Ministry Focus
Chris says, "As a college student, I was open to so many things that really were dead ends. I am so glad my friend Ben shared Christ with me and that Campus Ambassadors was there, too." After Ben died in Chris' senior year, it became clear that God called him to bring the Gospel to others on campus, just as Ben had with him. "Think about it, the natural science faculty says there is no God and we are just machines. Secular social sciences say Christianity is one of the main things wrong with the world and that it belongs in the past. The humanities claim that any voice is legitimate, especially if it defies traditional values. Add the pressure of the party scene and that spells trouble." In spite of this, the secular campus is a great mission field Christians cannot ignore. With good leadership, Christian students thrive as they grow in Christ and reach out to their peers with the Gospel. Chris reaches students with the gospel, grounds them in the Word and Prayer and promotes mission trips within the US and overseas. Chris will also join the Missionary Care Team in October.
Faith Story
Chris grew up in a loving home where, "We went to church on Sundays, prayed before meals, but didn't talk about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ." Deep in the psychedelic counterculture in college, Chris found the Lord through the witness of a friend. Soon he joined Campus Ambassadors and their host church.
Family
In 1976, after graduation and an internship, Chris and Barbara were married and moved to Oneonta to direct a Campus Ambassadors ministry there. They have five grown children: Karen, Mark, Ruth, Eric and Lisa who live everywhere but nearby. Barbara teaches Spanish and Bible at a Christian school.
WAYS TO SUPPORT
Chris and Barbara by making a financial donation using a Credit Card or by Direct Debit (ACH).
Learn more about where this ministry happens
In colorful communities and along scenic highways, diverse people and landscapes span coast to coast
Iconic American traditions include Thanksgiving dinner, jazz music and the Super Bowl. They meld with eclectic examples of multicultural heritage: numerous local Chinatowns, family-owned taquerias and even cowboy boots, which originated among the nomadic Huns of eastern Europe.
The nation's landscape shows just as many contrasts — sandy beaches and rocky coastlines, open plains and vast deserts, rugged mountains and winding canyons, and abundant rivers and lakes.
The ideals of life and liberty that founded the United States have made the country one of the world's most prosperous, though not without dark chapters and present troubles. Crime, discrimination and ethics violations make regular headlines, and many people live below the national poverty level.
Families view education as essential to the pursuit of happiness, if not also a path to wealth and power for the most ambitious. Yet Americans also demonstrate a charitable spirit of generosity toward neighbors and nations in need.
Freedom of religion grants opportunity for all faiths, but Christianity holds particular influence in country's history and daily life.
Your participation with Missions Door supports ministry in the United States among college students, including many international students, in collaboration local churches. It also enables social outreach, church planting and leadership development in a wide variety of communities — among Native Americans and other cultural groups, and in urban and suburban settings where growing and changing demographics create new opportunities for the Gospel.
Cultural Snapshot
Aside from the Native American, Native Hawaiian and Native Alaskan populations, nearly all Americans and their ancestors immigrated to the United States.
Faith Fact
In a 2013 survey, 56% of Americans said that religion played a "very important role in their lives” — a larger number than any other wealthy nation.
Country Profile
Population: 320 million
Major Religions: 47% Protestant, 23% unaffiliated, 21% Catholic, 6% other
Languages: 82% English, 11% Spanish, various others
Literacy: 99%
Poverty: 16%
Ministry service area:
Campus Ambassadors
Ministry location:
New York, United States