Jeff and Susan Turnbough

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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 was in addition to the work in Spain, and involved giving cohesion, accountability and overall leadership to FWBIM works in Spain, France, Bulgaria and Russia. In July of 2008, Jeff transitioned from being a missionary to being on the staff at FWBIM as Deputy Director of Field Operations, and is residing in Spain.

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.