Our History
From humble beginnings in Chiang Dao, the James O. Fraser Centre has grown into a place of discipleship, biblical training, and preparation for gospel ministry.
A Heritage of Faithful Gospel Ministry
The James O. Fraser Centre grew out of a desire to see Christians from the hill-tribe communities of Northern Thailand and neighbouring countries deeply grounded in the gospel and equipped to serve Christ in their churches and communities.
Ted & Nell Hope
Ted and Nell Hope had served among the Lisu people in Thailand since the 1950s. After many years of missionary service, they came out of retirement to help establish what would become the James O. Fraser Centre.
Their long experience among the Lisu and their commitment to Christian discipleship helped turn the vision for a residential training centre into reality.
Ted and Nell played an important role in the centre’s earliest years, helping lay the foundations for the ministry that would continue through those who followed them.
The Beginning of the James O. Fraser Centre
For many years, Lisu Christian leaders have desired a place where their young people could receive sound theological education, English-language training, and practical preparation for Christian service.
This vision began to take shape through the work of long-serving missionaries Ted and Nell Hope.
In 2008, a former resort in Chiang Dao was purchased and named the James O. Fraser Centre, after the first pioneering missionary to the Lisu people. The abandoned property had largely been reclaimed by the jungle, but with the help of around 150 local people it was cleared and prepared for ministry.
The McIntosh Family
As Ted and Nell Hope prepared to return home from the mission field, Jim and Linda McIntosh were called to continue the work.
After ten years of dairy farming in Australia, Jim and Linda moved to Northern Thailand in 2008 with their five children. They brought with them a strong conviction that Christian training should involve more than the classroom.
In 2009, the residential program began with one missionary family and just eight students. As the ministry grew, God provided additional staff, and the centre gradually developed into a community devoted to discipleship, biblical study, and preparation for Christian ministry.
Whole-of-Life Discipleship
From the beginning, JOFC has sought to form Christian character as well as teach Christian truth. Staff and students live, worship, study, work, and serve together as a Christian community.
Community
Staff and students share daily life together, learning to live out the gospel in relationships.
Mentoring
Students are personally guided, encouraged, prayed for, and discipled by mature Christians.
Work
Practical work provides opportunities to learn responsibility, humility, perseverance, and service.
Study
Students are grounded in Scripture, Christian doctrine, and the foundations of faithful ministry.
Mission
Students serve local churches, share the gospel, disciple others, and gain experience in Christian ministry.
Training a New Generation
Over the years, students have come to JOFC from a number of ethnic groups, including Lisu, Lahu, Karen, Hmong, and Akha communities.
Students and staff live alongside one another, worship together, study the Bible and theology, share meals, work together, and serve in local churches throughout the region.
Many former students have gone on to become teachers, disciplers, church workers, and gospel ministers. In time, former students themselves became part of the teaching staff, investing in those who came after them.
A number of staff families have come and gone over the years and they each have made valuable contributions to the life and ministry of JOFC.
Growing in the Word of God
At the centre of JOFC is the conviction that God transforms His people through His Word. Our desire is not simply for students to gain knowledge, but for them to know Christ, delight in Scripture, grow in holiness, and learn to teach the Bible faithfully.
One significant development has been the use of the Moore College Preliminary Theological Certificate. The material has been translated into Thai for use at JOFC and beyond, while work has also been undertaken to make theological training available in Lisu.
This growing emphasis on biblical and theological education continues to shape the future of the centre.
Serving the Wider Region
From its earliest years, JOFC has looked beyond the boundaries of the centre itself. Students have served in surrounding villages, local churches, evangelistic ministries, and cross-cultural mission.
A major milestone came in 2021, when former JOFC students Yawbay and Dorcas established the Word Minister Training Centre (WMTC) in Myanmar. After ten years of study and service at JOFC and further theological training in Singapore, they returned to Myanmar to train others and strengthen gospel ministry there.
Their story reflects something JOFC has prayed for from the beginning: that those who are discipled and trained here would go on to disciple, teach, and equip others.
Our Story at a Glance
Some of the important moments in the life and ministry of the James O. Fraser Centre.
The Centre Is Established
A former resort in Chiang Dao is purchased and prepared as a centre for discipleship, theological education, and ministry training. Jim and Linda McIntosh move to Thailand to continue the work begun by Ted and Nell Hope.
The First Students Arrive
JOFC begins its residential training program with one missionary family and eight students.
Word Minister Training Centre
Former JOFC students Yawbay and Dorcas establish the Word Minister Training Centre in Myanmar, extending the vision of discipleship and theological education into the wider region.
A New Season of Theological Education
In 2026, the theological training ministry of the James O. Fraser Centre entered a new chapter. The Jeffery family joined the team in February, and later that year the ministry adopted the name Cornerstone Bible College, reflecting a renewed commitment to rigorous biblical and theological education for the churches of Thailand and the wider region.
Continuing the Work
Much has changed since eight students first gathered at JOFC in 2009, but our foundational purpose remains. Our desire is to see men and women transformed by the gospel, deeply rooted in the Word of God, and equipped to serve faithfully in their churches and communities. We pray that God will continue to raise up faithful Christian leaders who will teach His Word, disciple others, strengthen His church, and carry the gospel to those who have not yet heard.
One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
Psalm 119:105
QUICK LINKS
CONTACT
J.O. Fraser Centre
206 Village 12, Rong Wua
Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai 50170