of house meetings, radio programs, prison ministries, children’s outreaches. The work includes hundreds of national pastors and several national missionaries with a small extension into the country of Paraguay.
In 1999, because of a burden for souls, Bishop Alvear agreed to take responsibility for the AIM organization after the death of Elder C. E. George.
ELDER HUBERT: General Director, ?-2011
ELDER MICHAEL R. COUCH: General Director, 2011-present
Elder Michael Couch received the Holy Ghost at the age of 13. He started preaching at age 15 and became a full-time evangelist at 16. In 1979, at the age of 24, he founded and became the pastor of Apostolic Tabernacle, a growing work in Winnsboro, LA, which he still pastors.
At the request of Evangelist Donald K. Lance, in April of 2011, Elder Couch and several ministers took a trip to the Philippines. It was at this time that Elder Couch prayerfully accepted the oversight of AIM as General Director. Since that time, he communicates with the Filipino pastors and ministers CONSISTENTLY and continues to make trips to the Philippines twice yearly, spring and fall.
Under the direction of Elder Couch, AIM has reinstituted the Bible Training program WHERE diligence is being given to Apostolic Doctrine, Holiness and Separation; is restructuring the organization of the Filipino ministry and outreach; is channeling funds into existing churches’ upkeep, land purchases, new church construction, and vehicles for some assemblies; has plans to construct a headquarters facility to house the Bible Training school, the national convention, meetings, special events, and business operating purposes.
In convention meetings held annually in April, Elder Couch meets daily with the SCORES OF ministers to teach about the call, qualifications, example and responsibilities of the ministry. Additionally, each fall a trip is scheduled in which Elder Couch visits/preaches to many churches in the outlying areas and islands.