About

Both Murphy and Christine were missionary kids and have always had a heart for missions. They moved to West Africa in 1998 to begin ministering to the Aja/Watchi people where served until the end of 2008. God has blessed with them two wonderful sons (Stephen 5/1998 and Matthew 9/2000). They moved to Rwanda in January, 2009 where they currently live and minister. They work for a local Non-Government Organization (NGO) called Africa Transformation Network (ATN).

Murphy and Christine are both Harding University graduates. In addition, Murphy has a M.Div. and a M.S. in Missions from Abilene Christian University and Christine has a M.S. in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Memphis. They studied French in Canada before arriving on the field in September, 1998 to work among the Aja people of Benin. Murphy and Christine speak English, French, Aja, Eve and are learning Kinyarwanda.

The Crowsons are passionate disciples of Jesus seeking to trust and obey his every word as they work to make more disciples wherever God calls them to serve and minister.

Ministry Timeline in Africa

Benin

In September, 1998, the Crowsons moved to Azove, Benin, West Africa to begin a ministry among the Aja people. They learned Aja language and culture and God used them to plant several churches and bring many to the Lord.

Togo

In January, 2002, the Crowsons moved across the Benin/Togo borde to join the Watchi team in Tabligbo, Togo to continue on their ministry among the Aja people who live in Togo as well as work with the Watchi. Visit the Watchi Harvest web site: http://watchiharvest.com to find out more information about the growth of the Kingdom among the Watchi.

The Aja are “second cousins” to the Watchi people with whom their team works. The Aja language and culture, which Murphy and Christine had already learned, are very similar to the Watchi language and culture. This made their transition to the work here much smoother and allowed them to be fully involved in planting churches among the Watchi people in just a few short months.

God has also used them to plant a new cluster in the northern region of Watchi land with four churches, one Aja and three Watchi. In addition to his work in this cluster, he worked with the new elders and churches in the Adangbe region teaching and mentoring them through the Train & Multiply evangelism and leadership training series.

In 2008 the Crowsons finished their full-time ministry among the Watchi.

Rwanda

Their call to Rwanda began in 2003 with an email from Sam Shewmaker saying that his survey team committed to pray everyday for God to raise up teams of missionaries to minister in Rwanda. As Murphy read this email the Spirit said “You could do that!” They immediately began praying for God to provide $5000 for a survey trip in a way that would increase their faith and confirm this call. They received a check for $5,000 within four weeks (unsolicited). They then prayed for God to raise up two other men willing to go and “spy out the land.” Within six weeks, Marty Koonce and Matt Miller approached Murphy and said, “We should go see Rwanda.”

Two years later, in 2005, David Reeves joined their group and the four of them spent two weeks surveying Rwanda with Sam Shewmaker and Dave Jenkins. They went with curiosity and returned with conviction. God was calling them to minister in this dark nation. More specifically, God was calling the four of them to minister together in the Musanze valley, a densely populated area in Rwanda with over 1 million people.

In 2007, their family, along with the Koonces, made another survey trip to Rwanda. God confirmed their calling as they met with Rwandans and other missionaries and felt again the darkness of this lost nation.

In 2008 the Crowsons finished up their full-time ministry among the Watchi. In January, 2009, they moved to Kigali, Rwanda, Central Africa and began a new life and ministry there. They are planning to move to Musanze in north west Rwanda to begin a ministry in the Musanze valley.