The Sutphen Family

Alan'sTestimony

I grew up in a family without faith or spiritual direction.

I was witnessed to by a shipmate while serving in the US Navy, and was saved four years later while stationed in the Philippines. Though saved my wife and I grew very little, spiritually, until we came to Temple Baptist Church in Herndon, VA. Under the ministry of Dr. David Pittman our whole family grew tremendously in the Lord. Pastor Pittman introduced us to the mission ministry of the church and I began attending regularly on mission trips beginning in 2001. It was on our church's first medical missions trip to Uganda, Africa that the Lord opened my eyes to what a great tool the medical field could be to reach people for the Lord. The Lord used that and further trips to burden my heart, and confirm my calling to take the Gospel to the people of Uganda, East Africa.

Elena'sTestimony

I was born and raised in the southernmost island of Mindanao,

in the Republic of the Philippines. My parents attended a Methodist church and I was taught to serve the Lord faithfully because "that's the way to go to heaven." During high school my parents sent me and my siblings to a school run by Baptist missionaries. It was at an evangelistic meeting there, that I realized that I can't go to heaven by works, but only by accepting Jesus' gift of salvation in my heart, and I was saved in 1973. After high school, the Lord led me into the nursing field, and two years later I came to the United States to work in upstate NY, and now have been working in Neonatal ICU for the past 18 years. Six years after coming to the U.S. I met Alan, and later, we married. We have been blessed with three wonderful children: Sean, Eric and Rachel. My goal is to assist my husband in ministering the people of Uganda, in body and soul.

WhatWe Believe

The Inspiration of the Bible

We believe that the Bible is the verbally inspired and infallible, authoritative Word of God. We believe God gave the words of Scripture by inspiration without error in the original autographs. Furthermore, we believe in the preservation of the words of Scripture (Matthew 24:35), through the traditional Hebrew and Received (TR) Greek manuscripts, and accept the King James Bible as the divinely preserved Word of God in the English language.

The Person of God

We believe that God is the creator of all things, in six literal 24 hour days.

The Person of Jesus Christ

We believe in the virgin birth of Christ, His Deity, and sinless life, His vicarious death, along with His bodily resurrection and ascension, and in His personal, premillennial return.

The Person of the Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is the executive of the Godhead. We believe that He executes the Plan of God for our conviction and salvation. Christians are partakers of the Holy Spirit and empowered for service by Him.

The Fall of Man

We believe that man was created in the image of God and by choice fell into sin and death. Hence, every person is sinful and under condemnation to eternal judgment.

Salvation

We believe that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation. We believe in the salvation of man by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. We believe that salvation is the free gift of God, neither merited nor secured in part nor in whole by any virtue or work of man, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Security of the Believer

We believe that those who receive Jesus Christ as Savior are eternally secure. Our security rests on the finished work of Jesus Christ. As a result, we have assurance and believe that the true believer is forever secure as a redeemed possession of God.

Doctrine of the Church

We believe that the visible church is a congregation of baptized believers, practicing New Testament principles, believing its doctrines, observing its ordinances, and exercising its autonomy.

Doctrine of Heaven and Hell

We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and lost: those that are saved unto the resurrection of eternal life in heaven, and those that are lost unto the resurrection of eternal damnation in a literal lake of fire.

Current Trends

We take our stand against the current trends that lead to discrediting the Bible and undermining the fundamentals of the faith. We take a separatist stand against the use of modern/worldly music, Neo-orthodoxy, Neo-evangelicalism, the Ecumenical movement, and the modern tongues movement.

Joinwith us in prayer!

RecommendationLetter

David L. Pittman, D.D.

Pastor

Temple Baptist Church

This letter is to recommend to you Alan and Elena Sutphen as missionaries to Uganda, East Africa. They are a mature and godly family that has been a part of our church for almost ten years. Alan and Elena have gone on mission's trips with me all over the world. Alan has preached on some of these mission's trips and we have seen people saved through his preaching. They have taught Sunday school classes, been involved in visitation and Alan is currently on our deacon board. However, the thing that makes them very unique among missionaries is their extensive medical background. Alan is a physician assistant, and Elena is a registered nurse, giving them a unique perspective in reaching the people in Africa. Being a soul winner, preacher, and medical provider, they can make a tremendous difference in reaching the lost in Africa. He has a plan to go into the villages to set up a clinic and people will come to him for miles. He then can preach, see people saved, and plant churches like very few missionaries have the opportunity to do. He will be setting up a clinic near the churches and orphanage that are already there in Uganda. They will not only be a source of great encouragement because of their spirit and their love for Christ, but because of the unique medical background that the Lord has given to them. I do believe that Alan and Elena Sutphen will bring great heavenly rewards to your church if you choose to support them. May the Lord bless you as you prayerfully consider supporting them.