Our Story

Mike and I met at university while studying science degrees and later become high school teachers. We moved to the small town of Dannevirke as young Christians, newly baptised in the Holy Spirit, full of excitement and passion to grow. What a rapid and wonderful journey followed!

Soon after befriending a charismatic pastor, we had a demonic encounter in our home!! This prompted us to cleanse the house and begin hosting “Holy Ghost meetings”. The group grew large and wild! At the same time, we were entrusted with leading the Christian group in the high school where we both taught - a powerful “a move of the Spirit” broke out there too! Such exciting times, even though our families wondered about us. We were so hungry for God!

After a couple of years, the local Pentecostal church ran a Bible School. So hungry for solid teaching, and encouraged by our spirit-filled Methodist pastor, we attended every meeting despite having three young children. During those weeks, we both received a deep revelation of God’s Kingdom, a call to become mature sons and daughters, and a vision of eternal rewards. It was a rapid period of growth and excitement.

God also led us through intense testing, stripping away idols: our treasured old 1934 V8 was sold, liquor poured down the sink, the TV removed and long-standing friends distanced themselves. It was truly a time of total surrender to the call of God on our lives.

A couple of years on, we acquired the manse and opened a junior school. Soon after launch,  we were shocked to hear our pastors were leaving. We later discovered it was due to adultery with a school staff member—behaviour that sadly had been concealed to keep the ministry going.

We asked him to come back  and set in another pastor. He returned, visited many people, called a meeting, and announced that we would be the new pastors (as well as run the school!). That was our launch into ministry. Life was very busy… our family grew to six children, and the school expanded from infants right through to high school. When the Baptists needed their facilities back, we bought land and constructed a brand-new school facility—amid constant spiritual warfare, stress and minimal income but we saw God move and many miracles.

I enjoyed leading women’s meetings, teaching chemistry and taking ministry teams on trips. Life was very full, with  conferences each year. The school earned “model status,” our four children progressed rapidly academically... everything was flourishing.

One day, we received an invitation to pastor a struggling church in a nearby city. Attendance had fallen to about nine people and the church was deeply in debt, not an inspiring offer. Mike visited but returned unenthusiastic. Nevertheless, we sought the Lord—it took time even to become willing—but eventually we both received clear confirmation from Him and from oversight.

So in 1985, at Easter time, we relocated to Hastings, sold our home, and moved into the church manse. With no initial funds, three supporting churches provided for us over six months while we cleared debts and rebuilt the congregation. Everyone made real sacrifices: a friend from Dannevirke ran the inherited coffee bar without pay, a young man boarded with us, and assisted with music and youth; our 11-year-old daughter and a friend led children’s ministry; and another Dannevirke family relocated, found work, and helped with worship. Welcome to pastoring! But at last we were full-time pastors, no longer juggling the school we had managed for the first seven years. We even finally gained a car again.

Eager to grow in the gifts of the Spirit, we eventually came under the covering of Ps Clarke Taylor, who powerfully demonstrated those gifts. This led to us overseeing 28 Christian Outreach Churches across New Zealand. In Hastings, as we prayed fervently, a powerful move of the Spirit broke out: almost every Sunday night service ended in deliverance, Mongrel Mob members were saved—it was incredibly exciting! The New Life Centre earned the nickname “Wild Life Centre,”

Every religious spirit was challenged  and numbers grew rapidly as Mike moved strongly in words of knowledge, prophecy, and deliverance.  We soon outgrew our building and moved Sunday services to the local girls’ high school, where the worship could be heard across a wide area. Not too long after, the church continued to expand,  eventually enabling us to purchase a large warehouse and a wonderful church building was constructed—largely through voluntary labour as funds came in. In the early days  we hosted powerful meetings with Ps Jill Austin and the glory of God filled the place, miracles occurred, and lives were deeply touched by fresh moves of the Spirit. 

Meanwhile, God continued to do deep work in our own lives, triggering buried grief and generational iniquity. With adoption laws changing in 1987, this led to reconnection with the daughter I had secretly placed for adoption the year before our marriage (after six years of dating, unable to reconcile Mike’s Roman Catholic background with my Open Brethren upbringing). It was a profound journey, and we joyfully introduced our six children to their older sister, whom God has graciously restored to us. Mike even officiated her wedding, and we prayed for her beautiful daughter. It was a miracle beyond measure.

One of our pastors; Jim Mason was instrumental in constructing the building and pioneering missions from the church in the early days.  My first trip was to Rarotonga with four women. One of my greatest joys was to set up International School of Ministries leadership training in Uganda, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia. Mike began teaching annually at City Harvest Bible school in Singapore, which opened doors across Asia: Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  God was moving beyond our borders.

 The home church continued to grow and flourish in the supernatural, discipleship, and strong teaching, while our global reach expanded. In Uganda, we supported John Wandera as 700 churches were planted—providing land, buildings, child sponsorship, wells, and more. Later, in Pakistan, our church helped establish a global satellite TV network; our son David, his wife Kate, and their three young daughters lived there under challenging and often dangerous conditions.
As our international ministry grew, we felt led by the Lord to release our connections with COC (following leadership changes) and focus on our own work. The church withdrew from the movement, and we established relational oversight instead.

Those were busy, fruitful years.. A strong team of young pastors emerged, excelling in children’s ministry and missions. Eventually, the time came for someone else to lead the home church so Mike’s international ministry could expand further. We chose to stand together as a couple; my substantial, voluntary role in the church—alongside a wonderful team of volunteers—shifted as new local oversight was put in place. It was a painful season, but we learned much through it.

I felt deeply privileged to travel with Mike and to give our children opportunities to build longstanding relationships worldwide. In time, the Lord made it clear that a leadership transition was needed, and our son David, together with his wife Kate, was invited to pastor. Shortly before this, we placed ourselves under the apostolic covering of King Jesus Ministry in Miami.

It was a great joy when Dave and Kate invited us to stand as apostolic ministry to them and the home church. God is so faithful: as we have sought to put His Kingdom first, He has richly blessed us. Today, five of our family units, with their children, serve and grow in the church—now named Ascende Global. We remain honoured in the home church and continue to minister globally, seeing leaders in Asia and the US run their own freedom retreats, bringing heart healing and discipleship. These are true riches!