Jeff and Susan Turnbough
The Board of
International Missions appointed Jeff and Susan as career
missionaries to Spain in April of 1981. When they arrived
in Spain in June of 1982, their son Matthew was three years
old, and their daughter Melissa was nine months old. They
moved to the city of Majadahonda to work with Dock and
Norma Caton while attending language study and the
university of Madrid. When the Catons returned to the
United States in 1983, mission leaders transferred the
Turnboughs to Alcalá de Henares, where they helped with a
church plant there. While there,
they traveled one weekend per month to the Northern coastal
city of Santurce (Basque Country) to conduct a Bible study
in the home of believers there. FWB missionaries later
started a church with these same believers, and it
continues to exist today.
In the summer of 1984, the Lord opened a door for the
Turnboughs to begin the first Evangelical church on the
Northwestern side of Madrid in the city of Collado
Villalba. At that point the closest Evangelical works were
the former FWB work in Majadahonda and a small work in the
city of Segovia. The work began as a Bible study in the
homes of Spanish believers. When the group grew to an
average of 30 in attendance, local believers found a
storefront building to rent, where the church continues to
meet today.
In 1992 the Villalba congregation purchased land with hopes
of constructing a multi-purpose building for the church.
The city approved the blueprints and excavations began.
However, because of political problems within the city
government, local authorities blocked construction, and a
lawsuit ensued. The legal battles lasted 13 years, with the
Superior Court of Madrid finally ruling in favor of the
church. In the interim, the original architect died in a
motorcycle accident. Plus, city building codes changed,
making necessary significant revisions in the original
blueprints. The church hopes to begin construction by late
2006 or early 2007.
Also during this time, there were significant changes in
several areas. First of all, leaders and believers in the
Villalba congregation changed. The original congregation
was made up almost exclusively of Spaniards, and the
present congregation is much more multi-ethnic in nature.
Jeff and Susan turned leadership responsibility over to
local believers in the Villalba Church, but that has not
been without significant challenges.
During this time there were also significant changes in the
staff of the mission in Spain. All the workers from before
transferred out, and a whole new staff of workers arrived
in Spain.
The
biggest change in the Turnbough family during this time was
that Matthew and Melissa grew up! After finishing their
high school studies in Spain, they both attended and
completed college in the United States. After finishing
college, Matthew married Brooke Atwood. They are now career
missionaries to Spain. Their first child, Andrés was born
on September 8, 2006 in Madrid. Melissa married Dr. Mason
Mandy in Nashville on July 30, 2006. They both are in the
medical field, and now live and work in the same hospital
in New York City until Mason completes his surgical
residency.
Jeff and Susan have formed a team with Sam and June McVay
(The National Ministries
Team,
or NMT), and together they continue to work in church
planting. They have added to that the development of two
new ministries: a program of study for
developing national leaders
and a national
multi-purpose ministry center (Mission: Spain). The NMT also serves in
fieldside roles of mission administration.
In the
area of leadership development, God has opened doors for
Jeff and Susan to become trainers in the Leadership Matters
Course (LMC). FWBIM signed a partnership with six other
Evangelical mission organizations to form the International
Training Alliance (ITA). (Visit ITA’s website:
http://leadershipmatters.ws/)
This unique and creative approach to developing leadership
skills has blessed leaders on every continent. At the
present time ITA only offers LMC in English. Jeff and Susan
are working with others to translate the materials and to
train trainers to introduce it into the Spanish-speaking
world.
In July of 2006 the Board of FWBIM named Jeff Regional
Director for Europe and Russia. This new role is in
addition to the work in Spain, and involves giving
cohesion, accountability and overall leadership to FWBIM
works in Spain, France, Bulgaria and
Russia.
Jeff, the youngest of three children, is the son of Rev.
& Mrs. Elmer Turnbough of Missouri. Susan is the middle
of three children and is the daughter of Rev. & Mrs.
Milton Crowson of Tennessee.