American preacher. His childhood and adolescence were spent in Full Gospel and Assemblies of God circles, of which his parents were ministers. In 1948 in the Holywood North Assembly of God congregation Ralph Mahoney committed his life to the service of the missionary cause. He was ordained to the Assemblies of God ministry in 1955. Married to Rose Shelton, they went to the Louisiana Country District to assist Peggy Ketchel in an open-air tent revival campaign.

In the late 1950s he began to travel outside the country to meet and help Pentecostal missionaries who, at that time, had no one to represent them, as the historic churches did not accept the new spiritual movement favourably. Thus World MAP (World Mission Aid Plan) was born, with a view to providing the basis of support for these missionaries. Out of this came Acts magazine, published in 12 languages, whose main purpose is to convey the message of the renewing power of the Holy Spirit and to share it with as many church leaders as possible throughout the world.