About Us
Herzlich willkommen! Welcome!
We live in southwest Germany and serve Christ Jesus through ABWE - Association of Baptists for World Evangelism. We work together with a group of other missionaries, pastors and lay people - Missions Dienst Kusel - by helping mainly in a small church in Pirmasens, Germany. Pirmasens is a city which is very close to the French border. It is located in a very beautiful forested area in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz. It is a city of about 40,000 people, with a rich history. Historically, it held the title "shoe capital of the world" and up until 1994 was home to an American army base. While some shoes are still manufactured here, production has fallen off dramatically due to the loss of most of its shoe companies. The city no longer has the influence that it once enjoyed, and there is a disproportionate number of underprivileged people living here. Along with serving the German believers here in Pirmasens, we are reaching out to the many international refugees who began arriving in Germany around 2015 by teaching them the German language and helping them with various other needs.
WHY GERMANY?
For us it has been a life-long journey to reach this point. In her college studies to become a German teacher, Kathy spent a summer studying in Germany. It was at this time that God gave her a burden for the German people. A few years after we were married, Doug earned a seminary degree in preparation for ministry. After teaching in public schools and being involved in leadership in the local church for many years, we were directed by God toward missions in December 2012. A representative of ABWE spoke at our church about missions, ABWE, and the need in Germany in particular. There is a great spiritual need here in Germany, as less than 2% of the German people are truly Bible-believing Christians. We both clearly heard God speaking to our hearts that day. As a result of following that leading, we were appointed by ABWE as missionaries to Germany in July 2013. We welcome people who would like to partner with this ministry to reach Germany for Christ. This partnership includes both prayer and financial teammates. If God should so move you to desire more information or to join in reaching Germany for Christ, please click on one of the links at the bottom of our homepage.
PERSONAL
We were both born and raised in small towns in west-central Ohio, 30 miles apart. We are both products of middle-class, religious, conservative families. Kathy turned her life over to Christ at a church camp in junior high, and Doug did the same in college with Campus Crusade for Christ. It was with Campus Crusade at Miami University (Ohio) that we both grew spiritually through small group discipleship, and it was at a fall retreat with Campus Crusade that we met. After college, we were married and began our family. We have 3 children, a daughter-in-law, 2 sons-in-law, 3 grandsons and a granddaughter.
Although this step of moving to another continent has been a difficult separation from family, it doesn't compare to the separation that the Father and Son felt at the cross. It also cannot compare to the souls that will be eternally separated from God if they never hear the Gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ.
