Olivier Tchoing Godje is a part-time teaching and student ministry pastor in Germany.
When did you trust Christ?
As a former Catholic, I didn't really understand my need for repentance and salvation. My wife invited me to an evangelical church where I began to understand God's Word through sermons and conversations. As I started reading the Bible myself, God helped me understand it better. I publicly confessed and accepted Jesus as my personal saviour in a church service in 2013.
What have been the defining moments of your Christian walk?
During the first year of my Christian faith, I was discipled by my pastor and his wife who taught me about my new identity as God's child and the basics and depth of my life in Christ. A second crucial moment was when I attended Cameroon's Bible Training Centre in Maroua. The discipleship, teaching, and training for ministry helped me build a strong foundation.
What do you hope to gain from participating?
As a pastor and leader with less experience, I see the ELF as an opportunity to connect with and learn from other leaders about how to lead a spiritually healthy church. I also hope to connect with people leading student ministry and learn more about reaching university students.
What is your ministry?
I am a part-time pastor at the International Baptist Church in Bielefeld, Germany. I help church members grow and mature in their faith, preach on Sundays, and organise and plan the preaching together with the Leadership Team. I also oversee the students ministry, leading weekly Bible studies and discipling students in their spiritual growth.
What is your leadership role or what were your past leadership roles?
After attending Bible school in Cameroon, I started serving in my church as a deacon in 2018 and was called to be a part-time pastor and join the preaching team in 2021. Beyond serving on the church leadership team as an elder, I coordinate the preaching team and lead the students ministry, discipling university and international students and leading Bible studies.
Why should someone invest in your ministry?
My personal call is to grow in my calling as a pastor, serve God's people in my church, and share God's Word with students who do not know Him. Connecting with other leaders and learning from the various networks would help me grow and fulfill this calling.
