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, the pastor invited us to open up and lead a Christian School on behalf of the church. Mike gave up a successful teaching career and with the support of the church opened up a Christian school.  Within 6 months after launch,  we were shocked to hear our pastors were leaving to start a church in another city leaving our church without a Pastor.

He returned some months later, 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 pastoral ministry. Life was very busy… our family grew to six children, and the school expanded from infants right through to high school. When the rental facilities were no longer available, 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 at the school 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 church eldership and from oversight.

So in 1985, at Easter, we relocated to Hastings, sold our home, and moved into the church property. The Lord provided an income for us over 6 months while we cleared debt 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.

Eager to grow in the gifts of the Spirit, we eventually came under the covering of Ps Clark Taylor, who powerfully demonstrated those gifts. He appointed us leader of  Christian Outreach Centre Church Planting in New Zealand. In Hastings, as we prayed fervently, a powerful move of the Spirit broke out: almost every Sunday night service ended in deliverance, Gang members were saved, peoples lives were transformed—it was incredibly exciting! Our church which was called 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—mainly 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, uncovering buried grief and generational iniquity. With adoption laws changing in 1987, this led to reconnection with the daughter we 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. It was a miracle beyond measure for which we are deeply grateful.

One of our pastors was instrumental in constructing the building and pioneering missions from the church in the early years. Firstly in the Pacific and then in Eastern Europe.  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: Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia and Philippines.  God was moving beyond our borders.

As our international ministry grew, we were led by the Lord to release our connections with Christian Outreach Centre movement and focus on the work God had called us to. The church withdrew from the movement, and we established a relational oversight instead.

 The home church continued to grow and flourish in the supernatural, discipleship, and strong teaching, while our global reach expanded. God gave us a supernatural connection to an emerging Pastor In Uganda. We continue supporting him in providing a bible school, land, buildings, child sponsorship, small business support, wells, and more. This has led to over  700 churches being planted across Uganda, Kenya  and Sudan.  

Later as a result of another divine connection, our church financed and helped establish a global satellite TV network in Pakistan. Our son David, his wife Kate, and their three young daughters lived there under challenging and often dangerous conditions to oversee the setting up of this station.

Those were busy, fruitful years. A strong team of young pastors emerged and the church grew from strength to strength. 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 and leadership roles were repositioned. It was a period of immense spiritual turmoil and a personally 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. When the Lord made it clear that a leadership transition was needed, our son David, together with his wife Kate, was invited to assume the responsibility of Senior Pastors. As we entered our new season, we  recognised the need to become part of an Apostolic team and we placed ourselves under the covering of Apostle Guillermo Maldonado from King Jesus Ministry Miami.

It was a great joy when Dave and Kate invited us to stand as apostolic covering for 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 living locally, with their children, serve and grow in our home church—now named Ascende Global. We remain honoured in our home church and continue to travel and minister globally, to pastors, leaders and churches in many nations across the world. God has blessed us with  true riches!