Hope Ministries was founded by Scott and Michelle Toth in 2008 in Castanhal, Brazil. Scott and Michelle originally went to Brazil in 1990 as missionaries under the Apostolic Christian Church before starting Hope Ministries. At present Hope Ministries operates as a non-profit organization under Fields of Harvest Church in Baytown, Texas. They also continue as an affiliated ministry of the Apostolic Christian Church Foundation.
Scott and Michelle Toth: Founders and Directors of Hope Ministries
Scott and Michelle have been working as church planters in the Amazon basin since 1990. Scott Toth, originally from Rochester, New York, started his missionary work as a counselor in a boy’s orphanage in Southern Brazil during the years of 1975-1979. Michelle was raised on the mission field in Papua New Guinea and also worked there both in church planting and as a missionary nurse and midwife from 1978-1981. Scott and Michelle married in 1982 and had 4 daughters before returning to the mission field in Brazil as a couple in 1990. Their 5th daughter was born in Brazil in 1991, followed by their first son in 1996 and one more daughter in 2000. All of their children were instrumental in the founding of Hope Ministries and have served over the years as staff and volunteers in the ministry. They have 4 grandchildren.
Rachel and David (Toth) Nogueira
Rachel Toth Nogueira, degree in psychology from Vanguard University, CA, worked initially as a volunteer and then a staff member to begin the Hope Ministries Safe Home Project, Vila Aviva. She is now residing in Irvine, CA with her son David Toth Nogueira.
Marçal, Rebekah (Toth), Jonathan and Benjamin
Marçal and Rebekah are full-time missionaries with Hope Ministries in Brazil. Marçal works as an assistant pastor in the Castanhal Church and as an evangelist and church planter on the Amazon River tributaries near Castanhal. Their sons are Jonathan (11) and Benjamin (9).
Bethany Toth
Bethany is living and working in Ezuz, Israel. She has worked as a volunteer in both the Hope Ministries office and on the Hope Ministries Medical Boat. Bethany follows in her grandfather, Victor Schlatter’s, footsteps in her love and commitment to the nation of Israel.
Higor, Christina (Toth) and Christian Henriques
Higor and Christina and their son, Christian, are living in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Higor has finished his medical residency in ICU and Christina has her bachelor’s degree in nursing with a post-graduation in obstetrics. They are continuing to help with the Medical Boat Ministry, accompanying and translating for medical teams from the US and providing medical coverage for the boat clinics.
Philip Daniel Toth
Philip is now working full time at Hope Ministries in church administration, youth ministry, worship ministry and in preaching and teaching. He also has a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Bruno and Deborah (Toth) Souza
Deborah serves as president and director of the Medical Boat Ministry. Deborah has her bachelor’s degree in nursing with a post-graduation in obstetrics and is now in her second year of medical school here in Brazil. She and Bruno are looking into the option of her continuing her medical school in the US while both remaining on our boards for the Medical Boat Ministry and the Vila Aviva Safe Home. Bruno has degrees in international business, law and theology.
Forrest and Havilah (Toth) Billman
Havilah married Forrest Billman in February of 2024 and is now working with Shores of Grace in Recife, Brazil. She is in her final year of law school. Havilah is also working part time on staff with Hope Ministries doing accounting by internet.
Victor and Elsie Schlatter (Tribute)
Victor Schlatter (1931-2022) and Elsie Schlatter (1933-2024) served as missionaries under the Apostolic Christian Church since answering God’s call to move to the mission field of Papua New Guinea in 1961. They lived in the remote PNG highlands with their four small children and worked 16 years translating the New Testament into the Angal Heneng Language. After establishing a strong network of local churches in their area of PNG, Elsie moved to Australia for 6 years where she studied nursing and midwifry. During this time, Victor lived part time in Australia and part time in PNG. Upon graduation in 1984, Elsie returned to PNG with Victor to work as a nurse and midwife in a Health Center near their home, while Victor continued planting churches and raising up national pastors and church leaders.
In 1990, Vic and Elsie moved to Australia and founded the South Pacific Island Ministries. Over the following 27 years, Victor served as the South Pacific ambassador of the International Christian Embassy of Jerusalem, encouraging awareness and support for Israel among the Pacific Island Nations. Vic and Elsie traveled for speaking engagements in over 50 countries and Victor wrote six books.
In May 2019 Vic and Elsie moved to Castanhal, Brazil, where Victor spent the last three years of his life and Elsie the last five. They counseled, taught in conferences, and passed on to the next generations a call for missions. Their lives were a tremendous example of simple, life-long obedience to Jesus and sensitivity to His Holy Spirit. They were an incalculable influence and inspiration in the lives of their daughter Michelle, son in law, Scott, and all their grandchildren. Vic and Elsie were foundational in the beginning of Hope Ministries in giving the Toth family encouragement and courage to continue in following the call of God in their lives.
Victor Kent Schlatter 03/16/1931 to 07/07/2022