Leadership Profile: Elke Werner, Evangelist, Mentor, Church Leader, Germany | Lausanne World Pulse Archives

Q. Tell us about your family.
A. I am married to the man whom I have loved since I was 17. His name is Roland. He is general secretary of the German YMCA, linguist, author, evangelist, and Bible translator.

Q. Give us a brief overview of your work and ministry.
A. I am the leader of Christus-Treff, a local church in Marburg, Germany. We have over seven hundred people attending every week, plus a church plant in Berlin and a guesthouse in Jerusalem. I am involved in several national ministries for and with women (Prisca, Filia, book projects, etc.). I am also the senior associate for women in the Lausanne Movement and lead a mentoring group of eight women from Austria, Germany, and Latvia through Leighton Ford Ministries. I am an author and evangelist among women.

Q. What is your favorite quote?
A. “There are two things that I have learned. The first one: there is a God. The second one: it is not me!”

Q. Who has been the most influential person in your life/ministry, and why?
A. The most influential person is my husband, Roland. He has helped me to develop my natural and spiritual gifts, challenged me to grow in many areas of life, and accompanied me on my journey of faith.

Evangelism. On Point. Q. Describe a time in which you shared your faith in Christ with someone who didn’t know him, and then saw God clearly work in that situation. A. I was speaking at an evangelistic women’s breakfast meeting in a small town. The only male person in the room with three hundred women was a man who looked very critical and took a lot of notes while I was speaking. I was a bit afraid of a theological discussion with him when he approached me at the end of my talk. He looked me in the eye and said, “I have heard and understood all you said. For the first time I believe this is the truth. What shall I do now?”