On how going to school for electrical engineering led to him being called to Eastern Europe:
I had always wanted to be an engineer and was good in math and the sciences. When I graduated from high school, I was encouraged to attend Bible college but felt that I already knew the Bible, having attended Christian school and church for most of my life. But the Lord began to convict me. I knew there was more purpose for my life than designing computers. It was in my last few weeks of university that I wanted to see change. A friend suggested I consider the Bible Institute, but I didn’t want to quit my job. Then he suggested I study the Bible at the graduate school level. By the time I finished at Capital Bible Seminary, the Lord led me to be part of what He was opening up in Eastern Europe.
At the time, I was an associate pastor in my home church. The senior pastor suggested I consider Word of Life as a mission board, since they were already in Eastern Europe. I worked in computer operations at the Bible Institute, and met my wife, Sue Washburn, a fellow missions-minded Christian.
On ministering in a country that went from communism to Scripture memory cards:
After the Lord supplied our financial support, we moved to Poland with our year-old son, Sam. Most of what we did the first several years was language training, but a missionary wears many hats. I got to do all kinds of things, from speaking at camp, teaching in a seminary in Warsaw, and directing Bible Clubs to doing necessary computer work, laying out the Bible Club material, and cutting out every individual memory verse card (yes, somebody has to do it!).
On helping start a brand-new Bible Institute:
A lingering medical situation took us out of Poland, but the Lord had a plan: we moved to Owen Sound, Ontario, to organize and start the English-speaking Bible Institute there.
Since all of the staff (at Owen Sound) are also missionaries, we didn’t exactly have staff and couldn’t just go hire people. They, too, had to raise support. As little as 30 days before the Bible Institute opened in 2002, I was still the only staff person working full-time. Every letter that went out, I sent, and every phone call, I answered. But with the end of summer camp that year, all hands were on deck for that fall.
On challenging times:
The 11 months before the Bible Institute opened in Owen Sound were traumatic. John MacQueen, who handled all the maintenance on property, was killed in a tractor accident on Thanksgiving Day. The very week of registration, a second staff member, Craig Watson, was killed while driving from his home to campus to speak to the students who had come early for leadership training. The Bible Institute started with much pain. As a side note, both staff members who died were from the local area. Often we think that it’s missionaries on the other side of earth that die. Sometimes it’s when they’re in their hometown.
On the Bible Institute’s first decade, which has already given birth to a new spiritual generation:
We’re now in our 10th class at the Owen Sound campus. In fact, as I write, Missions Conference is going on. It’s exciting to see how the Lord has led the alumni from past years. Last year during a Campus Days while I was teaching theology, I was struck by the thought that the four pastors sitting in the room who had brought students to that Campus Days were all former students in Owen Sound! It’s exciting when I hear from alumni who are in ministry, whether they are pastors, missionaries, or working in their home churches. God continues to do great things!
That's our Doug! Thank you for the great article and your insight, Doug. And thank you for your faithfulness in service.
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