Following many years as a traveling evangelist, Dean Niforatos felt it was time to start his own nonprofit ministry. However, the Lord had a different idea in mind! Through a prophetic word, the Lord promised to bring someone who would set up the nonprofit and expand the ministry he and his wife, Carol, had faithfully completed for more than two decades.

In 2003, Shannon Coenen was part of a mission team traveling to South Sudan. During that trip, the Lord called Shannon into full-time missions ministry, but did not provide any details until she returned back to the United States. Shortly after, the Lord gave her a vision laying out the structure, name, initial missionaries, and function of what would become Global Outreach Foundation (GOF). The administrative support provided by GOF allows  missionaries more time to do what they do best: minister to people!

GOF became an officially recognized nonprofit in 2004 and from its humble beginnings, GOF now has missionary couples serving across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America, and includes a variety of ministries such as house churches, human trafficking rescue, cross-cultural evangelism, ministry training, and worship arts.

Though GOF has grown in size and influence, its focus has endured through the years: building the church by empowering believers & church leaders to share their faith, disciple others, and plant churches!