Senior Staff
About Larry & Patti
Although Larry and Patti Finch both grew up in Michigan and graduated from colleges in that state, it wasn’t until they were both on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ in Southern California that they met each other. Their marriage began with a ministry mindset and their hearts with a passion to see people come to know Jesus.
Early in their marriage, they moved to Dallas so that Larry could receive further training at Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M) and later at Denver Seminary (D.Min). Over their 45+ years of church ministry, they have had the privilege of serving churches of all sizes. Along with the passage of time came four children – two boys and then two girls. At one point, all four children – Nathan, Ben, Jennifer and Alison – were five years of age and younger. It was during this season that the word “adventure” became a routine part of their vocabulary.
After 60 years of life filled with opportunities, God led them afresh into the ministry of interim pastoring, helping churches whose pastor had left, helping them prepare for the new future and the new pastor that God had in store. Each of the Interim Pastorates lasted one to two years and each had its unique challenges, along with a great deal of fulfillment.
Having completed the last of the four interim ministries in 2015, Larry and Patti began to pray about God’s next call upon their lives. Larry writes, “I knew I was called to ministry and still had a great deal of energy and passion to do ministry – but what and where? It was then that there was the stirring in my heart to do what I had wanted to do over the years but never had the opportunity. Although I had traveled extensively and had seen the need in other countries, I now saw a vision for how I could reach out and meet that need. Specifically, Christianity is a vital and rapidly growing movement in so many parts of the world (in what is often referred to as the physically needy two-thirds world).”
With the tremendous growth of the gospel in the Majority World, the greatest need is for pastors to be trained. They are desperate and hungry for even the basics of a spiritual understanding of how to read the Bible and preach the Bible, to “rightly handle the word of truth.” My goal is for the indigenous pastors that I teach to commit to multiplying the material, as Paul counseled Timothy:
“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust tofaithful men who will also be qualified to teach others.” 2 Timothy 2:1-2