Our Story

We were exhausted. As I typed   p-a-s-t-o-r-s   r-e-t-r-e-a-t   F-R-E-E   into Google, I prayed there would be a response. My husband and I  needed a break and did not have the money to take one. That divinely directed search led us to Broom Tree Ministries and a fabulous week of rest and renewal. We were changed—this was a desperately needed ministry and we wanted to be part of it.

Dawn was born and raised in a loving Christ-centered home.  Her dad was a school teacher with a desire to help new and struggling churches. So, her family moved a lot across the states, which taught her to make friends easily and that security is not in a location but needs to be placed in the Person of Jesus Christ.  Dawn came to Christ as a young girl and has been growing deeper in love with Jesus ever since.

Chris grew up in a pastor’s home. He came to Christ early and was called to ministry. He graduated from Moody Bible Institute, Grace College (Winona Lake, IN) and Grace Theological Seminary (Winona Lake, IN).

Chris & Dawn met in Kenai, Alaska, where Chris did a summer internship at Dawn’s home church. They married in 1983 and began full-time ministry in 1987. Over the next 18 years, Chris served as associate pastor, senior pastor, and solo pastor in 4 different churches in Maryland, Indiana, and Alaska.

In December 2005, God moved through weariness and burnout to call us out of the pastorate. We moved to Southern California and Chris worked in construction while we slowly healed and found restoration. Eventually, we returned back to ministry and served full-time at Eternity Bible College and Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA. We retired from full-time pastoral ministry in 2021 and moved to Central Wisconsin where we will reimagine and restart Zarephath Ministries.

Zarephath started in 2008-2009 as we were more and more burdened by other ministry burnout stories. In the summer of 2008, we heard yet another gut-wrenching story and God impressed on both of us right then that now was time to start a spiritual retreat ministry on the West Coast. That led to the launch of Zarephath Ministries in 2009.

Chris & Dawn are parents of 2 incredible adult children. They homeschooled their kids their entire school career and both kids love the Lord deeply. They both married well! Our daughter Alise married Tim, who is British/Indonesian and a flight instructor. Our son Taylor married Samantha, who is from New Zealand and is an amazing mom to our identical twin grandsons, born in 2018.