Archive context: This interview appeared in the October 2011 issue. Roles, affiliations, programs, and plans are presented in their historical context and may have changed since publication.
Tell us about your family.
Answer
I am married to the man whom I have loved since I was 17. His name is Roland. He is general secretary of the German YMCA, linguist, author, evangelist, and Bible translator.
Give us a brief overview of your work and ministry.
Answer
I am the leader of Christus-Treff, a local church in Marburg, Germany. We have over seven hundred people attending every week, plus a church plant in Berlin and a guesthouse in Jerusalem. I am involved in several national ministries for and with women—Prisca, Filia, and book projects. I am also the senior associate for women in a global mission movement and lead a mentoring group of eight women from Austria, Germany, and Latvia. I am an author and evangelist among women.
What is your favorite quote?
“There are two things that I have learned. The first one: there is a God. The second one: it is not me!”
Who has been the most influential person in your life and ministry, and why?
Answer
The most influential person is my husband, Roland. He has helped me to develop my natural and spiritual gifts, challenged me to grow in many areas of life, and accompanied me on my journey of faith.
Evangelism · On point
A seeker at a women’s breakfast
Describe a time when you shared your faith in Christ and then saw God clearly work in that situation.
Answer
I was speaking at an evangelistic women’s breakfast meeting in a small town. The only man in the room with three hundred women looked very critical and took many notes while I was speaking. I was a little afraid of a theological discussion when he approached me afterward. He looked me in the eye and said, “I have heard and understood all you said. For the first time I believe this is the truth. What shall I do now?”
I was amazed. He worked for the local newspaper and was also studying theology because he was trying to find God. He had come to report on the meeting. He arrived as a seeker and skeptic, but God had opened his ears, and for the first time he was able to grasp the good news of what Christ had done for him.
“Why did no one tell me this in my theology studies?” he asked. I was not able to answer, but I was happy to show him the way to Jesus. When I received a copy of his article, I found many of my words printed for all to read. He had not only received Jesus, but was willing to share him with everyone.
What is the best piece of advice you have received?
Answer
No matter what you do, work at it with all your might (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
What issue do you believe is the greatest barrier to evangelism, and why?
Answer
In my cultural and spiritual context, it is materialism and post-modernity. People are indifferent and not interested in evangelism. This includes both non-Christians and Christians.
What book do you most often recommend to others, and why?
Answer
I recommend Lynn Smith’s Gender or Giftedness and David Hamilton and Loren Cunningham’s Why Not Women? The time has come to encourage and empower women to use all the spiritual gifts God has given them for the sake of the gospel. These books provide theological research and answers to many questions about the ministry of women.
What would you like to be doing in five years?
Answer
Encourage more women to do what God has called them to do. Write more books and preach at evangelistic outreaches so that many will hear the gospel.
How can people be praying for you?
Answer
Please pray for our international pen-pal program. Since a 2010 global gathering, about one hundred women from around the world have stayed connected, encouraged one another, and prayed for one another.