Gary and Judith Zander

Growing up in suburban Edmonton, Alberta Gary’s pursuits were like most people – wealth, a family and personal happiness. By the age of 19, he had managed a retail clothing chain and become an accountant in the IT sector. Worldly success was being gained quickly. However during the Ethiopian famine of 1984 - when images of starving children crossed the airwaves - Gary was disturbed by his lack of compassion for the poor. He left his accounting position and sought a way of integrating his faith with the ability to serve the global poor. After over 12 years of working in Edmonton’s inner city and receiving a Masters of Divinity in Urban and Cross-cultural Ministry, Gary was introduced to CFHI during a Missions Fest event in 1999. For over five years, he taught staff, churches and universities as the Education Director.

Judith is from Germany and spent most of her younger years involved with Youth for Christ where her father led the ministry. At the age of 17, she and her family moved to Canada when he father received a pastoral call to a German-speaking congregation in Edmonton. Judith always felt that serving the poor is an essential part of the Christian faith and looked for ways to get personally involved locally. In 1988, she began volunteering at the Mustard Seed Street Church where Gary was helping build a new ministry.

After a year of working together and building a deep friendship, they decided to plan for marriage. A year-long courtship led to a year-long engagement and a wedding in 1992. God blessed them with four healthy and active boys – Peter (1993), Thomas (1995), Stephen (1997) and Daniel (2001). They moved to Chilliwack, BC in 2000 to work with CFHI and returned to the Edmonton area in 2005. Gary’s widowed mother, Kathy joined them the following year.

It was in May of 2007 that changes within FH began to show signs that there may be a need for Gary’s gifts as a speaker, writer and organizer. He started applying his skills and education to assist the wider FH family as Communications Coordinator in the Office of the CEO that August. One year later Gary accepted an offer to become the Chief Information Officer for the FH Association. Gary currently holds the position of Envision 2020 Strategy Manager for FH Food for the Hungry. Judith’s primary focus remains schooling the children at home while maintaining an active role in their local church.

You can partner with the Zander family and CFHI to provide the prayer support and financial resources needed to fulfill this call on their life.