In the Beginning
Lisa and I married in November 1975. In less that five years we had three kids and were students at NTM’s Bible School in Matlock, England.
We had been active in our church but came to the point of wondering if this was all there was to the Christian life. The Lord began introducing the idea of missions, it seemed that every sermon had to do with missions. Later we discovered we had both individually presented ourselves to God willing to be missionaries.
We became aware of the fact that half the world had never heard about Jesus; that there was a disproportionate number of Christians working where the gospel had been preached than where it hadn’t; that NTM worked among those who had never heard and had just opened up a Bible School in England, the first phase of their missionary training program.
In August 1980, we entered training with NTM in England and completed it in the USA in December 1984. After a year of deputation in N. Ireland, we headed to Papua New Guinea in December of 1985.
Papua New Guinea
From 1985 to 2005, Lisa and I served with NTM in Papua New Guinea. We were involved in several different support ministeries at NTM’s field support center in PNG including supply, dorm parenting, admin and printing.
It was there that we really began to understand the concept of teamwork that is essential to reaching the unreached people groups in PNG.
NTBI Jackson, MI
From 2005 to 2008 we ministered at New Tribes Bible Institute teaching and discipling young people in preparation for missionary training.
The heart of the Bible Institute training is to equip and establish believers in the interpretation and application of the foundational truths of the Bible.
This is done by a two-prong approach, collectively in the classroom and individually outside the classroom. While I teach in the classroom, Lisa meets with students one on one. The idea is that what is being taught in the classroom is being encouraged to be lived out in every day life whether in the dorms or in sports or the student work program.
NTM UK, North Cotes, England
From January 2009 to 2011, we were involved at the New Tribes Mission European Biblical and Missionary Training Centre in North Cotes, England.
I taught in the Biblical Studies course while Lisa is involved with administration and a one on one ministry with the students. Together we meet with six of the students in a small group setting to facilitate mutual encouragement.
NTBI, Jackson MI
In August 2011, we returned to Jackson MI to take up our former ministry. We were able to get a green card through our son, Benjamin, who had become a US citizen. It gave us the opportunity to continue ministry with NTM and be nearer family and grandkids.
The Big Picture
The Biblical Studies phase of training is the first phase of training with New Tribes Mission with the goal of EXPANDING THE REACH OF THE GOSPEL.
Biblical and Missionary training with NTM is the first step in the BIG PICTURE to planting an indigenous New Testament church among tribal people.