Our Staff

Gene Barnes - Executive Director

This is Gene Barnes, the director of Mission Norman. Gene provides the Mission leadership and takes care of planning, organizing, and operation of essential tasks. Gene is active in overseas missions, attending at least one every year. Gene worked at AT&T as a tower technician for 39 years.

Linda Barnes - Vice Director

This is Linda Barnes, the vice director of Mission Norman. Linda is Gene's right-hand woman. She has been Gene's faithful partner for over 50 years. She has raised two lovely daughters and worked as a precinct worker for 25 years.

Sandy Duncan - Office Manager

This is Sandy. She keeps records of all recipients of Mission Norman charities in our computer system. She also works at CASA, a program that recommends whether parents should regain custody of their children or not.

Mike Butler - Pastor of Church Planting and Outreach Programs

Dr. Mike Butler has been a longtime pastor in Oklahoma for 31 years. He has earned 3 degrees and has recently been declared permanently disabled. He considers himself medically retired, and as the Lord wills, he plans to give his last 8-10 years to the ministry of the poor and needy. Mike and and his wife, Gerri, have been married for 31 years and are the parents of 4 grown children.

Ron Banks
Director of Homeless Development

Ron has been a part of Mission Norman since January 2009. In July 2008, after 21 years in Florida in the air conditioning business, Ron was moved by the spirit to come back home to Oklahoma to serve the Lord. Ron and his wife Liz were called to help the homeless and after volunteering at Mission Norman they knew that they were truly home.

Liz Banks - Development Director

Liz Banks has been a stay at home mom and part owner of a contracting business for the last 21 years. God has called her and her family to love and minister to the less fortunate. She plans to devote her life to the Mission, God willing. Liz and Ron have been married for 23 years and have 3 children.

Cindy Honeycutt - Professional Counselor

Cindy Honeycutt is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor in the state of Oklahoma. She has worked in the mental health and substance abuse field in the Norman area for the last 15 years. She came to be a part of Mission Norman after several years of God’s gentle call. Cindy has worked with adults of all ages providing counseling and case management.

Buela Wade - Volunteer

buela bio

Michael Hatcher - Bible Study Leader

Michael moved to Norman to attend the University of Oklahoma's interior design school. With a father who labors among the homeless, Michael felt drawn to Mission Norman. He worked as the secretary for several years, but is now a full time student again at OU. He teaches five Bibles studies every week.

Jessica Reynolds - Bible Study Leader

Jessica has been serving through Mission Norman for many years, during her time as an OU student and afterwards. She has worked as the secretary for many years in the past. She is now a professor at OU. She also continues to faithfully serve as a Bible study leader in many of Norman's poorest multi-housing complexes.

David Hess - Volunteer

David works in the Mission Norman food pantry. He helps families fill their box with the appropriate food and stocks food on the shelves. David has worked for the Internal Revenue Services for two years, the Census bureau for three years.

David Tusen - Volunteer

David was saved in 2002, but has matured a lot in a short amount of time and volunteers regularly at the mission. Before David accepted the LORD, he says he was a “big sinner” and “lived a wild life style.” His personal testimony is how Jesus changed his life around. David served in the military for 19 years.