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About Us

Spreading the Gospel by Equipping Leaders and Strengthening the Church
Our Story

Serving God Through Missions, Mentoring, and Outreach

Rev. Wolfgang Schweder, the founder and president of Undergird International lives with his wife Charlotte in Beaumont, California. God blessed them with three children (Nicole, Melanie and Jeremy) and ten grandchildren. They have pastored in the USA and Canada, and have served God throughout the years as children’ s and outreach pastor, as well as lead pastor. They also planted a church in Eastern Washington State, and since the year 2000 have been involved in Central and Eastern Europe to empower, mentor, equip, church planters and pastors; to teach, encourage, evangelize, and enlarge vision in churches great and small, and see people touched by the Word of God and the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit.
To see lives being changed and restored by the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and to see God’s power heal needy people in body, spirit and soul, also to further congregational health and growth through counsel, short term mission teams and financial assistance. The call of God has brought Wolfgang and Charlotte to countries like Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Serbia, Ukraine etc. Traditional, nominal Christianity or the many years of communist domination have made these countries a hard mission field. I (Wolfgang) know what this is like. First of all, I grew up in Europe, and because of that I have a good understanding of their culture and needs. We also have been church planters, and we know the feeling of loneliness, the times of discouragement and the times when Satan shoots doubts at you and puts the family under pressure, when money is tight, and the church doesn’t grow as rapidly as you wish. But we also know, and have experienced that we have a great God who fills out all of our needs according to HIS riches in glory.

Wolfgang and Charlotte are a multi-cultural couple. Wolfgang grew up in Germany, where he concluded his basic education, as well as retail business training. A short stunt in hospital work gave him some training in nursing. During his time as a successful sales representative for a grocery factory in Germany, God called him into full-time ministry work. Being obedient to the voice of God, he began his theological education at a seminary in Germany. There, he met Charlotte, who had traveled from Canada to attend the same college. After immigrating to Canada, and getting married, he continued his education in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and then became a licensed minister of the Gospel with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. In 1976, Wolfgang and Charlotte answered the call of a church in Portland, Oregon, USA to become their lead pastor. In 1979, Wolfgang was ordained as a pastor with the Assemblies of God, USA. Their ministry path has led them from Portland, Oregon to Windsor, Ontario, Canada to Kennewick, Washington State, Chilliwack, British Columbia, Lynden, Washington State and Beaumont, California.

Leadership and Service Beyond the Pulpit

  • member of a multicultural counsel
  • board member of a Christian newspaper
  • advisor for Women’s Aglow chapter
  • certified translator/interpreter for English/German
  • German language teacher
To widen his education, Wolfgang has taken courses in coaching, time management and life skills enhancement etc. Wolfgang and Charlotte enjoy the exposure to different cultures, languages, foods, and beautiful architecture and landscape in foreign countries. Both of them enjoy the interaction with their nine grandchildren, involvement in their home church, an exciting worship time in the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit, travelling the USA and Canada, and a bit of gardening in their backyard in Beaumont, CA.
Wolfgang is excited to be involved in church planting, and mentoring young leaders in Central and Eastern Europe….and this he will do as long as God enables him!
As of today, Wolfgang, Charlotte and/or the staff of Undergird International have ministered in USA and Canada and countries such as Nicaragua, Mexico, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, and in the Ukraine. The ministry motto of Wolfgang and Undergird International is: “We believe for an ever-expanding open door to empower a new generation of leaders to equip, transform and expand the presence of God’s church at home and abroad!”
One of Wolfgang’s favored Bible verse can be found in 1 John 4:4: “…. He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”