Home: Church Resources: Biography

Pre-Missionary Life

George came from a nominally Christian home to accept Christ as Saviour at the age of 19 through a fellow-employee’s testimony. He was later baptized at Pinegrove Fellowship Baptist Church in Bracebridge, Ontario.

From as early as she can remember, Karen attended Central Baptist Church in Brantford. Karen received the Lord as a young girl in her parents’ home, and was later baptized as a follower of Christ at Central.

George and Karen first met as students at London Baptist Bible College and Seminary (now Heritage College and Seminary), and were married in 1980. After graduation in 1982, George served for 2 years as a pastoral intern at Calvary Baptist Church, Guelph, Ontario. While serving at Calvary, Kings applied to ABWE Canada to become foreign missionaries. They were accepted as missionary appointees in 1984 and then sent out by the church to serve in south Asia in 1987.

Missionaries in South Asia

The Kings served in south Asia for 12 years, from 1987 to 1999. During that time, God used them to plant ABWE’s first-ever Muslim-background church, in a city of over two million people. Beginning as a small Bible study in the home of the Kings in 1989, the group eventually declared itself to be a functioning church with local leadership and a charter membership of 25 in 1992. Under George's leadership, new congregations sprang up at major population centres throughout the region. By the time the Kings left the field in 1999, there were 15 new churches or preaching points and 198 baptized believers.

Beginning in 1994, George also became director of a major Bible translation project in a dialect spoken by well over 100 million people in one country alone. This Bible is now printed by a local Bible Society and was first released to the public in March 2000. It is used by many churches and individuals in two populous nations.

In 1999, George founded a residential Bible Institute for the training of pastors and leaders for the new church congregations. During his time in Asia, George wrote a book explaining Jesus' role in future events and the afterlife. He also wrote several gospel tracts, Bible college curricula and textbooks, and training materials for missionaries.

Missionaries to the Muslim World

George and Karen returned to Canada with their 5 children (Adam, Amy, Alisa, Aaron, and Angelie) in 1999, and settled in Brantford. At the urging of Dr. Wendell Kempton, then president of ABWE, they accepted a new assignment as missionaries-at-large to the Muslim World. George served as an occasional consultant to ABWE fields where Muslims live. He also helped train ABWE missionaries working in Muslim nations.

George was a pioneer in utilizing the internet to reach out to Muslims worldwide. He continues to operate three websites specifically designed for Muslim inquirers.

Karen's expertise is in teaching English as a second language, which she has used to great effect in Canada and in the United Kingdom.

Missionaries to England

ABWE has had a fruitful ministry of church rescue and church planting in England since the mid-1980s. In 2000, George visited various places in Central England as an ABWE Muslim outreach consultant to see whether the situation warranted a ministry specifically reaching the growing Muslim population there. Consequently, there are now two ABWE couples in England with that mission in mind. One of those couples is George and Karen King.

Email the Kings if you would like more details.