Stephen PACHT
WEC
Stephen & Deborah have been TBC missionaries for the past 15 years. After pioneering ministry amongst Jewish people with CMJ in 1989 and then with Jews for Jesus in the UK, France and Switzerland for 30 years, they have recently been invited to join WEC.
Who or what is WEC?
Worldwide Evangelisation for Christ was founded by C.T Studd, who was considered one of the best athletes in Edwardian England. After captaining the England cricket team, he began his missionary life as part of the famous “Cambridge Seven”, Cambridge University graduates who turned their backs on a privileged life and joined James Hudson Taylor’s ministry in China. From there CT Studd went to India and then to Africa. The mission later became known as the World Evangelisation Crusade and today is known simply as WEC. Today there are over 1800 missionaries worldwide whose vision remains “to see Christ known, loved and worshipped by the unreached peoples of the world.”
What will the Pacht’s be doing?
WEC has a heart for reaching Jewish people for Jesus. Stephen and Deborah will continue to be based near Geneva and will be collaborating with WEC missionaries in Switzerland, France and the UK – as the Lord leads. The ministry is essentially one to one, building relations and sharing the Gospel with Jewish people. Deborah is part of a Jewish Israeli dance group. Stephen is involved in local men’s bible studies and will be seeking to spread the Jewish bible discussion groups with the support of Christian friends. He is also forming a Swiss mission with local Christian friends, Jew and Gentile, whose vision is to share the Gospel with Jewish people living in Switzerland. Association “Tsemach”, is named after a Hebrew word, found in Jeremiah 33.15, referring to a Branch of Righteousness – the Messiah. Deborah is also involved with an outreach to local expat ladies and is just starting a ministry to local secondary school students.
The Pacht family
Stephen’s parents were from Vienna, Jews who made it to Britain either side of WW2. Growing up in Manchester, then Brussels, Luxemburg and Geneva, Stephen eventually found Christ at Bristol University. Deborah is from a traditional North London Jewish family whose big sister Elizabeth shocked the family by declaring that she had become a Messianic Jew. At 26, Deborah followed suit … and then she met Stephen…
The four “children” were born in Paris. Sam is now 26, half-way through a Master’s course in Lausanne. Hannah, 24, is working for an NGO in London. Gabrielle 21 and Jessica 20 have spent a year at Lausanne and Geneva University respectively and are wondering what to do with their lives. Stephen and Deborah oversee care for Stephen’s elderly mother who suffers from emphysema and lives locally (in Nyon) with carers.
