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Kenneth Kaufmann

Kenneth Kaufmann

Greenville Free Methodist Church
Greenville, IL
Quizzed 1965 - 1968
Inducted 2008

Bio

Notable Results

  • Central Illinois Conference Champions 1966-1968
  • 1966 Winona Youth Advance International Bible Quiz Runnerup (2nd Place)
  • 1968 Midwest (Camp Mack) Regional Champion
  • 1968 Winona Lake International Bible Quiz Champions
  • 1966 & 1967 Winona Youth Advance International Bible Quiz All Star Quizzer

Favorite Scripture

  • 1966 - Luke 9:23 - And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
  • 1967 - Acts 1:8 - But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
  • 1968 - John 10:10 - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
  • John 3:30 - He must increase, but I must decrease.

These verses reflect the teaching under which I grew up, calling for a denial of self, growing more like Christ, and living the holy life, which is possible through the Holy Spirit by means of entire sanctification, a righteousness which is from God by faith (Philippians 3:9). It is my prayer that through my life, while I decrease Christ may increase (John 3:30), that I may be crucified with Christ so that Christ may live in me (Galatians 2:20), so that people may see Christ, and come to know Him as Lord and Savior. I feel privileged that He has called us, my wife and I, to serve Him in the uttermost part of the earth, and we have enjoyed over thirty years of service in medical missions, the pastoral ministry, church planting, Christian and pastoral education, and leadership in South Africa and the Middle East.

Questions & Answers
What were the highlights of your quizzing years?

Meeting heroes of the faith:

  • Meeting Jim Johnson, missionary kid, and his parents Warren and Jean Johnson, missionaries to South Africa, whom we later worked under in Natal-Transkei 1976-1980, at Winona Youth Advance 1965
  • Meeting Youth leaders and quizmasters: Ray Bates, Ralph Park, John Baker, Robert Neil, and Robert Crandall
  • Meeting Mamie Matson, retired Christian college professor, and her niece, Ruth Matson, worker at Free Methodist headquarters - their friendship of young teenagers, constant interest in us, our quiz team, and encouragement to us, which continued into adult life, even after we went to the mission field was a constant inspiration in our Christian life
  • Meeting bishops and other leaders of the church
How did quizzing affect you as a teen?

The excitement of the competition gave me a passion to study God's Word and to excel. It provided a focus for studying God's word and the motivation to memorize large chunks of Luke and Acts and in 1968 the whole of the Gospel of John

What difference has quizzing made in your life to this day?

It contributed to a life long passion for the study of God's Word and the sharing of the Good News

Are you presently involved in Bible quizzing in any way? If so, how?

I helped to coach: Greenville Free Methodist Church 1968-69 through 1970-71. I helped the Illinois-Wisconsin Conf quizmaster: 1972-73 through 1973-74

What ministries are you currently doing? How are you presently active in serving the Lord?
  • 1976- 1992 - missionary Free Methodist Church of North America
  • 1976-1984 - Greenville Mission Hospital
  • 1976-1979 - Medical Doctor
  • 1979-1984 - Medical Superintendent
  • 1985-1989 - church planter, Zululand District, Natal-Transkei Conference
  • 1985-1986 - Medical Superintendent, Hlabisa Hospital, Hlabisa, Natal
  • 1986-1989 - Medical Superintendent, Benedictine Hospital, Nongoma, Natal
  • 1990-1992 - church planter, Pietermaritzburg, Natal-Transkei Conference
  • 1992-present - pastor, Northern KwaZulu-Natal Conference, Free Methodist Church in Southern Africa
  • 1992-2004 - Benedictine Mission Hospital
  • 1992-1994 - Principal Medical Officer - Obstetrics-Gynecology
  • 1994-1999 - Acting Medical Superintendent
  • 1999-2002 - District Medical Officer, Usuthu Health District
  • 2002-2004 - District Manager, Usuthu Health District
  • 1992-1996 - pastor and church planter, Nongoma-Jozini District
  • 1996-2004 - Conference Superintendent
  • 2004-present - missionary to Bahrain
  • 2004-present - Chief of Medical Staff, American Mission Hospital

Taught and organized ordination classes for (Natal-Transkei) Northern and Southern KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Conferences 1979-2004 
Presently while serving as the Chief of Medical Staff at American Mission Hospital in Bahrain, my wife and I are studying Arabic, and Islamic religion and culture. We are also studying Islam through the Zwemer Center for Muslim Studies, Columbia International University, Columbia, South Carolina by means of a distance learning part-time program. We are involved in an Arabic church, chapel services at the hospital, and in Bible studies.