Our Story

Matthew's Testimony

 I was raised in a Christian home. We went to church every service. After making two false professions of faith growing up, the Lord finally opened my eyes to the fact that I was a sinner. On May 21st,, 2006, the Lord showed me my lost condition and the inability of my works to do anything about it. After a few moments wondering if God could save a soul so black with sin, I believed God, called upon Him, and He saved my soul. 

Andrea’s Testimony

I grew up in a church planters home. I had in my head that if I didn’t accept Christ as my savior by age 5, I wouldn’t have another opportunity. So, when I was 5, I went forward during the Wednesday night children’s program. I don’t remember what I did, but the lady that talked to me told me I was saved, so I got baptized. The years went on, and I got busy working helping Mom and Dad start churches. I went on visitation, helped in nursery’s, helped in Jr. Church, sang specials and even taught Sunday school. When I was 13, a youth pastor at the summer camp we went to asked me and my older brother to come to their youth conference and give our testimonies. This scared me to death because I didn’t know what I was supposed to say. I remembered going forward but I didn’t remember getting saved when I was 5. I was very relieved when circumstances arose that made it where we couldn’t go. But it didn’t erase that fear from my mind about my eternity. The next year at camp one of the girls in our church who also grew up in a Christian home got saved at the age of 18. I became very angry because,  in my mind, a pastors kid had to make a decision at 5. (I know you probably think this is a funny thing for a kid to think, but every other preacher’s kid I knew had made a profession by age 5. I hadn’t seen anything to show me different.) I spent the next month miserable. My Dad had a tent revival scheduled for the end of July / first of August. Finances were tight and dad called the speaker to explain the situation and cancel. The speaker told my dad if he could get a place that would let him them set up the tent, he would come. I thank God that that tent revival happened, because it was on Thursday night of that meeting that I finally put away my mistaken ideas and pride and accepted Christ as my personal savior.

Call to Ministry

 Using the account of Tychicus and Trophimus, the men who traveled with Paul, God directed us to serve in a church planting ministry. While we were serving in this ministry, the need came up for a preacher for the next church plant. At first I was reluctant to even consider that God may be calling me to be a preacher. Through prayer, God made it clear to me that He was calling me to preach, though He didn’t say, at that time, where He would send us. We enrolled in our church’s seminary right away and got busy preparing ourselves for this great call. 

Call to Missions

  In 2019 our Pastor asked us to accompany the Clifford Keister family as they went to Italy in early 2020. While we were there, we were impressed with the great need for God that exists in Italy. Several months later I asked my Pastor to pray with me about whether God's call on my life was to pastor in the United States or to be a missionary. As we prayed, God made it abundantly clear that He was calling me to the mission field, and as time passed, God clarified that Italy is the field that God has called us to. 

Internship

 On January 25th, 2022, my family and I left for our internship in Italy. We lived there for three months, working with the Keister family and beginning our language studies. While we were there, God planted our hearts in Italy. As we visited city after city, most with a population of over 100,000, the truth that there was no one there giving them the true Gospel message really hit home. The demographics don’t convey the rows upon rows of apartment buildings full of people that have no Gospel witness. 

Education

 In 2006, I graduated from a local church institute. Over the next several years I served the Lord in various ministries. Some of the ministries included: running a bus route, running the junior church, leading singing, being church treasurer, being church clerk, teaching the college and career class, helping in the church plant ministry, setting up the accounting books for a couple of the church plants, and being used in various other positions as the need arose. After visiting with my Pastor in July of 2019, I enrolled in Beth Haven Baptist Seminary to supplement the training that I had already received. I graduated in May 2022.

Our Sending Church

 Beth Haven Baptist Church is heavily involved with all six missionaries that we currently have on the field or on deputation. They have monthly video calls with each missionary, and every year take a missions trip to encourage and help them. Our Pastor also keeps in close contact for accountability and encouragement.  

Pray for the Kellers as we go to take the light of the Gospel back to Italy.