Patti and Tim Long Retire After 40 Years of Dedication and Service with International Ministries

Tim and Patti Long have faithfully served in God’s mission through International Ministries for 40 years. Focusing their ministry on education in Iberoamerica and the Caribbean, Tim worked in theological studies with students and leaders and Patti served students with special needs and their families.

After meeting in college, Tim and Patti spent the first 5 years of marriage working in church ministry serving the remote parts of Eastern Kentucky. It was through this experience that they felt the call to cross-cultural ministry. After Tim graduated from seminary, IM commissioned him and Patti in June 1984. Although Patti was fluent, Tim knew no Spanish, and they spent a year in Costa Rica for language school while also serving many displaced people from El Salvador and Nicaragua.

In 1985, the Longs, including their three children (all under 5 years of age), began serving as the first American Baptist missionaries appointed in the Dominican Republic (DR). Patti helped foster church programs and worked with leadership and members as they began new church schools. Tim worked closely with new leaders of churches and associations because of the lack of theological or formal pastoral training. Over the ten years of ministry in the DR, they started medical ministries and a training program and helped churches grow.

In 1989, God began preparing Patti and Tim for a unique ministry with the birth of their fourth child, Daniel. Born with Down syndrome and several health issues, Patti needed to become a student-researcher to care for Daniel, learning everything from early intervention therapies to special education. At the time, children with special needs were often hidden away. However, the DR church community fully welcomed and embraced Daniel. This was a picture of what God had in store for future ministry areas.

Tim and Patti were called to serve in Baja California in 1996. Tim began working with pastors and churches throughout the area and equipping leaders through the seminary in Mexicali. Meanwhile, even as Patti was still learning, she held workshops. She aimed to show churches and seminary students ways to include kids with special needs and their families.

In 2003, Patti was asked to develop a program for students with special needs. The school, started by a newly planted church, had opened its doors to all kids. This was unusual for the time, and teachers and leaders struggled to help the students. “My degree was not in special education,” Patti shared, “but I felt that from what I’d learned through Daniel, I could do that!” The program and curriculum are now an integral part of the Centro Pedagógico Didaqué School in Tijuana. The school continues to flourish today, helping educate students of all abilities and giving them and their families a sense of belonging and hope.

Tim has also been part of a team that started a contextualized higher education program. In collaboration with Palmer Theological Seminary, he joined other leaders from IM and the seminary in developing the Masters of Theological Studies (MTS) in Latino/a Ministries. This fully online master’s for Spanish-speaking students is a two-year program that equips leaders from all walks of life to serve in ministry and deepen their faith through studying God’s Word. At the date of Tim’s retirement from IM, they had witnessed 215 graduates and 26 cohorts. He shared, “What gives me the most pleasure is seeing women and men who are called to leadership positions grow and have confidence, even certain transformation, in their lives through formal studies.”

In 2016, Tim and Patti’s service came full circle. Tim was invited back to the DR to help with leadership training, out of which developed a yearly retreat called “Encounter.” During these visits, he reconnected with colleagues and students from over 30 years prior—people who were involved with their kids during formative years; people who spent time in their home. Tim and Patti shared that this type of long-term relationship with people has been a true blessing during their time of service and is what cross-cultural mission is all about.

Patti and Tim have both advanced God’s mission through their ministries. Their work with students shows God’s faithfulness and love, and this legacy will ripple out as leaders and families share what they have learned.

Even after retiring on September 30, 2024, they remain active in serving others. Patti focuses on families and those in the special needs community. Tim is still serving as an adjunct professor and is part of the administrative team for the MTS program. In early 2025, he will also travel to the DR for another “Encounter” weekend, will meet with a new cohort of MTS students in Philadelphia, and will travel to Chile and Brazil in support of MTS cohorts there.

We are thankful for the many years of service the Longs have given to others through International Ministries! IM’s Board of Directors will celebrate the Long’s retirement on September 12, 2025. Please celebrate and honor Patti and Tim with us, keeping them in prayer as they continue to serve God into retirement.

Continue Your Support for These Ministries

If you would like to continue supporting these ministries in which Patti and Tim Long have faithfully served, you can do so in three ways:

• Redirect your gift to the Latin America – MTS Scholarships in Latino/a Ministries project to continue helping MTS students and future church leaders thrive in their communities.
• Redirect your gift to the Mexico – School Uniforms and Books, Mexico – Hot Meals for Children in Tijuana, and STEP – Mexico, Tijuana projects to continue supporting students at the Didaqué School in Tijuana.
• Redirect your support to IM Global Servant Mercy González-Barnes. Mercy serves in theological education and leadership development in Iberoamerica and the Caribbean. She teaches in the MTS program, mentoring and walking alongside men and women following God’s call in their lives.

For questions regarding redirecting your support, don’t hesitate to get in touch with IM donor services.