Board & Staff

Our staff and board of directors bring extensive global business, mission, and Africa experience and publishing expertise together in a unique combination to meet the literature needs of African Christians.

Matthew Elliott, Ph.D., President

Matthew Elliott, President of Oasis International, has experience in both theology (Ph.D. in New Testament) and administration. He has guided Oasis' growth over the last five years. With this background, he is able to serve in guiding the organization and being a liaison to nationals, publishers, and ministries. Elliott explains, "It has be en a privilege to see how God has blessed the ministry of Oasis over the last 10 years. In step with the growing mission and vision of Oasis, I have been challenged as I have studied the needs of Africa and how they can be met. I am convinced that the multinational approach of Oasis to literature distribution can have a significant and lasting impact on the church in Africa."

Craig Ewoldt, Managing Director

Craig Ewoldt, who is now Managing Director of Oasis Distributions Limited in Nigeria, takes the lead in training and development. Craig was formally Vice President of Distribution for Spring Arbor Distributors where he managed the distribution system of the market leader. Since 1999, Ewoldt has been serving with Oasis International in Nigeria. He is now equipped, like few people, to bring expertise and experience in management, sales, retailing, and distribution in both a western and African context. He is an excellent leader and teacher.

It has been Craig Ewoldt's lifelong passion to serve Christ and His church through the ministry of Christian books and Bibles. He has had the opportunity to train and mentor others to assume leadership in diverse areas, including bookstore management, distribution, purchasing, and information services. In serving Christian booksellers in Nigeria, there is a unique convergence of Ewoldt's passion and the application of skills he has learned and practiced over 26 years.

Tanya Thomas, Chief Operating Officer

Upon joining Oasis, Tanya was involved in cross-cultural ministry for over 10 years and in non-profit management for eight years with World Relief. In her last role, she served as North Regional Director for World Relief's U.S. Operations. Tanya graduated from Wheaton College with a B.A. in Sociology and a M.A. in Intercultural Studies and TESOL. She spent a portion of her childhood living in Tanzania and Kenya, where her parents were missionaries. As an adult she spent time in Zimbabwe and Chad and also made a return visit to Tanzania and Kenya. She has a heart for Africa and is excited to be part of distributing God's Word and helpful Christian resources throughout the continent.

Lauren Dillon, Director of Investor Relations

Lauren Dillon came to Oasis with development experience at a number of Chicago area non-profits. She is a graduate of Calvin College and currently earning her Masters of International Public Service at DePaul University.

Janice Muchai, Africa Study Bible Writing Coordinator

Janice serves as a liaison with the Africa Study Bible project, coordinating communication between writers and contributors in Africa and our project managers in the U.S. Previously, she worked for 12 years with leadership training and curriculum development in various parts of Africa. She served with International Christian Ministries, More than A Mile Deep, and Church Mission Society Africa, creating leadership training materials through church-based, accredited, contextualized processes for African leaders. Prior to non-profit work, Janice worked for 10 years in management positions within the Kenyan commercial sector.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Nairobi as well as an M.A. in Organizational Leadership from the Nairobi International School of Theology. She is based out of New York City.

Board of Directors

Edward Elliott - Chairman

Edward Elliott volunteers his time as Chairman of the Board of Oasis International and brings 25 years of experience in the international Christian literature marketplace. This includes being responsible for international sales at Tyndale House Publishers, founding Oasis International, and directing the work of Evangelical Literature Oversees. In addition, Elliott brings managerial and administrative experience having owned his own business for over 20 years. He has also served on the boards of National Religious Broadcasters, the Tyndale Foundation, Dreams Indeed, and the Moody Alumni Association.

Tim Martins

Tim Martins is Chairman & CEO of Barbour Publishing, the leading publisher of promotionally priced inspirational products. Martins joined the Barbour team in 1987, and acquired the company in June of 2000. Prior to that, he served as Communications Director for a small non-profit organization ministering to physically disabled youth and adults. Martins is a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois.

Steve Nelson

Steve Nelson is the Director for Strategic Initiatives at Opportunity International, a Christian development organization. He oversees prospect research and proposal/report writing. Steve directs Opportunity International's $25 million Lending Hope to Africa Campaign and is responsible to raise additional funds for about 10 other projects. His fundraising role supports a team of 15 major gift officers around the country. He is married to Sharon and has four young kids. He teaches Sunday School and leads AWANA at Wheaton Bible Church in Wheaton, Illinois.

Steve Potratz

Steve Potratz is the CEO and President of Parable Christian Stores, a digital advertising and Christian store ministry. He actively serves as an Elder at Grace Church San Luis Obispo, California, and has served on many ministry boards, including Christian Radio corporation, Logos Broadcasting. He served many years on the advisory council for Multnomah Publishers. Steve has been married to his wife, Laurie, for 41 years, and they have 2 children, and 4 grandchildren.

Tite Tienou, Ph.D.

Dr. Tienou is Senior Vice President of Education, Dean of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and professor of theology of mission at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has been at Trinity since 1997. Prior to coming to Trinity, Dr. Tienou served as president and dean of the Faculte de Theologie Evangelique de l'Alliance in Abidjan, Cote Ivoire West Africa, and taught for nine years at Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, New York. He was the founding director and professor of the Maranatha Institute in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, in addition to being a pastor in the Central Church of the Christian Alliance Church.

Dr. Tienou's areas of expertise include missions, theology, and the church in Africa. He has been a member of the African Studies Association since 1991 and the OMSC Study Group on Mission Issues since 1985. Dr. Tienou served as the senior mission scholar in residence at Overseas Ministries Study Center in New Haven, Connecticut and research fellow at Yale Divinity School.

Engineer Solomon Chikan (out of Jos, Nigeria)

Engineer Chikan is the chairman and former director of Jos Municipal Development Board. He is the author of several books, a nationally recognized seminar leader on wealth creation, a financial counselor and life coach. He is a long time customer and supporter of Oasis Distributions in Nigeria. He is a committed Christian and member of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN).

C. Jeffrey Wright

Jeff Wright is Chief Executive Officer of Urban Ministries Inc (UMI), the largest African American Christian publishing and media company. The firm's magazines, books, movies, and other products have been promoted nationally for over forty years. UMI serves over 50,000 church customers and reaches millions of consumers in its target market. Jeff spent fifteen year in new business development and mergers and acquisitions roles with Fortune 50 companies like Bristol Myers Squibb and Johnson & Johnson before joining UMI in 1994. Jeff serves on several industry and non-profit board of directors. He is also an attorney, a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and has an M.B.A. in finance from Columbia University. Jeff is married to Lakita Garth and has four children.

Virginia A. Elliott

Virginia Elliott co-founded Oak Foundation/Oasis International along with her husband, Edward. Having grown up in Detroit in a family committed to Christian missions, her vision for international Christian publishing grew out of her husband's work at Tyndale House Publishers, international travel and living in England. Mrs. Elliott is a graduate of the Moody Bible Institute (Chicago). In addition to the obligations required of the spouse of a small business owner, Elliott has focused her energies on being a mother, grandmother, and homemaker.