Who We Are

Our Team

  • Lydia Whitley

    PASTOR

    Originally from Texas, Lydia has worked in English and German language churches in Germany since 2015. Lydia studied Interior Architecture at Samford University before earning her Master of Divinity degree from Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL. Lydia has two sweet boys who enjoy being third culture kids in Berlin.

  • Taylor Whitley

    PASTOR

    Raised in Alabama, Taylor worked with his wife Lydia in English and German language churches in Germany since 2015. Taylor studied Religion at Samford University before earning his Master of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL. Taylor enjoys living in vibrant Berlin with his family and any chance he gets to play basketball with friends.

  • Elden Bartling

    MINISTRY LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBER

    Originally from Cape Town, Elden has spent most of his life in Brandenburg, Germany, where he met his wife. He works as a business development representative for a cloud software company. Elden enjoys the multicultural hustle and bustle of Berlin but finds peace in frequent escapes to the countryside.

  • Michael Kora

    MINISTRY LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBER

    Michael relocated to Germany in 2017 and is currently working as a DevOps Engineer for a software company in Berlin. He is originally from Benin, in West Africa. Due to his multicultural upbringing, he values being part of international communities and cherishes the opportunity to promote and enhance their growth.

  • Rani Nagib

    MINISTRY LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBER

    Rani is a third culture person living a third culture life with his wife and daughter in Berlin. Rani works as an IT manager at a Berlin-based company. His hobbies include working on his homelab, swimming and calisthenics.

  • Mirjam Scholz

    MINISTRY LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBER

    Coming from Stuttgart, Germany, Mirjam works as a consultant and research associate for a research institute in the field of healthcare innovation. Having lived in the Czech Republic, India, Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark she has had the privilege to experience various international churches and communities.

Our Vision

Our vision is to create an international worshiping community in Prenzlauer Berg. In a global city like Berlin, we believe it is important to find a community with whom you can share life and faith. We envision an English-speaking church that welcomes people from many cultures and nations. Centrally located and full of young professionals and international families, Prenzlauer Berg is a great place for an international church.

Our Mission

In order for this vision to become reality, our goal is simple—to invite people from all nations to walk with Jesus. As we grow in our relationships with Jesus, we want to invite other people to join that journey with us. This invitation is open to Germans and internationals alike who want to explore the Christian faith and experience community with people from all over the world living in Berlin.

Our Values

  • Good News

    We value the good news about Jesus. Because Jesus loves us he lived, died, and rose again in order to restore our broken relationship with God. When we trust in Jesus, or stop living for ourselves and commit our lives to him, he gives us new life today and hope for the life to come. This good news is the foundation of everything we do as individuals and as a community. Since the Bible helps us understand the good news, it is the main source of our teaching and practice.

  • Community

    We value community centered on the good news about Jesus. We want to worship, learn, and share life together. This strengthens our faith and builds genuine relationships. We love each other because Jesus first loved us. People do not need to be perfect to join us. Our community should provide a safe place to ask questions and explore the faith.

  • Growth

    We value growth because of the good news about Jesus. We want to grow inwardly by becoming more like Jesus and outwardly by inviting new people into our community. As we live in an ever-changing international city, growth also involves being open to change, better connecting with others and making a difference in the city.

  • Service

    We value serving others because of the good news about Jesus. As individuals and as a community, we want to find practical ways to love each other and meet needs in the city around us. Service puts our faith into action and shows that Jesus changes our lives.

  • Diversity

    We value diversity unified in the good news about Jesus. Since the good news is for everyone, we want to welcome all people to experience faith in community. Despite our differences, we love each other and walk with Jesus together.

  • Simplicity

    We value simplicity in how we communicate the good news about Jesus. We want our language to be clear and easy to understand, especially for people speaking English as a second language or people new to the Christian faith community. Since life is overwhelming, our activities should also be uncomplicated and remove unnecessary barriers for people exploring the faith.