Dr. Ryan and Kristen O’Leary are serving First Peoples in North America. Ryan is a member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesota and has served in various leadership capacities among tribal people for the last 25 years. Ryan currently leads one of  Converge International Ministries’ global initiatives - the First Peoples Initiative. The vision of this initiative is: We are asking God for a gospel movement among First Peoples in North America, so that 70,000 First Peoples, or approximately 1% of the population, are reached for Jesus and are raised up to participate in God’s global mission. The First Peoples Initiative has six centers or large-scale ministries within it. They include the following: church planting/revitalization, sports ministry, missing and murdered Indigenous women, justice/reconciliation and healing; business as mission, and youth and family.

Along with leading the First Peoples Initiative, Ryan also serves as the President of the National Association of Native Evangelicals in the United States. This organization focuses on equipping, uniting, and encouraging the Body of Christ related to Indigenous people and ministry in the U.S. for the glory of God. Along with leading the ministries already mentioned, Ryan also preaches God’s word in various settings, including in tribal settings throughout North America, and teaches Bible and ministry classes through various discipleship training programs and Christian colleges serving Indigenous people in North America. Kristen is involved in a variety of ministries related to First Peoples and is particularly passionate about working with youth and the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women.