Joeann Rochester

Apostle Dr. Jo Anna Rochester was born on February 19, 1949, in Columbus, Georgia, to the late Clifford Harold Handberry and Katie Belle Handberry. She was raised in a loving family where faith, perseverance, and service to others became the foundation of a remarkable life devoted to God. She is lovingly known by her family as " Missionary".

She was preceded in death by her beloved parents; her brother, Clifford Handberry Jr.; her brother-in-law, Jimmie Montgomery; and her nephew, Michael Tucker Jr.

From an early age, Jo Anna accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. As she matured in her walk with Christ, she recognized a divine calling upon her life that would ultimately lead her far beyond the borders of the United States and into the nations of the world.

Her spiritual foundation was firmly established at Straight Gate International Church in Detroit, Michigan, under the pastoral leadership of Bishop Andrew Merritt. It was there that she was nurtured, discipled, and equipped in the Word of God. Straight Gate became her church home until the Lord released her into full-time missionary ministry. Throughout her lifetime, Apostle Rochester remained submitted to spiritual authority and faithfully served alongside many distinguished pastors and ministry leaders around the world. Although her assignment carried her across continents, Michigan always remained her home base, serving as the headquarters for the ministry God entrusted to her.

After graduating from Michigan State University, she earned her teaching degree and began a distinguished career with the Detroit Board of Education, where she faithfully served as an educator and administrator. Although she enjoyed a successful professional career in education, God's call upon her life became undeniable. In complete obedience to His voice, she surrendered her position with the Detroit Board of Education to pursue full-time missionary service, believing there was no greater assignment than proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations.

Her first international missionary journey took her to China, where she ministered alongside the late Dr. Marilyn Hickey. That historic mission experience marked the beginning of a lifetime devoted to global evangelism and confirmed her unwavering commitment to fulfilling the Great Commission.

Beginning her international missionary work in 1985, Apostle Rochester coordinated evangelistic crusades throughout the world. Her passion for souls led to the incorporation of Every People, Tribe and Nation (EPTN) Evangelistic Association in 1994, a nonprofit ministry established to reach the world through evangelism, humanitarian outreach, leadership development, and missionary training.

As Founder and Overseer of the Every People, Tribe and Nation (EPTN) International Missionary and Evangelist Training School, she faithfully equipped, mentored, and commissioned believers for worldwide ministry. Through this ministry, more than 120 missionaries graduated and were sent into the nations to preach the Gospel and establish the Kingdom of God.

Under the visionary leadership of Apostle Dr. Jo Anna Rochester, EPTN led more than 800,000 people to Jesus Christ while establishing numerous humanitarian and Kingdom initiatives throughout the world.

Through her leadership, the ministry planted and strengthened churches; established schools, medical clinics, irrigation systems, leadership training centers, and community development programs; and launched humanitarian outreach initiatives that provided clean water, food, clothing, medicine, medical equipment, transportation, and technological resources to underserved communities across the nations.

EPTN also equipped and trained pastors, church leaders, evangelists, missionaries, and ministry leaders to advance the Kingdom of God through transformational community impact, serving both Neighborhoods and Nations.

In addition, Apostle Rochester's ministry provided ongoing support for church planting, leadership development, and global missions, leaving a lasting legacy of faith, compassion, and hope that continues to impact lives around the world.

Apostle Rochester received ministerial training through Victory World Missions Training School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Faith Training Center in Walhalla, South Carolina. She furthered her academic studies at Eastern Michigan University and was later awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Christ Life Bible Institute in recognition of her outstanding ministry and Kingdom leadership.

Throughout more than four decades of ministry, Apostle Rochester proclaimed the Gospel in more than 130 nations, including China, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Russia, Haiti, and countless other countries throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and the Americas. Whether ministering in churches, villages, hospitals, prisons, orphanages, conferences, crusades, leadership summits, or through radio and television broadcasts, she faithfully carried the message of hope found in Jesus Christ.

During an international leadership gathering, the late Dr. Myles Munroe publicly affirmed and recognized the apostolic calling upon her life, acknowledging the extraordinary leadership and global influence God had entrusted to her ministry. Those who knew Apostle Rochester witnessed that apostolic mantle through her unwavering commitment to establishing ministries, raising leaders, and advancing the Kingdom of God throughout the nations.

Although she traveled extensively and ministered under the covering of many respected pastors and apostolic leaders throughout the world, Michigan remained the headquarters of her ministry. Bishop Glenn Plummer, Senior Pastor of Ambassadors for Christ Church, faithfully embraced the vision of Every People, Tribe and Nation and provided a ministry home where EPTN could continue to flourish. Through this partnership, and through the ministry broadcasts of CTN (Christian Television Network), Apostle Rochester's preaching reached millions of viewers with the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.

No one fulfills a global assignment alone. Throughout her ministry, countless churches, pastors, ministry partners, faithful supporters, intercessors, financial partners, and vision carriers came alongside Apostle Rochester to labor together in love. Their prayers, generosity, encouragement, and faithful partnership enabled the vision God placed in her heart to reach nations with the Gospel. She deeply treasured every relationship and often reminded others that Kingdom ministry is accomplished through unity, partnership, and obedience to God's call.

Her ministry embodied the vision of Revelation 7:9—bringing the Gospel to every people, tribe, and nation. She believed every believer possessed God-given potential and that ordinary men and women could accomplish extraordinary things through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Beyond the pulpit, Apostle Rochester was a spiritual mother, mentor, teacher, counselor, encourager, missionary, and faithful friend. She invested her life into raising spiritual sons and daughters who continue carrying the Gospel throughout the world. Her wisdom, humility, generosity, unwavering faith, and compassionate heart left an indelible mark upon churches, communities, leaders, and families across the globe.

Apostle Dr. Jo Anna Rochester leaves to cherish her precious memory her beloved aunt, Juanita Grier, and uncle, Horace Grier, both of Columbus, Georgia; her loving siblings, Ronald Wayne Handberry and Miechele Montgomery, both of Ohio, and Minister Shelia (Evangelist Michael) Tucker of Michigan; her cherished nieces, Veronique Chantelle Sanders, Tanya (Fred) Tavolette, Ketasha (Jamerald) Arrington, Michelle (Kyndal) McAllister, and Shemeka (Patrick) Martin, all of Michigan; along with a host of great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, spiritual sons and daughters, ministry partners, covenant friends, and beloved family members around the world.

Although her earthly assignment has been completed, her legacy continues through the missionaries she trained, the churches she established, the leaders she mentored, the souls she led to Christ, and the countless lives transformed through her faithful obedience to God's call. Her life stands as a testimony that one person wholly surrendered to God can impact generations and nations for the glory of Jesus Christ.

"To God be the glory, for the things He has done."

"Well done, good and faithful servant... enter into the joy of your Lord."

Matthew 25:23