Ireland

EdenGate is a pioneering business-as-mission movement serving the Church across Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Europe, founded by Samuel and Sarah Chestnutt with a vision to redeem travel for the Great Commission. Samuel, a former religious education teacher from Northern Ireland, met Sarah while serving at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. Together, they were burdened by a sobering reality: although Ireland has a rich Christian heritage, only about 1% of the Republic of Ireland is evangelical, meaning most people do not personally know someone who can clearly explain the gospel. In response, Samuel transitioned from teaching into innovative, faith-based travel work, and in 2014 the Chestnutts launched EdenGate to offer excellent travel experiences that directly resource gospel workers, encourage pastors, and strengthen local churches - trusting Christ’s promise, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). EdenGate is grateful to serve in partnership with ACTION, which provides gospel networking and resources.

Over the past decade, this vision has grown into a quietly influential gospel ecosystem that includes faith-based travel initiatives, the Irish Gospel Partnership, the all-island Kinfire Festival, The Shepherd’s Retreat for pastoral renewal, Beyond the 1% research identifying 122 towns without gospel witness, the Gaelic Gospel Initiative (Téigh), and the Irish American Gospel Partnership overseen by Sarah. This work is further strengthened by partners like Jeremy and Christa Kastle, fellow ACTION workers, who are relocating their family to Northern Ireland. There, they will serve St. Donard’s Community Church in Dundrum, an evangelical Anglican church plant, to support pastoral ministry, youth, young families, and media outreach, and to contribute to EdenGate Travel through technical support, photography, customer care, and event coordination. Together, the Chestnutts and Kastles are advancing church planting, pastoral care, and gospel collaboration across the island of Ireland, prayerfully trusting God to build His Church, one relationship at a time.