Ben and Carlene Mathewson are the founders of Words Before, a ministry focused on supporting Christian individuals, leaders and churches. Home base for them is Auckland, New Zealand, with their two kids.
OUR STORY
Ben started his working life as a Civil Engineer, while Carlene was outworking a career as a University lecturer in Law. However, on their honeymoon the Lord implemented the next stage of His plan and proceeded to change and enlarge their vision for the life that was before them. Six months after getting married, the Lord relocated them out of their employments and into a life of ministry.
For six years Ben worked as an Associate Pastor, while Carlene gave herself fully to the many family and ministry commitments around them. However, this period of ministry was shorter than they both expected, as the Lord again changed their direction and expression of service.
Over the period of a year the Lord started to grow a vision and understanding for a new season of ministry, a season where they would live and minister like missionaries to the wider body of Christ in New Zealand and abroad. At the beginning of 2013, in response to this call, they resigned from their church employment to outwork this.
Since then they have lived a spacious life, going wherever the Lord needs them to be. They move and engage with Christians across all traditions and have a burden to encourage and support the body of Christ to be effective, ready and strong in this season of harvesting. When at home they love to explore New Zealand with their two children.
Words Before is therefore just an online extension of how they find themselves living their everyday life.
If you would like to connect further with Ben and Carlene, then feel free to contact them.