EVANGELIST
ANGELO MELI
Despite being born to a good Catholic home, Angelo’s distaste for religion and tradition propelled him into the drugs and delinquency of the streets of Buffalo, New York, but he soon realized there were no answers there either. 19 years old, he sat on a street curb at 2 o’clock in the morning and cried out to God for rescue; but it had to be reality, not religion. The next few months brought several radical and glorious encounters with the Lord: he was immediately delivered from addiction, baptized in the Holy Ghost and fire, and grew in hunger and thirst for more of God! In 2002, he attended a meeting where Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke gave an altar call for those willing to give their lives for the sake of the gospel, Angelo answered and never looked back.
EVANGELIST
PAULIINA MELI
Born and raised in Helsinki, Finland, Pauliina grew up traveling the world and she knew from a very young age that she would spend her life in the nations one way or another.
Her traditional Lutheran upbringing had her poised to go to a well-reputed university and have an entirely respectable Finnish life, but when she encountered Jesus personally in 2001, all that changed. That singular encounter changed the course of her life, forsaking all (her educational plans, family, and nation) she answered the call to go to Bible school and preach in all the world.
TWO MADE ONE
With each of them independently following the leading of the Spirit, they both found themselves enrolled at River Bible Institute in Tampa, FL in 2004. It is here they met and became friends. They soon realized they had the same call of God and passion to reach the nations for Jesus. They got engaged 2005 and married 2006. They had their first kiss at the altar.
While in Tampa, Pauliina worked personally for Pastors Rodney and Adonica Howard-Browne, and in 2007 both Angelo and Pauliina traveled on the road with Pastors Rodney and Adonica during the Great Awakening Tour, training Churches around America how to do one on one evangelism and leading thousands to Christ.
In 2008, they moved to San Diego, CA to join Abiding Place Ministries and serve under Pastor Mark Spitsbergen, where Pauliina served as Pastor of Hospitality.
In 2014, Angelo and Pauliina were ordained and sent out of Abiding Place Ministries and have been traveling around the world and serving the global body of Christ ever since.