Founder and Executive Director, STEM Int’l
Rev. Roger Peterson is the Founder and Executive Director of STEM Int’l, an international short-term mission organization he incorporated in December 1984. The son of a Lutheran minister and oldest of seven children, Roger was born in Illinois and grew up in Nebraska and Iowa. While in school he served as Student Body President of both his Junior and Senior High Schools.
the music motif
Roger began playing piano at age 4 and continued with keyboard studies until age 21. From 1970–1980 he performed as multi-keyboardist with four regional rock bands including ASI Records’ Archangel. Roger was also the auxiliary keyboard player several years for the Diana Pierce (popular Minneapolis T.V. news anchor) Good News Christmas Band. Currently he serves as the pianist/keyboardist for “Discover Church” worship services in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, preparing and playing three services each Sunday.
education & credentials
Roger holds an A.A. Degree, and a B.A. Degree in Organizational Leadership from Bethel University, St. Paul, Minnesota. He also earned a Diploma in Radio/TV Broadcasting from Brown College; and a Diploma in OT/NT Biblical Studies. Roger has completed the core graduate work in World Missions/Intercultural Studies (6 courses) at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California. Roger has been a fully licensed Minister of the Gospel under the International Ministerial Fellowship of Minneapolis, Minnesota, since 1990.
Near-Death Experience
Roger was a passenger on TWA Flight 841 in April 1979, which went out of control at 39,000 feet, making two complete barrel rolls and plunging over 34,000 feet in an accelerated nose-dive before making a miraculous recovery 44 seconds later. He has appeared four times on NBC/CBS network television regarding this incident, which was a major growth factor in his walk with Jesus Christ. This testimony appears in August 1980 Guideposts magazine.
STEM Int’l
Roger works to mobilize and increase mission activity among Christian churches in North America by having organized STEM Int’l within four organizational divisions: STEM Ministries, STEM Share, STEM Training, and STEM Press. STEM Ministries and STEM Share are administered and managed through a 4-year licensing arrangement with Bethany International as of September 2008.
STEM Ministries sends cross-cultural mission teams to Katrina-hit Gulf Coast States, Urban Minneapolis, and several Caribbean, Latin/South American nations.
STEM Share takes the light of Christ to unreached people groups by sending short-term teams to pray and serve with long-term Christian workers in restricted-access nations.
STEM Training empowers churches and other sending entities to achieve maximum impact in their short-term mission programs through industry-leading training events and consulting and speaking services.
STEM Press exists to extend God’s glory by publishing and distributing mission materials and resources that equip, support, and improve short-term mission efforts.
Roger has traveled in about 30 different nations, and has administrated, organized, trained, and/or led more than 450 short-term mission teams — representing more than 8,500 people — since his first short-term mission experience to Haiti in December 1980. He began his mission work in 1981 on a part-time basis while working full-time as a Registered Stockbroker. He became a full-time, faith-supported missions administrator in March 1985.
Writing & Speaking
Roger was the publisher of Mission Maker Magazine, a full-color, 100-page, 135,000 circulation mission magazine from 2005–2010. He is the co-author of Is Short-Term Mission Really Worth the Time and Money?, and of Can Short-Term Mission Really Create Career Missionaries?, and of Maximum Impact Short-Term Mission. Roger preaches and teaches domestically and internationally, and leads seminars and workshops related to short-term mission. He has written published articles on short-term mission for Perspectives on the World Christian Movement, the scholarly journal Missiology — An International Review, Mission Today, Mission Maker Magazine, Pulse, The Evangelical Missions Quarterly (EMQ), The Short-Term Mission Handbook, The Great Commission Handbook, The Christian College Handbook, and for other publishers.
Other Mission Involvement
Roger served until 2006 as Chairman of FSTML (Fellowship of Short-Term Mission Leaders), and served as the founding Chairman for the National Steering Committee of the SOE (U.S. Standards of Excellence in Short-Term Mission) until November 2006. He also served on the Board of Directors for the EFMA (Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies — now “The Mission Exchange”) 1999–2005. Roger also served as Founding Chairman of the Board of Directors for AESTM — the Alliance for Excellence in Short-Term Mission (the parent nonprofit for FSTML, NSTMC, and the SOE) until June 2009.
Church & Family
Roger is a member of “Discover Church” in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, where he has been ministering part-time as a regular worship musician (piano & keyboards) since August 2007. Previously Roger served in a neighboring church as Chairman of that church’s Organ Search Committee, World Mission Committee, and as Director of Young Single Adult Ministries — before meeting and marrying Melanie in 1993. Together Roger and Mel are raising their two children — Rachel (b. 1999), and Matthew (b. 2001). Roger spends free time bicycling, building treehouses, mowing his lawn (loves it!) or shoveling snow (doesn’t love it!), and occasionally does narratives and voice-overs for various Christian and other productions. And last but not least … Roger still plays 2 or 3 times a year in his high school rock band.
—Bio updated December 2009
