 :: Staff | Our Story "We stood on the bridge on the Nile River as the civil war was ending in Uganda, the bridge where Idi Amin's soldiers shot and killed so many..." Surge International was born from a single mission trip to Mexico with a college soccer team, from Southern California, over 25 years ago. Since that time David Irby, Founder and CEO of Surge International, has helped pioneer global soccer ministry and has organized soccer ministry projects in over thirty countries of the world. Upon returning from that first missions trip with his Azusa Pacific University soccer team, Dave felt lead to go into full time soccer ministry. Dave coached a few more successful seasons at Azusa Pacific University (APU) where he was twice named Coach of the Year. He continued to seek the Lord's calling into soccer ministry during these years at APU. In 1981, he became the first Soccer Coach for Sports Life Ministries Soccer Team (Tacoma, WA). In 1984, he was the first full-time staff member for Missionary Athletes International (MAI), founding their Seahorse Soccer Team. Following his time with MAI, Dave founded Vanguard Ministries, which is now Surge International. In 1985, Dave's vision to have soccer ministry at a higher level lead him to Salem, Oregon where he began working with the Cascade Surge (1995-2009) of the United Soccer League (USL). Top collegiate soccer players and international players were invited to play for the Surge team (May through July) and use their skills on international soccer ministry tours. Though Surge Int'l has stopped operating the team in a league, Surge Int'l. will continue to use the team and small groups of players for global outreach purposes.
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Surge International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Copyright 2009, All rights reserved
