Jeff and Linda met as Jeff was at Central Baptist Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he studied for his two master's degrees and later his Ph.D. Their first year of marriage was spent in southwestern Germany, where Jeff substituted for a missionary who needed a furlough. After completing his degree, Jeff pastored a church in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, area for 7 years.
In 1986 Jeff and Linda answered the Lord's call to be full-time missionaries to Germany and joined Baptist Mid-Missions. In 1989 they arrived in Munich, Germany. After one year of language school they moved to Erlangen, a city just north of Nürnberg. In 1991 the Independent Baptist Church of Erlangen began holding services. They trained the church in many areas over the next 15 years. When they left the church in 2006, it was totally independent having their own pastor, many fine leaders in the church, good ministries for both outreach and within the church. It also was in its own building.
In 2008 at the request of the Erlangen church, Jeff and Linda began a church plant in Nürnberg, just 20 minutes south of the mother church. The Independent Baptist Church of Nürnberg (Freie Baptisten Gemeinde Nürnberg) has moved from the original location to a much larger one, able to accommodate the growing congregation. Their tasks was training leaders to step into the many levels of leadership within a church plant.
In addition to the church ministry, Jeff and another BMM missionary started the Theological Training Center of Nürnberg-Erlangen. It now has five faculty and they train Christians for ministry, including pastoral ministry in local churches.
In 2020, after serving in Germany for 30 years, Jeff and Linda returned to the USA. In 2022, they officially retired from BMM, although they continue to teach seminars in Germany and in the United States and are active at their church in Greenville, SC.
Leon and his first wife, Donna, began their missionary career in 1992 (with ABWE) when in their 40s, serving for 6 years in Ukraine, right after the break-up of the Soviet Union. They then had the privilege of opening the country of Russia for ABWE and serving there for 10 years. Their primary ministry was in the area of leadership development and assisting national churches in the process of replication. God eventually led them to serve in Anchorage, Alaska with the same emphasis in partnership with Dimond Baptist Church, with an emphasis on multi-cultural ministries. They officially retired in October of 2020, and Donna passed away in 2022. In the summer of 2024, Leon married Donna, a fellow missionary whom he and his first wife had known for many years. Leon and Donna continue serving the Lord as He enables them. GLC has prayerfully and financially supported the Duells since 1994.
Evans City locals, Larry and Shirley originally served with SIM International in Nigeria, Africa from 1962 to 1982. They served and taught at Igbaja Seminary and Bible College. Larry served as the USA Director of SIM upon their return to the U.S., and Shirley served as the Personnel Administrator for the next 20 years. In 2011, they moved to Sebring, Florida, and Shirley soon began to lose her memory. Larry was her loving care giver until her death on June 16, 2023 when she entered the presence of her Savior, Jesus Christ. GLC has been supporting the Fehl's since 1962.
Norm and Evelyn Nicklas were appointed to Brazil with Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) in October of 1967. Norm was ordained at our church that same month and on July 31, 1968, he and Evelyn left for Sao Paulo, Brazil. They worked as church planters while there, and upon returning to the U.S. in 1983 Norm began serving as the Director of North America for ABWE. Now retired, they are still very active at Cornerstone Baptist Church.
Beth is the daughter of Phil & Fae Hirschy and grew up in our church. Beth and her husband Jim Britton moved to Pontianak, Indonesia, in November of 1973, serving there as dorm parents for missionary children. Later they ran the mission guest house and performed government work on the tribal missionaries’ behalf so that they could retain permission to work in the tribal areas. They lost their missionary visa for Indonesia in the early 1980’s, and then began working with World Outreach Fellowship with missionaries in South and Central America. They lead summer sprint teams to many countries around the world. In 1994 World Outreach Fellowship merged with Pioneers (their organization focuses on church planting among unreached people groups). Jim served with the Member Care department of Pioneers, acting as a pastor to missionaries in many regions of the world, but especially in the SE Asia region. Beth worked in the Pioneers finance department. On March 31, 2008, the Lord called Jim home (at age 60) shortly after he had returned from ministering with some of his Indonesian missionaries and national pastors in the river villages of South Central Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Beth married Bud O'Hara on November 14, 2015, and she enjoys time with her children and the 9 grandchildren as often as possible. We sometimes get an extra visit from her when she returns to Evans City to visit her brother and sister and their families. She officially retire from Pioneers in December of 2021.
Gospel Life Church has been a supporter of the Brittons since the early days of their ministry (1972). Beth is so grateful for the prayers, love and support of dear friends at Gospel Life Church through all these years.
In 1977, Bill and Sue joined ABWE to serve in the Amazon region and in São Paulo, Brazil. In the Amazon, they served with a school for the missionary children, assisted with the mission-hospital being constructed, and served in a local church. In 1990, they moved back to São Paulo from the "jungle" to keep their family together as their kids grew older. Bill taught at Logos Baptist Seminary of São Paulo and Sue worked at the library in the Pan-American Christian Academy where their children went to school. Their church in São Paulo, Faith Baptist Church, just celebrated their 40th anniversary! The Lord kept opening new doors to serve Him, and in 2000, they were invited to join a church-planting team in Bauru (in the interior of Brazil). While there they helped to start two churches from the ground-up and helped as the chaplain in a wellness center, were part of a prison ministry, and Sue also taught English as a Second Language (ESL). In 2012, the retired and returned to the United States, but they continue to serve the Lord in Southern California through their local church.
GLC has supported the Spoelhofs since 1978.