East-West began because two men saw a need for the gospel in unreached and restricted access areas of the world.

In an act of bold obedience to Christ’s command to go and make disciples of all nations, East-West was launched in 1993 by John Maisel and Bud Toole. What informally started behind the Iron Curtain in the 1980s became a missions organization with a zeal for empowering national pastors and local believers to transform their communities by making disciples and multiplying churches.

Our passion for Jesus, grace, spiritually dark places, and bold action is the heartbeat that continues to sustain our ministry as we rely on God to use us to reach the unreached. Today, our organization is made up of thousands of believers from around the world who are committed to starting church planting movements in more than 70 spiritually dark nations.