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Samuel and Sarah Chestnutt

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Samuel and Sarah Chestnutt serve in Ireland, supporting gospel ministry through a business-as-mission approach. Samuel, a former religious education teacher from Northern Ireland, met Sarah while serving at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. They were struck by the fact that, although Ireland has a rich Christian heritage, only about 1% of the Republic's population is evangelical—meaning 86% of people don't personally know anyone who could explain the gospel to them. 

This stark reality, especially compared to Northern Ireland, moved them to action. 

In response, Samuel transitioned from teaching to innovative faith-based travel. In 2014, they launched their first initiative to "redeem travel for the Great Commission," connecting and resourcing gospel workers and churches across Ireland.

Over the past decade, this business-as-mission model has quietly birthed and supported a network of ministries, including:

  • Faith-Based Travel Initiatives: Designing journeys that connect, resource, and encourage gospel workers and local churches across Ireland, Europe and the Bible lands.
  • The Irish Gospel Partnership: Helping evangelical denominations collaborate and address ministry needs across Ireland.
  • Kinfire Festival: Uniting believers from all over Ireland to celebrate and strengthen their commitment to Christ and the local church.
  • The Shepherd's Retreat: Providing care and renewal for pastors in Ireland, the UK, and Europe.
  • Beyond the 1%: A research and development project that seeks to map every church community on the entire island of Ireland to identify where the gospel is least known. Through this work, they have identified 122 towns without gospel witness, helping inform and inspire practical church-planting strategies.
  • Téigh, Making the Gospel Accessible in Irish: We support translation, publishing, and local church engagement in Irish (Gaelic), helping churches worship, teach, and reach out in Ireland's heart language.
  • Irish American Gospel Partnership: Connecting Ireland and the US for the Gospel. This new partnership links churches and ministries across Ireland and the US, fostering collaboration, resource sharing, and unified gospel outreach. Overseen by Sarah, more details at tiagp.com.
  • Patrons International: Facilitating charitable giving from the USA and UK to support gospel work in Ireland and beyond.

Join Us in the Work:

Would you pray for Ireland, the UK and Europe that Christ would be made known in every community? 

Would you consider giving to help sustain the various Matthew 16:18 initiatives they oversee?

And would you partner with us—whether through your church coming on a faith-based tour, your business, or your skills—to see the church in Ireland flourish for generations to come? Together, we can trust God to build His church, one relationship at a time.