From Atheist Club Leader to Sunday Preacher

Bethany DuVal • Oct 16, 2018

It was a typical growth group meeting with a simple assignment: Make a list of three people to pray for. But when TEAM church planter Kathy North heard her husband’s list, she couldn’t help but feel doubtful.

There, at the top of David’s list, was Joseph.

This was the guy who visited their growth group, was moved to tears, told them he’d be a regular — and then disappeared for three months. When he came back a second time, the same thing happened.

And now they hadn’t seen him in half a year.

“I thought, Why him? He hasn’t been around for ages ,” Kathy says.

But Kathy and David were about to learn a vital lesson in missions : Sometimes transformation takes one pivotal moment. And sometimes, it takes years of faithful pursuit by God — and the missionaries He sends.

Class Debates Destroy Faith

Joseph grew up Catholic, like most Filipinos. He was even an altar boy. But his first year of high school, in 1990, a friend started engaging him in debates about religion.

“One day, he made me read the Bible and pointed out what’s wrong in all of the Catholic practices. … And it’s like I crumbled down,” Joseph says.

He felt angry and deceived by the church. He decided God must be something weak people cling to in hard times. Four years later, he started college — and his campus’s first atheists club.

In two months, Joseph had a group of six atheists. They spent their time debating why God couldn’t exist. They stopped caring whether they made it to class. Friends tried to tell Joseph about God’s love, but he rejected it.

Joseph thought his life was just fine without God. He had everything he needed.

But then one day, he went home and asked his mom for his weekly allowance. And instead of giving him the money, Joseph’s mother simply burst into tears.

His Family Loses Everything

“We don’t have money anymore,” Joseph’s mom said.

Joseph’s dad had retired less than a year ago, but somehow, most of the money was already gone.

Joseph had to drop out of school and get a job. He decided the only person he could count on was himself. He managed to find some happiness. He got married and had a kid. But the troubles kept coming.

Joseph got into a car accident and lost his left eye. He thought his family must be cursed. But in reality, God was working.

Missionaries Show What Real Prayer Is

former atheist now church leader

The first time Joseph attended a Bible study, he witnessed what real prayer looked like — and he knew he would be coming back for more.

In 2005, Joseph started a new job, and one of his co-workers invited him to a Bible study. Normally, Joseph wouldn’t have been interested. But the Bible study was happening in a house near his own, so he agreed to drop in.

That night, he walked into the home of TEAM missionaries Kathy and David North.

The Bible study was one of the growth groups from the Norths’ church plant. And though they were there to talk about God, no one attacked Joseph for not believing. They simply read Scripture passages and prayed — and it was the prayer that blew Joseph away.

“They really talk to God,” Joseph says. “And they could just be really candid, spontaneous, … treat God with reverence, all at the same time.”

It was completely different from the formal prayers he’d heard growing up. So, with tears in his eyes, Joseph told the group he was going to be a regular.

Three months later, he showed up again and said the same thing. Then he disappeared again.

Meanwhile, Joseph’s wife got pregnant. Two months later, disaster struck.

Wife’s Pregnancy at Risk

Joseph’s wife, Christine, was diagnosed with a dangerous hemorrhage. She had to stop working — but even bedrest couldn’t guarantee the baby’s safety. On top of that, Joseph lost his job, and his house was burglarized.

As Joseph wondered how his small family would survive, David started praying for Joseph.

David hadn’t seen Joseph in six months. He had no idea what the family was going through. But after a month of prayer, Joseph called and told him everything.

He asked if David would come and pray for Christine.

Faithful Prayer Shows God’s Love

That week, David came to Joseph and Christine’s house almost every day. He shared from Scripture and prayed for Christine’s healing.

But it wasn’t just David. One day, the missionary told Joseph that his entire church plant was praying for Christine and the family. Joseph could hardly believe it!

“We were being prayed for by people we didn’t even know,” Joseph marvels.

Christine’s bleeding stopped that week, and the couple knew it was God who healed her.

Joseph started attending church regularly, and David started an eight-week Bible study with them. By the end of the study, both decided to give their lives to Christ.

Still, Joseph couldn’t help but wonder, “What’s the catch here? … Why are [the Norths] giving so much time and effort — even to our personal lives, praying for our family, being in our house weekly to teach about God’s gift?”

But in 2013, the Norths’ church plant was ready to stand on its own. So, they handed it over to a local pastor. Then they went home to the States. They never asked for anything in return.

“I was shocked again,” Joseph says. “There was no catch. It was just really for free.”

Former Atheist Becomes Church Leader

former atheist now church leader

Because of the North’s investment in Joseph’s life, Joseph got the discipleship and training he needed to take on a new church leadership role.

When the Norths returned to the Philippines to plant a new church, Joseph wanted to help from the beginning.

Because friends like you support missionaries for the long haul, the Norths not only got to keep discipling Joseph, but they also got to train him in spiritual leadership.

Joseph still had a lot of growth ahead. But slowly, God showed him that his family wasn’t cursed, and sin began losing its grip on him. Joseph started seeing that God could still use him, despite his past.

Today, Joseph regularly preaches at Pathway Community Church. He leads Bible studies with nonbelievers. He even manages the church’s finances.

“The joy and the peace that I felt when I met Jesus, for me, it’s just too good not be shared,” Joseph says.

And he has a message for the supporters who make the Norths’ work possible: “For sending those people, beautiful feet, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, really, thank you.”

By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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