Speakers

Interserve USA offers dynamic speakers who share their on-the-field experiences serving cross culturally.  For further information please call 1-800-809-4440.

Rev. Douglas Van Bronkhorst

Doug became Executive Director of Interserve USA in January 2004.   He previously served on the Board and as President of our Board of Trustees .   Doug has thirty years of experience as a pastor and teacher, and is known for his excellent Bible teaching.   He has served as Senior Pastor of Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church in California , and most recently as Senior Pastor of First Reformed Church in Grandville , MI.   Doug and his wife, Kathy, have visited Christian workers in over 21 countries.

 

Teaching Subjects / Classes   (examples)

•     Understanding Islam (or Buddhism or Hinduism)
•     Missions in the 21st Century
•     Organizing a Congregation for Mission
•     Acts and the Early Church
•     Missions and the Post 9/11 World
•     The Churches of Revelation - Then and Now
•     The New Spirituality (Post - Modern Christianity)
•     How to Be a Sending and Supporting Congregation
•     Reaching the Unreached in the 10/40 Window
•     Leading an Affluent, Suburban, Educated, 21st Century American Congregation

 

American Children Living Overseas

Joyce B. Eckardt

Joyce B. Eckardt is Interserve’s Third Culture Kids (TCK) Consultant and is an advocate for the issues and needs of the children of American Christian expatriates who have spent a significant portion of their childhood overseas. Along with her husband, former Interserve Executive Director, Ralph Eckardt, she has traveled extensively to North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia to administer to the emotional and pastoral needs of Interserve Partners and their families.

Previous to joining Interserve in 1986, Joyce served with a non-profit organization reaching out to Arabic speaking Muslims. Joyce has studied at Columbia International University and Philadelphia International University. Mrs. Eckardt and her husband have three children and three grandchildren.

Cross-Cultural Vocational Work

Ralph W. Eckardt Jr., D.S.W.

Dr. Ralph W. Eckardt Jr., who has significant experience in cross-cultural vocational work by Christian professionals, served for over 17 years as the Executive Director of Interserve USA.  As of January 1, 2004, Dr. Eckardt is serving as Mission Consultant for Interserve.

In his tenure with Interserve, Ralph has overseen the sending of over 200 Christian professionals to minister long term to the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the people living in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. He and his wife, Joyce, an expert in ministry to the special needs of children of Christian expatriate workers, have traveled extensively throughout Interserve’s field of service.

Dr. Eckardt holds a Doctorate of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and maintains a practice in marriage and family therapy. He has previously served as a pastor, teacher, social worker, youth director, and as an Air Force Chaplain assistant. He and his wife have three children and three grandchildren.

Education

Norm and Jacque Friberg

Norman and Jacquelyn Friberg went to Afghanistan 44 years ago and served 14 years as cross cultural workers through Columbia University’s education program. Their Interserve adventure began in 1966 as they witnessed the indigenous Afghan church take root, a paradigm characteristic of the Friberg’s ministry. They started medical programs, taught and discipled wherever they ventured, which to date has included Iran, Turkey and the former Soviet Republic area of Central Asia.

Norm and Jacque supposedly "retired" in 2005 but they still love to speak and teach about missions. They have four sons and one daughter. Their oldest son is serving in Kazakhstan and another has served in Japan and New Sudan.

Ministry to the Nepali People

Cynthia B. Hale, M.D.

Dr. Cynthia Hale began her cross-cultural journey under United Mission to Nepal in 1970. She and her husband Dr. Tom Hale served their first twelve years in Nepal at a remote rural mission hospital, Tom as a surgeon and medical director and Cynthia as a pediatrician, family physician, public health educator, and concert pianist. Fluent in Nepali, Cynthia taught such varied subjects as nutrition, community development, maternal health and child health. Dr. Hale is currently on the Interserve USA Board of Trustees.

Ministry to Immigrant People Living in the United States

David Housholder, Ph.D.

David Housholder, EthnoServe Director, teaches churches and individuals about ministry to people originally from North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia who now live in the United States. He specializes in helping individuals and organizations serve and witness to these immigrant people groups. He is also is an expert ventriloquist and uses his gift to teach about the gospel to groups and individuals.

David and his wife Linda lived and worked in India, Thailand, and Nepal from 1967 to 1992 in a variety of teaching and administrative positions.

David holds a Ph.D. in education from the University of Illinois, a Masters in Theology and a Masters in Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary.

Recruitment, Training, and Placement of Cross-Cultural Professionals Overseas

John Kennedy

John Kennedy, Personnel Director of Interserve USA, recruits and places Christian professionals into cross-cultural work in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. He and his wife Janet travel frequently to minister to the needs of Interserve Partners working overseas.

John and Janet and their three children served for 19 years as cross-cultural workers with Youth With A Mission in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where they were involved in various types of urban ministry. He has been an adjunct faculty member of Eastern University teaching missions courses. John and Janet are fluent in Dutch.

Ministry in the Marketplace and the School

Gene & Karen Platte

Gene Platte, Interserve Midwest Area Mobilizer, is a frequent speaker on the biblical basis for cross-cultural ministry and business and entrepreneurialism as ministry outreach.

He and his wife Karen began their cross-cultural ministry work in Brazil in 1968, where they spent two years creating and administering a camping program for young people through Youth for Christ (YFC), where they became fluent in Portuguese. Gene spent 22 years with YFC in leadership training and direct ministry to high school students.

Gene graduated from Taylor University with a degree in social science, language arts, and secondary education and taught middle school for two years in Richmond, Indiana. Gene and Karen have three children.