Jari Paavo Portaankorva

Born in Rovaniemi, Finland, Jari came to faith in Jesus Christ in 1975 while attending a Lutheran confirmation camp. Although raised in a Laestadian Lutheran family, he was also influenced by the local Pentecostal church during his youth. In 1985, sensing God’s call to ministry, he enrolled in a Baptist Bible college to prepare for missionary service.

Jari pursued advanced theological and academic studies at the University of Helsinki, specializing in the study of religion. While there, he became a visiting student at the University of Oxford. His doctoral research focused on religious diplomacy and conflict resolution, examining the role of faith communities in peacemaking during the Sierra Leone Civil War. He earned his doctorate in 2018, and his scholarly work has since focused on religion, peacebuilding, Christian-Muslim relations, and reconciliation in conflict zones.

Following his ministerial training, Jari and his family served for a short time in 1998 as missionaries in Sierra Leone, West Africa, with the European Baptist Mission. Their missionary assignment coincided with the final stages of the Sierra Leone Civil War, providing firsthand experience that would later shape both his academic research and his ministry philosophy.

After returning to Finland, Jari continued in pastoral ministry while assuming increasing leadership responsibilities within the Finnish Baptist Union. He has served as pastor of Helsinki Baptist Church and has led the Finnish Baptist denomination for many years, promoting biblical discipleship, evangelism, church planting, theological education, and cooperation among evangelical churches. In addition to his denominational leadership, he has contributed extensively to theological scholarship and educational institutions. He was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies in 2019 and 2025 and a Visiting Research Fellow at the International Baptist Theological Study Centre in Amsterdam from 2023 to 2024.

Jari became involved with Capitol Ministries in 2023 after attending the International Training Conference in Washington, D.C. Inspired by Capitol Ministries’ commitment to making disciples of political leaders through the faithful teaching of God’s Word, he returned with a vision to establish the same ministry in Finland. Today, he partners with Capitol Ministries to establish and strengthen Bible studies for elected officials and government leaders. He is convinced that discipling public servants through systematic Bible teaching transforms lives and equips them to lead with biblical wisdom, integrity, and humility.