Jeff Turnbough Biography

Jeff has served as deputy director of field operations since July 2008. Prior to that, he served two years as the regional director for Europe and Russia. Jeff and his wife Susan were appointed as missionaries to Spain in 1981. Prior to misisons service, Jeff worked for three years as associate pastor in Leighton, Alabama, and pastored for two years in Midland City, Alabama. The Turnboughs live in Spain.

Jeff and Susan went to Spain in June 1982, as church-planting missionaries. After completing two years of formal language study, they were used of the Lord to plant the very first Protestant church in the growing city of Villalba, just outside Madrid. They later worked to develop a Free Will Baptist church-planting team in Spain.

Jeff served as founder of a local church and as one of the founders of the association of Free Will Baptist churches in Spain. He developed a discipleship manual and materials related to field and team strategy. Susan has worked in women's and youth ministries. Jeff and Susan are senior trainers for the International Training Alliance (ITA), which offers the Leadership Matters Course (LMC) around the world. Jeff is spearheading the translation of ITA's training materials for the Hispanic world, with special emphasis on Latin America.

The son of Reverend Elmer and Gladys Turnbough, Jeff was born in St. Louis, Missiouri. He graduated from Free Will Baptist Bible College with a B.S. in music and Christian education (1977) and a B.A. in biblical studies and missions (1979). Jeff holds a Diploma of Estudios Hispanicos from the University of Madrid and a M.A. in theology and missions from Grace Theological Seminary. He graduated from Biola University in 2004 with his doctorate in missiology. His dissertation focused on a qualitative study of the conversion process for evangelical Spaniards in Mardrid.

Jeff and Susan (Crowson) married in May 1975 and have two children: Matthew and Melissa. Matthew married Brooke Atwood in May 2002. After completing a two-year term of service in Spain, the couple was approved as career missionaries to Spain with FWBIM. Matthew and Brooke head a social outreach ministry in Spain. They have three children: Andrew, Caroline, and Daniel.

Melissa married Dr. Mason Mandy in 2006. They live in New York City where Mason works as a surgical resident and Melissa works as a registered nurse in a state program helping young mothers in pregnancy, birth, and post-pregnancy.