Every November we like to highlight volunteers who have served with us for ten years and share a small part of their Got Questions journey. Enjoy getting to know some fellow laborers!
Robert Marx (May 2012): I have enjoyed writing for the “Got Questions?” ministry. I found the ministry during a dark period of my life. I have been in the military, for over half of it in the National Guard Reserves, in my adult years until I “slipped a disk” or rather, blew it up, causing something like an aneurism. The leaders of the wing called me to the big office (closely akin to the dreaded principal’s office) and I was told that the medical division signed me out as medically unfit for further military service. They were right because at that time I could barely walk. I voted to take my 20 year retirement and leave the unit. I have despised losing my military service connection but at the end of the day I knew that I was unfit. I “found” the site when I googled a Christian question. The “writing answers to people’s questions” has filled a hole within me and so I am grateful to be involved for ten years , from 2012 to 2022. My physical condition has deteriorated to the point that I collect disability with that being since 2016. I have had questions asking me what to think of ministries that are in Africa. I wrote a small book to a questioner postulating that Jesus Christ’s burial & resurrection were false. I get a little angry for a person writing lies about my Savior, indeed he is the Savior for the world. I end this now with the wish I did not go over the word limit too badly.
David Yanni (May 2012): I came across GQ while I was looking up the meaning behind a Bible passage and soon after I registered for the weekly teaching. Weekly, I would look forward to those teachings and I had a sense that the ministry was teaching as God intended His message to be explained. After some time I noted that there was the option to have your questions answered and a volunteer’s options. I decided to apply considering I enjoyed discussing God with people that did not believe. Soon after, I was accepted by GQ and began to respond to people from all over the world and as I did this I realised that I was actually gaining a deeper understanding of the scriptures. It has been an honour to serve with GQ for the past 10 years, and I look forward to helping others come to realise the fact that Jesus is God and that He cares for all people regardless of their situation.
Dawn James (June 2012): Thanks for letting me share how I got involved in this ministry.
Ten years ago, I was searching for a way I could serve the Lord using the writing skills He has given me.
After a Sunday night Bible study, I was waiting for a friend and that particular night, I was impatient to leave. So, I started to pace around the church lobby. I stopped at the information desk where an array of pamphlets stood arranged in groups. One of them caught my eye because it had a group of question marks on it and asked, in bold letters, Got Questions? I was instantly intrigued, but I didn’t have time to read it then because my friend was ready to leave.
At home, I read the entire pamphlet and felt this was the answer I had been seeking. I applied to be a volunteer writer the next day and was accepted. When I received my first few questions, I was always nervous that I wouldn’t be able to find the answer or explain it well enough. However, that changed when I received a question asking where in the Bible it says that Jesus knows the hearts of men. It just so happened, I was reading John’s gospel and I’d just read those words at the end of John 2. That was perhaps the easiest question I’ve answered, but more importantly, it confirmed to me that I was in the right ministry for me.
Another part of this ministry that stands out for me is when we started the Facebook group. I felt truly connected to the ministry and no longer felt isolated, working alone on my computer. When I had a few truly difficult questions, I asked the group for assistance, and I was grateful for the answers.
It’s been an interesting ten years. I started out cautiously, and the Lord has taught me more than I ever expected to learn. Each question is a kind of adventure into what the Lord wants me to share. I can only pray it is glorifying to His name.
Byron Earnheart (July 2012): 10 years already?!!? Didn’t I just start? To be honest, what got me started with GQ were Asherah poles. In preparing for a Sunday School lesson I was supposed to teach, I googled “Asherah Poles” and found Got Questions. I spent the next hour or so digging around the questions and falling in love with the ministry. I saw a link about becoming a volunteer and thought “why not?! All they can do is tell me no!”. Ten years later…I’m still in love with the ministry and how we get to work together to advance the Kingdom of God. After a time of doubt and searching nearly 20 years ago, answering questions on apologetics and the faith has been a ministry of mine. I love taking on the hard questions people ask me (online and in real life) because, usually, I asked them too. Through GQ, I’ve seen the “why” of going through that dark time in my life. In addition, I love the other volunteers I’ve gotten to interact with. Even though we interact virtually, there’s a kinship that is special and uplifting.
Barbara Reynolds (July 2012): My husband, Mike, joined a church softball team after an invitation from a friend. One beautiful Colorado evening over pizza, Beth DeVore and I talked about my background and education at Moody Bible Institute. She invited me to apply to write for GotQuestions.org which I did. It was the perfect blend for my love of the Word of God and writing. Excavating in Israel and God-given love for the Jewish people stimulated my life-long research which has been useful in answering “all things Jewish” questions. I especially love questions about Messianic prophecy, Jewish traditions and underlying meaning, the OT, and sharing the Gospel as the Lord leads. Often the questions I receive are directly connected to whatever current inductive Bible study I am teaching, or I have recently tackled the topic in Bible study. I love to watch God orchestrate my Bible study! As long as the Lord gives ability and health, I continue to love to serve in this way. One amusing note: MeLissa Houdmann felt that she should share the Gospel with me as we sat in those softball stands together. That perfectly describes the deep desire of the staff of GotQuestions.org to share the Bible faithfully.
Desiree Angeles (August 2012): I first learned about GotQuestions when I was searching about a scripture and I found it inscribed in one of their articles back in 2012. Then, there was a link for a volunteering job that I clicked on and the rest was history. 😊What got me into the platform is what kept me on for the rest of my volunteer work, and that is love for God.
Chelsea Kilmer (August 2012): 10 years with GotQuestions—wow, time has flown! I found out about GotQuestions while I was at Calvary Bible College (now, Calvary University). Originally, I got involved to fulfill my Christian ministry requirement and had only planned to answer questions for one semester. But, as we can see, one semester turned into 10 years! Even though I had grown up in a Christian home, I was still a fairly new believer at the time and did not feel that I had much to give. I quickly learned that answering questions wasn’t about me or my qualifications. It’s about sharing God’s Word with others in our country and those across the globe. It’s about empathizing with people who are struggling and being brave enough to share parts of my testimony to show people that while the struggle is real, there’s always hope when we’re walking with the Lord. It’s been an incredible blessing to be a small part in sharing truth and hope. To God be the glory!
Bruce Fox (November 2012): My name is Dr. Bruce Fox and I love writing for Got Questions Ministries. I am told it has been for 10 years now and that a short highlight on me is desired. Thank you so much. I have often said that I am a layman’s layman. Oh, I was willing to do whatever the Lord Jesus had for me ever since being born again circa January 13, 1971 because of the love and teaching of a Bible Study Group called Officers’ Christian Fellowship. I became an on-fire evangelist cleverly disguised as a Naval Dental Officer for 20 years. Then those first 16 years after Navy retirement were action-packed with full-time interesting ministry including missionary aviation administration, the JESUS Video Project, missions and counseling and other ministry at church, as well as radio ministry locally and on the internet around the world. Then getting to be immersed in God’s Word and Theology was priceless in getting an MDIV and then getting to teach as an adjunct seminary professor for four more years. I will send you a testimony if you request at my email of foxinsox1 @ cox.net.
I had used the articles posted at GotQuestions.org for many papers during seminary studies (proper documentation of course). Students and professors used, appreciated, and recommended that website. But I used it more than anyone and admired the great work that all the writers had done. Would they take some layman like me to be a GQ writer? Praise God they did! And what a joy to meet the staff in Colorado Springs at a reunion….to learn and fellowship and tour for an entire week!
I could still improve some on “answering the question up front,” but now let me get to the question. What has kept me writing for 10 years? Now at age 78 when there is still no retirement from God’s work for Christians, I can tell that writing for GQ more than anything else has kept me mentally alert and not forgetting all that I had learned in seminary. Oh, and I still have my course notes, many theology books including commentaries, a Concordance, an Interlinear Greek and Hebrew Bible, and seven Bibles with commentary. It keeps me studying the Bible and applying to some extent something that I had done along the way—Christian counseling. I usually wrote two or three answers each week while doing other ministry as well. I still look expectantly for new questions assigned to me. Of course I am glad we get three days to answer each one, and I am thrilled when a questioner comes back a second or third time. I do put my first name on the answers most of the time in case further explanation is asked of me. With every question, I can usually find answers at our website, and then I give the titles for people to “Search” for them. I read them all and pick the most relevant ones for each question. Sometimes I just type in things I am curious about and read what is posted. I recommend this website to everyone who might be interested, and I hope to “keep on keeping on.”
Robbie Holmes (December 2012): I discovered Got Questions as I was studying for various exams and completing assignments. I found the resource very helpful as it had such a diverse range of topics that were both informative and concise. I soon found Got Questions was (and still is) my first stop when seeking information about any given subject seen from a Biblical perspective. Since joining Got Question ten years ago I find that in answering questions about a range of topics, presenting a Biblical response, I am always learning and always being challenged. Like many other volunteers we all agree that in answering questions for others we too benefit and learn so much during the process. The Proverb 27:17 “Iron sharpens Iron” often comes to mind, since answering Biblical questions is mutually beneficial to both parties. So much learnt yet so much still to learn!
Also celebrating: Dale Agner (February 2012); Dean Fry (February 2012); Ed Chait (March 2012); Susan Lockhart (April 2012)
