History of MASA by Lee Smoll, Executive Director

The Roots of MASA go deep. It began about 30 years ago when I met Bob Griffin, a JAARS pilot. I gave him a ride from Appleton to the EAA Convention Grounds in Oshkosh. Bob's crew quickly grew in the next couple of years and I recognized the opportunity for local believers to serve by helping with food. Within a couple of years, MAF and others started attending the EAA and we began providing housing and transportation for the visiting missionaries as well as food. Initially, Marlene McMullin took on the challenge and was arranging most of this with women from her church and other close friends. In the late 80's Marlene recognized that she needed more help. That's when I visited local churches and invited them to join in the ministry. Committees formed to oversee the various areas of ministry. In 2000, we became MASA (Mission Aviation Support Association). We house any IAMA (International Association of Mission Aviation) missionaries attending the EAA. MASA continues to grow. We are a 501 (c)(3) organization. A policy governance board was formed in 2010 with members listed below.

MASA Governing Board

Bob Ronk, Chairman

Mike Ott, Secretary

Les Ison, Treasurer

Dan Holdridge

Larry Creamer

Terry Montambo

MASA Leadership Team:

Lee Smoll, Executive Director and Church Relations

Les Ison, Treasurer and Vehicles

Bob Ronk, Secretary

Terry Montambo, Hospitality Site

Debbie Montambo, Kitchen Supervisor

Connie Long, Meal Coordinator

Lynn Brown, Housing

Jill Ronk, Dining Room

Anita Holdridge, Airport Transportation (Chauffeur's)

Joyce Ison, Meal Registration

Bonnie Hegner, Baggage Security

In addition to those named above, we have many faithful servants that have worked with us for years to make this ministry possible. Everyone plays a vital part in serving our aviation missionaries. If you would like to be involved, please contact me. Lee Smoll, 920.725.6631 or [email protected] or the contact-us tab above.

Mission Statement

The Mission Aviation Support Association (MASA) exists to support JAARS, MAF and other IAMA organization at the EAA AirVenture by providing:

• On-grounds hospitality tent and meals
• Housing in area homes
• Transportation
• Speaking opportunities

To provide meals, we coordinate with area churches, Bible study groups and interested individuals to prepare and serve well-balanced meals at our on-grounds hospitality tent. To provide housing, we personally visit homes prior to sending our guests. To provide transportation, we coordinate with individuals for loan of personal vehicles and arrange for drivers to pick up passengers at local airports. To provide speaking opportunities, we contact area churches and community groups interested in learning about the organizations we serve.

MASA Statement of Faith

We adhere to the following truths of the Christian faith:

• The divine inspiration of the canonical Scripture in its entirety; that the Bible is inerrant in its original writings and is of supreme authority in human faith and practice.

• One God eternally co-existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
• The deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, who is both Savior and Lord; in His incarnate birth of a virgin, perfect human life, redeeming death, bodily resurrection, on-going heavenly intercession, and pending personal return.

• The personality of the Holy Spirit by whose regenerative work sinful humans are “born again” (as explained by Christ and as recorded in the 3rd chapter of John’s Gospel) and by whose indwelling regenerated humans are enabled to live Godly, Christ-like lives.

• The creation of man and woman in God’s image.

• Man’s subsequent fall through rebellious sin, resulting in universal guilt and total depravity and the necessity, therefore, of redemption and restoration.

• The substitutionary death of Christ working atonement for human sins.

• Justification of humans by God’s grace through faith (obedient trust) in the person and work of Christ.

• The future bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessed life of the saved and the eternal punishment of the lost.

• The spiritual unity of all believers composing the true Church, which has the duty to preach the Gospel of Christ among all ethnic groups.

Reasons Mission Aviators Come to the EAA Fly-In

Local evangelical churches and their members were involved in the following ways

• Scheduling missionary speakers for Sunday Church Services or other events such as youth groups during the week of EAA AirVenture.
• Hosting pot luck dinners or barbecues for the missionaries and allowing them to speak afterward
• Bringing a morning, noon or evening meal onto the EAA "MASA" campground site
• Contributing financially to the effort and specifically to Mission Aviation Agencies for campground and exhibitor space.
• Housing missionary pilots/families or representatives.