Missionaries

Our missionaries seek to biblically obey our Lord's command to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19, 20a)

Marcus and Amie Denny

Serving in the Czech Republic

Marcus, Amie and their daughters Lydia, Sophia and Chloe serve in the Czech Republic. Having been forever changed by the lives and ministry of Peter and Sonya during a mission trip in 2000, Marcus desired to serve alongside the Smiths in the Czech Republic. After a long preparation, he and his wife Amie were sent out in April 2009 to carry on Peter and Sonya’s work of establishing a biblical church in Kladno. Marcus and Amie are in the later stages of raising three daughters. He currently serves as an elder of Kladno Bible Church. His main responsibilities include regular pulpit ministry, shepherding, counseling, and leadership training. He received his theological education primarily at his home church in Spokane, WA, which was further bolstered through an MDiv from The Master’s Seminary in Los Angeles. He served as an associate pastor at Cornerstone Bible Church in Fullerton, CA for five years before he was sent to the Czech Republic in 2009.

Alex Rappe

Serving in Madeira

I was saved in 2002 when I was 12 years old. My family was attending Faith Bible Church in Spokane, WA, and the evangelistic verses I heard in their Awana program convicted me of my sin and need for Christ’s saving work in my life. I trusted in Him for forgiveness of sin through His perfect life, His sufficient death, and His resurrection. In the following years I learned more about the gospel and missions, and found great joy in serving the Lord both at home and abroad. The elders of Christ Our Hope Bible Church in Spokane helped guide me through the process of evaluating God’s call to missions. I graduated from The Master’s Seminary in 2020 with an M.Div, and was ordained as a pastor at COHBC in 2022.

Soon after, an opportunity arose to help my friend who was being sent from England to his home island of Madeira, Portugal to proclaim the gospel and, Lord-willing, plant churches. The elders of COHBC unanimously agreed to send me as a partner in this ministry, and Hope in Christ Bible Church was also eager to partner with us in this. It was such a joy for me to visit HCBC and preach God’s Word there!

God provided everything I needed to move to Madeira. On December 11, 2023 I arrived on the island, and now I am here, learning Portuguese and helping with the work of evangelism. We have not yet planted a church but are going on the streets to speak with people about Christ almost every day, and praying that God would draw His elect to Himself through the preaching of His Word, and direct our steps as we pray that a local church would be established here in Madeira.

Madeira presents unique challenges, but we believe that the same God who gave life to our hard and dead hearts is able to do the same for the people of Madeira. We are casting the seed of the gospel broadly and trusting God for the harvest. Please pray that God would work powerfully through us in our weakness here in Madeira.

Thank you so much, Hope in Christ Bible Church, for your prayers and support. It is a tremendous encouragement and blessing to have you as partners in this ministry!

Matthew and Natasha Smith

Serving in Czech Republic

Matthew and Natasha will be serving alongside the elders at BSKK (Bible Church of Christians in Kladno) with discipleship, evangelism, preaching and teaching the Word, while under the direction of the elders prayerfully pursuing the possibility of a new church plant within the next few years.

The Czech Republic is predominantly atheistic and in great need of the gospel. Roughly less than 1% of the entire population are evangelical Christian. Please pray:

Matthew and Natasha would be walking in ever-greater holiness and humility with the Lord,
The Lord’s provision of practical set up needs,
Faithful and continual proclamation of the gospel among the lost,
Discipleship and preparation ofqualified Czech men to leadspiritually,
Wisdom, joy, and perseverance for the elders serving at BSKK,
Language learning and proficiency for Natasha and Matthew as well.

If you'd like to receive updates or hear more, please reach out to Matthew at matthew.smith@hopeinchristbiblechurch.org. If you would like to participate in their missionary support, please go to the Giving page.

Henry and Cora Ventura

Serving in the Philippines

I was born and raised in a Roman Catholic family, believing that my parents' religion is the only true religion in the world. They taught me to do good things to offset the bad things that I might have done. However, I was pretty sure that the best I could hope for was purgatory.

One day I saw an ad in the newspaper offering to explain the meaning of life and how to get to heaven. So I wrote to them and they sent me a series of lessons showing from the Bible that Christ is the only way to heaven because He paid for my sins. I believed the good news of salvation and became a follower of Jesus Christ.

I read the Bible hungrily. I shared what I had discovered with anybody who would listen. I invited Cora, the girl I was dating, to read the Book of Revelation with me. The Lord opened her heart and she became a believer also. I married her soon after that.

I resigned from my job and began working as a teacher at a language school for Christian missionaries, and soon became involved in the ministry. My wife and I started going to a Bible school together, using what we were learning to minister to people in the village. Cora shared the gospel with her siblings, cousins, and friends and many became believers through her ministry. Our two sons James and Melvyn are believers also.

I’m now serving in the ministry of training pastors and church leaders all over the Philippines. I get to do what I love best: studying the word of God and and teaching it to others, knowing that I'm investing my life and energy in the lives of people who love and serve the Lord.

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