Rev. Bert and Carolyn Farias are the founders of Holy Fire Ministries, a ministry committed to carrying the spirit of prayer and revival all over the world. Before founding this ministry, they served as missionaries in West Africa for nearly a decade with an organization called Living Word Missions, founded by the late Russ Tatro and his wife Wendy.

While in West Africa Bert and Carolyn helped the Tatros father a unique Bible training center and discipleship strategy and structure that is now being used worldwide and has produced 100,000 graduates from many different denominational backgrounds. During their overseas ministry, spiritual impartation was made to men and women from all walks of life with many responding to the call of God.

From 1991-92, Bert led an evangelistic invasion comprised mainly of young men and women, into the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone.

There he conducted extensive evangelistic street rallies and monthly evangelistic crusades that set the city ablaze with the gospel and helped to change the image of Christianity in that city.

Many were saved, filled with the Holy Spirit, and miraculously healed in these street rallies and crusades. Many young people received an impartation and were trained in the work of the ministry.  At that same time Carolyn worked to train musical teams who would later go out and hold evangelistic concerts.

From 1993-1996, Bert and Carolyn established an interdenominational Bible training center in Gambia, a small, 96% Islamic nation in West Africa. There they taught and made disciples and trained missionaries to effectively reach the nations. Today the work there, now under national leadership, continues to produce quality front-runners who are carrying the gospel into the Muslim world.

It was during their time in Gambia, in 1995, when the spirit of prayer came upon Carolyn. The Holy Spirit began training her to pray with the anointing, thus achieving amazing results and answers to prayer.  Since that time Carolyn has been making disciples wherever she goes, imparting the spirit of prayer to many and helping train them in the art of effectual prayer.

During their early years of mission work in West Africa, under sometimes very adverse circumstances, Bert and Carolyn exemplified courage and learned to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.  From wars to tropical diseases to the inconveniences of the harsh heat and lack of electricity in the region, as well as death threats in Muslim areas, the Farias’ have stood true to their calling and the great commission to preach the gospel and make disciples.

After their time in the Gambia, God called the Farias’ back to the U.S. where they have continued to remain true to their calling. From 1999-2003, Bert and Carolyn were a part of the leadership team of a dynamic Bible school that was birthed from a heaven-sent revival in Pensacola, Florida, where approximately 4 million visitors came from around the world with 150,000 experiencing first time salvation.

While there Bert served as the internship coordinator with a focus on preparing and training students for the ministry by adding to the classroom instruction, mentoring and practical field opportunities. Carolyn was also instrumental in raising up small prayer groups within the school that gave personal training and mentoring to students desiring to learn to pray with the Holy Spirit.

In 2006 Bert and Carolyn relocated to New England where they set up a base for international and stateside travel ministry. They also have a base in Gambia that serves as a beachhead into other places on the African continent where they continue to offer oversight and training to many.