I grew up in a pastor’s home. I was saved in the spring of 1970 at the age of 6 after hearing a fiery sermon on the subject of hell. Weeping uncontrollably, but too fearful to go forward during the invitation, I left the service and made an altar in the back seat of my dad’s Volkswagen Bug and there I trusted Jesus Christ as my Saviour

 

I was called to preach at the age of 15 during a youth conference and preached my first sermon one month later in the church where my dad was pastor. It was at Bible college where I met and married my wonderful wife, Linda in 1986. After graduating, I served as an assistant pastor for three years and then founded Westside Baptist Church in Mansfield, Ohio and served as pastor there for 13 years. During my pastorate, I earned a M.A. in Bible Exposition from Pensacola Theological Seminary.

 

Throughout my years as a pastor, I always believed that someday God would lead me to work in missions. In 2003, God spoke to me in a very clear way and began putting a deep burden in my heart for the world. I began learning about those who have never heard the Gospel and do not have the Word of God in their language.

 

By the spring of 2006, a burden for the unreached people of the world became the dominant burden of my heart. God called me to change my ministry direction and give my life to the cause of world evangelism. As I was studying and preaching through the book of Acts, The Holy Spirit spoke directly to me from Acts 20:22 where Paul said “And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit…”. I accepted this from the Lord as confirmation of my call to enter this new area of ministry.

 

While the decision to leave the wonderful people and ministry which God had given me was not easy, the decision to follow God's call was a simple one.  I am now giving my life to the cause of putting newly translated Scriptures in the hands of church-planting missionaries going to the “unreached people groups” of our world primarily in the 10/40 Window.

I was raised in church. My parents became charter members of Martinsville Baptist Tabernacle in Martinsville, Indiana almost 50 years ago and my mother still attends there today. My Sunday School teachers taught me the gospel and I knew that I did not want to go to hell. At the end of a Sunday morning service during the invitation, I went forward with my mom because I wanted to be saved. The preacher’s wife prayed with me on the front row of the church. I was so grateful that I was crying.

She said that because I accepted Jesus as My Saviour, I would now go to heaven – what a relief for a little girl! A few weeks later we went to Bloomington for a baptismal service where several people were baptized. After I got down in the baptistry, the preacher didn't realize that I wasn't tall enough to hold my head above the water and he started praying. I thought I was going to go to heaven right from the baptistry tank.

I graduated from Bible college with a Master's degree in Elementary Education and taught school for nine years both before and while serving with my husband in the ministry. I am grateful the Lord has called us to serve in this vital ministry of reaching the unreached through WorldView Ministries.

 

I was born on May 14, 2005 in Maryland. I was 5 hours old when Dad and Mom arrived to get me from the hospital. I heard them telling the story of how they wanted a child and I was the answer to their prayers for 19 years! When I was about 4 years old, I looked at Mom and asked, "What took you so long to get to the hospital?"

I was barely 13 months old when God called Dad to leave his pastorate and begin serving as a missionary in Bible translation work. So most of my childhood memories are of life on the road. I joke about being "born in the car."  Three days after my 6th birthday, I told Mom I wanted to be saved. That night, sitting on Dad's lap, we prayed and I accepted Jesus as my Savior.

I love traveling with my family to different churches and sharing the mission of God and the work of Bible translation. This kind of life is all I have known, but I love it so much. I’ve made so many friends all over the world! I’ve been to 48 states and 3 different countries. Hopefully God will continue to add to that list!

In May 2023 I graduated from high school with Abeka Homeschool Academy and enrolled in the First Step program of online college classes with Pensacola Christian College with the plan to move to Pensacola in August 2024 to officially be in college. My major is elementary education with a minor in vocal music.

I have surrendered my life to God for whatever He wants for me and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for my life! Please pray that I will always be open to His voice and follow His steps wherever He leads!

~Esther 4:14