Kathy L McFarland
(President, Author, Teacher, Endorser)
My private life is spent in the wilderness of Idaho near the Selway, Lolo and Frank Church Wilderness areas and the Clearwater Forest, with water fun on the Snake and Clearwater Rivers and Dworshak Lake. Joanne Holstein, my spiritual partner, and I have raised seven children together, and they all excel in living the life they each choose to live. Most walk with the Lord on His path, and some rebel a bit and try to take shortcuts. I'm confident that enough seeds have been planted in each to steer them back when the Lord calls them to Him in His Time.
I proudly served with the U.S. Air Force for about ten years, stationed mostly overseas at Yokota AB, Japan. Upon my discharge, I entered into some dark days of struggle that I now know to be called "Luther's Anfechtung Testing." During this time, the Lord isolated me from life almost completely, and I spent hours upon hours reading and studying Scripture. These dark days lasted for about ten years, when finally the light of Christ began shining brightly. I found that the spiritual struggles of God's testing developed my fear and awe of Him. The deeply spiritual experiences gave me a vital and growing relationship with Him, and He opened Scripture to the mysteries revealed within His Word. As I awoke to life again, I recognized the dedication that Joanne had accomplished to keep the children safe and loved in those trying times of personal struggle as she fulfills God's loving Providence of support and spiritual partnership.
I began writing Bible Studies, and teaching them to my dear family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers as they showed up at my house to learn about God. The Lord led me to attend Liberty University and Seminary where I was awarded the Bachelor Degree in Religion and the Master of Divinity Degree (Summa Cum Laude) in Professional Theology. My writing and teaching life began in earnest, with published Bible Studies used by the U.S. Army to support the soldiers in times of war. Soon, missionaries began utilizing the Bible Studies in their own countries and every country in the world had our teachings within their borders after just a few years. I began learning about the cultures and some of their languages as our teachings were translated in many languages. I made important contacts with strong Christian leaders; together we developed small training programs that would aid their teaching directly from Scripture and the moving of the Holy Spirit.
My writings picked up speed and intensity and became fully based upon Scripture and the moving of the Holy Spirit. I learned to empty myself completely as I received the Holy Spirit and He guided my writing. The better I developed this skill to empty myself of me, the more blessed teaching of the deeper things of God we receive. And that is the teachings I share with those He chooses to receive! Thanks be to God!
Joanne B. Holstein
(Christian Counselor)
Joanne B. Holstein is a Becker Bible Studies Teacher and Author of Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. She is a graduate of Psychology/Christian and Bible Counseling with Liberty University. She is well-known as a counselor to Christian faithful who are struggling with tremendous burdens in these difficult times.
She is our family ROCK! She is my spiritual supporter and partner and upholds my hands and assists me in doing the things of God. Together we have faced life's struggles and the spiritual mysteries of God. We are very blessed by Him to have survived this tough life, and know with certainty without His provisions of each other, none of our ministry, our family, or our natural lives would have survived.
Joanne was a nurse that had the old-school approach to a focus on patients' lives total care until recovery could be achieved, or dying could be a peaceful transition to their Savior. She hugs everyone and reminds others that the Lord's love is expressed within her arms as she holds tightly to them. When she walks in a room, the devil and his ugly minions leave. She truly brings the love, awe, and correction offered by God, and she never shirks in her responsibility to bring the Lord's light and power and discernment to fruition.
She is the smartest person I know. She graduated with high honors from Liberty University when she received her counseling degree. Presently she is attending classes with Harvard University and studying Philosophy, a subject that is broadening her understanding of the development of thought and practice in this world. And of course, she does all of this while she connects with her family often and upholds their journeys, as she supports me and the ministry God has entrusted us to guard and develop.
She is the mother of seven, the grandmother of seven, and the great-grandmother of two. The most recent great-grandchild has captured her heart totally, as we watch her grow daily with the love of her parents, her grandma, and God.
What a wonderful life this precious woman of God has given us all! Thanks be to Him!
RENA GOMACH
(Data Expert)
Rena is my beloved friend and sister in Christ. She comes from a family of faith and still attends the church that her parents helped establish and grow. Her musical ministry with her soprano voice has uplifted many lonely and hurting souls, and her love for the Lord has defined her journey throughout her life.
Rena had a really tough go in a part of her life, and struggled to make sense out of the hardships that came her way. The Lord blessed her with a wonderful husband that embraced and protected her from the dangers that threatened her. Bob is a really good man that made a life for Rena and encouraged her when things were dark.
Rena rescued us with the loads of data that were being produced in our ministry in 2013. She was our employed contractor initially. At her retirement, she was an unpaid volunteer that kept doing the massive amounts of work that were enveloping our development of ministry. She insisted on continuing her work because the Lord moved her to finish it during the times of covid, when all funding for our ministry stopped. Without her help, our ministry would have ended.
She is the proud mother of 3 children, 2 boys and 1 girl. She has 3 granddaughters, 3 grandsons, and 3 great-grandchildren. Husband Bob and her live in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and they have 1 dog, Maizie, and 2 cats, Rocky and Molly.
She started her career back in the late ‘60’s working for Sears Roebuck as a teletype operator. Back then orders were typed on to a reel to reel tape and then sent over a telephone wire to be filled in Chicago. After Sears, she also worked as a teletype operator for Thomson McKinnon, and then Prudential Bache. After that she took a position to sort and clean up the employee’s additional education classes for the Wisconsin Correctional System, later becoming the assistant to one of the instructors.
Next came a position at Oshkosh Truck formatting the manuals for the operation of their trucks. Due to an injury she had to leave that position for some therapy. She then decided to try doing some freelance work at home, working for 4 different companies over several years.
Rena came to Becker Bible in January of 2013, and that is where she stayed until retirement. ("I guess you could say I saved the best for last.")
She loves to read, but her biggest passion is singing at Nursing Homes once a week with a group from the Berlin Senior Singers.
Becker Bible Ministries is growing and is fruitful because a tiny woman from Oshkosh, Wisconsin gave her time, talents, and efforts in the biggest of capacities as she did the Lord's works! Thanks be to God!