Jim and Louise Morris

U.S. Strategy Coordinator

Jim and Louise spent 40 years as missionaries helping to reach East Asia’s peoples—30 years church planting among an unreached tribal group in North Thailand, four years as the North Thailand Field leader and six years as OMF’s International Director for Overseas Ministries. They were responsible for the pursuit of OMF’s goals in evangelism and for ensuring that OMF members are given the support and guidance they need to carry out their ministries in East Asia. More recently they served as Interim U.S. Director for OMF International.

Growing up in Kansas, Jim accepted Christ at age 15 through Youth for Christ. A year later he dedicated himself for whatever God chose. He became a serious student of the Word, and through his studies became interested in pioneer missions. He earned a diploma from Prairie Bible Institute, received his BA from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, studied two summers at the Summer Institute of Linguistics and did graduate work at the School of World Mission at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California.

Louise grew up in Springfield, Oregon, and was born again on Easter at age 11. She graduated from Prairie Bible Institute and received her LVN degree from the School of Missionary Medicine at Biola.

Jim and Louise joined OMF in 1957 and headed for Thailand where they were married two years later.
The Morrises then began a church-plant-ing ministry among the unreached Pwo Karen people of North Thailand. They had the privilege of being the first to tell many of these people about Jesus, reinforcing their message with medical help, literacy teaching, and translation of selected portions of Scripture.

The first 16 years of ministry among the Pwo Karen saw little in the way of results. Then in 1974 God answered prayer in a special way and began to fulfill his promise to deliver those who were the “captives of the tyrant” (Isa. 49:24). Jim and Louise worked among the Karen for another 16 years to disciple the believers, train the leaders and to mobilize a church-planting movement among the Pwo Karen of North Thailand.

From time to time the Morrises were called away from the Pwo Karen to serve in a variety of support roles, including being house parents to missionary kids, teaching at the North Thailand Bible Training Center, supervising new workers in the Orientation Course at OMF International Headquarters in Singapore, serving as the North Thailand Field Leader, as the OMF International Director for Overseas Ministries, and as Interim U.S. Director.

Jim and Louise have three children and 12 grandchildren. They are now living in Salem, OR, and are serving as the U.S. Strategy Coordinator for reaching East Asia’s peoples.