The roar of jet engines filled the Berlin air as airman Charles( Bill) Kidwell marched across the runway in 1969. Life in the U. S. Air Force was disciplined and structured. Although he had grown up attending church, Bill had never truly known Jesus as his personal Savior.
That changed when a fellow airman shared his transformative faith with him. After this encounter, Bill began reading the New Testament, and by the time he finished the Gospels, he had made a lifechanging decision to call on the name of Jesus to guide his life. Bill recalls,“ Jesus transformed me. I soon began going to Bible studies in Berlin and allowed Jesus to sanctify my life. Within months, I started preaching, and then, in 1970, he spoke directly to me that someday I would go to Russia as a missionary.”
After leaving the Air Force in 1974, Bill returned to Indiana and pastored small United Methodist churches while finishing his undergraduate degree at Indiana University. He then attended Asbury Seminary with his wife, Nancy, and their three children by his side. While there, the Kidwells often spent time at the OMS Student Center on campus. They felt ready to go to Russia as missionaries as soon as possible.
Yet, after graduation, Bill’ s journey took him through seemingly ordinary jobs, but ones that prepared him for missions. From 1985 to 1989, he worked in retail. From
1989 to 1993, he taught at a Christian school in Lexington, Kentucky. Both roles sharpened his skills and built his character, equipping him for the mission field.
In 1992, Bill and Nancy applied to OMS and prepared to go to Hungary, but God opened the doors for OMS to enter Russia. So, they changed plans and moved to Moscow, Russia, in November 1993, where they served for six years.
Today, they continue their calling as church multiplication facilitators for the Slavic people in the Europe / Middle East region, mentoring and equipping ministry partners in Ukraine and Russia.
Reflecting on his journey, Bill says,“ Somehow, I have always had a call on my life. It was not a surprise. My grandfather once told my aunt( when I was 12) that someday I would be a preacher. Even though I am‘ ordinary,’ God can call and use anyone. It is he that calls and equips.” From airman to missionary, Bill’ s life shows how God can use every experience to prepare his people for the mission field.
photos, page 19: Bill Kidwell, along with his wife, Nancy, has served as a pastor, teacher, retail salesman, and missionary.
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