Timothy Brake Ryder June 29, 1952
Janis Lynn Ryder November 17, 1955
Wedding Anniversary May 29, 1978

Field: Kenya

Ministry: Working with Nairobi Chapel
                     Leadership Development – Tim
                     Children’s Ministry Workers Development – Jan

Background: Tim was raised in upstate New York, second of six children. Jan is from Columbia, MO, the eldest of three girls. Both of their fathers had job transfers to the Milwaukee, WI area where Jan and Tim met.

Education: Jan earned an AA in Fashion Design from F.I.T., Manhattan, New York; a B.S. from UW-Madison in Wisconsin; and a Graduate Certificate in Theology from Columbia International University (SC) and is pursuing her M.A. in Children and Family Ministry from Bethel Seminary (MN).

Tim has an A.A. in Graphic Arts from M.A.T.C. (Milwaukee, WI), a B.A. in Theology from Columbia International University (SC), and a M.A. in Counseling Ministries at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL).

Testimony: Tim grew up Catholic, but left the church in his teens. He realized his need for personal faith after some rough times following High School. He gave his life to Christ in 1973 and began to serve in youth ministry. Jan grew up in the United Methodist Church and gave her life to Christ in 1970 through the ministry of a youth group associated with Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, WI.

Marriage: Tim and Jan met the summer after Jan’s sophomore year of college. Tim was a pastoral intern at their church, and working with the youth group her younger sister’s attended. The following year Jan studied in Manhattan, and Tim wrote lots of letters. They were engaged the following summer. Then Jan went back to Madison to finish her BS, Tim went to CA to print for Gospel Recordings Mission. Then Tim was called to be the Youth Pastor at Elmbrook Church. They married the day after Jan graduated from Madison.

Ministry Preparation: Tim and Jan served as missionaries in Kenya from 1984-1997 in Marsabit, a small town in northern Kenya, and then for two years in Nairobi. Their last placement was in a very remote village among the ‘Daasanach people up on the Ethiopia/Kenya border on the eastern shore of Lake Turkana. Through the years they were involved in youth ministry, development work, Bible teaching, women’s ministry, mission administration, and pioneer church planting.

Since 1997: Tim and Jan have been serving on the pastoral staff of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, WI. Tim has been involved partnerships with urban churches, prison ministry, and development of leadership for small groups within the church. Jan served as an assistant and then as the pastor of the children’s ministry. Through the years they both had opportunities to return to Africa for a few weeks at a time to train pastors and children’s ministry workers in Sudan and Burundi.