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Mark & Debbie Christopher have been church-planting in South Africa since 1995. Mark is currently heading up the Berean Bible Institute (BBI) in Cape Town as well as being one of the elders at Everglen Church and focusing on leadership development there.

Christopher pic 2024

Recent Updates: Christopher Update 2025 December

 

Along with starting Berean Bible Institute, Mark is mentoring young men at Everglen Church in preparation for becoming deacons and elders. In addition, Mark periodically provides pulpit supply at Everglen and 4 other churches near Cape Town as well as providing advice and consultation to other pastors in South Africa. He also speaks at conferences like the "Biblical World View" conference in Johannesburg each year and recruits students for BBI.

ChristopherSouthAfricaGod introduced Himself to Mark through the U.S. Air Force. Mark enlisted at the age of 18, searching for personal satisfaction. The Air Force didn’t provide that, but one day while waiting for a flight to a new assignment, Mark began a conversation with someone reading a Bible, asking him if he believed what he read. Like Philip with the Ethiopian on the road to Gaza in Acts 8, this new friend explained the truth of God’s Word, the content of the gospel, and the impact that it could have on Mark. Confronted with owning his sinfulness, Mark embraced God’s grace and was saved. The new friend discipled Mark and brought him to church where Mark grew under the ministry of the pastor. When he completed his service in the Air Force, Mark enrolled in Spurgeon Baptist Bible College in Florida to pursue full-time ministry.

Debbie was born in Rhodesia, which is now Zimbabwe. During a class in religious instruction at a public elementary school, Debbie heard a presentation of the gospel. The teacher challenged the class with the fact of sin and encouraged each to surrender his or her life to Christ. Debbie invited Christ into her life. Two years later, due to the threat of civil war, Debbie’s family moved to South Africa. There they found a good church, and Debbie grew in the Lord during her teen years. Spurgeon Baptist Bible College in Florida was also Debbie’s choice for college.

God drew Mark and Debbie together as a couple and began to lead them towards full-time ministry. They were married in 1987 at Debbie’s home church in Newcastle, South Africa, and Mark was invited to be an associate pastor there. There God solidified the call to South Africa in their hearts. In 1995, Mark and Debbie began their church planting ministry in Cape Town, assisting a veteran missionary couple. Working together, their church grew from 70 to 120 members, and church leadership was developed.

In 2001, Mark and Debbie started Living Hope Bible Church in Cape Town. What began with five people and a weekly Bible study has developed into a church of over 70 people and is now pastored by Denver Solomon, a local South African. Mark and Debbie then shifted their ministry focus to starting Berean Bible Institute (BBI), holding their first classes during 2020 via online courses because of COVID-19. Mark is also studying and working towards his PhD degree as part of the process to gain full accreditation for BBI.

Mark and Debbie have two adult children. Micaiah works in the computer industry. Janelle is married to her husband, Nathan. All of them living and working in the U.S.

Prayer Items:

  • Praise for Mark's progress on his doctoral dissertation.  A 100-page chapter of the disseration is due December 2025.
  • Pray for Berean Bible Institute expanding into a hybrid model using Zoom and remote classrooms in partnership with a number of churches in South Africa and Zambia.
  • Pray for 3 men (Regard, Mike, and Rudi) that Mark is mentoring as they study online at The Master's Seminary.
  • Praise for the encouragement of the 25th anniversary celebration of Living Hope Bible Church, one of Mark and Debbie's earlier church plants.

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