God’s Leading in the Life of Missionary David Potter
God leads His dear children along—sometimes all the way around the world. As missionaries to Hungary since 1999, Maranatha alumni David and Jean Potter have seen firsthand God’s direction as He has worked both in and through their lives to the praise of His glory.
God’s Training Ground
David Potter began attending Maranatha Baptist Bible College during its founding year in 1968. Although conditions at Maranatha during the college’s infancy were far from ideal, Potter found campus life to be a good training ground for a life on the mission field. “The crowded conditions at Maranatha the first three years taught us to take difficulties in stride,” Potter explained. “When we faced a hard or annoying situation, we used to say ‘GMT,’ which stood for ‘good missionary training.’ We adapted Dr. Cedarholm’s saying, ‘Be ready to preach, pray, die, or do special music at a moment’s notice.’”
Maranatha also gave Potter the ability to hone his musical skills and to experience traveling ministry. Potter participated in the Madrigal Choir and what is now the Chamber Singers. At times he also played the baritone in brass ensembles. “Traveling with choirs and staying in people’s homes was preparation for deputation,” he said. In addition, he received practical training teaching English in the college and Bible in the Academy high school—an experience that would prove valuable for his later work in Hungary.
Maranatha’s missions emphasis further helped to keep Potter’s heart tender and reinforced his call to serve: “Every [Maranatha] missions conference was a challenge. I think I was ‘called’ to the field of every missionary I heard.” It was during the opening semester revival meetings that Potter invited Jean, who also sensed a call to ministry work, to sit with him during the services. Eventually, the two married and had Abi, Ethan, Ruth, Hannah, Micah, Rachel, and Ami.
After graduating from Maranatha with his bachelor’s degree in 1971 and his MDiv in 1974, Potter went on to complete a Ph.D. before receiving an invitation to teach at San Francisco Baptist Seminary, where he faithfully served until the school’s closing 12 years later.
From Home to Hungary
In God’s timing, Potter was asked by a Hungarian missionary to lead a Bible conference in Hungary, in which he delivered twenty-two hours of lectures and sermons. Afterward, the host missionary asked Potter to consider returning permanently to train national leaders and to plant churches in Hungary.
The decision to move halfway around the world was not an easy one for the Potter family: It involved selling their home, crisscrossing numerous states during twenty months of deputation, and uprooting their growing family of seven children. Despite the challenges, the Potters arrived in Budapest, Hungary, in April of 1999.
Adapting to the new Hungarian language and the culture also proved challenging: “The Hungarian language is one of the most complex in the world,” Potter said. “The first Sunday in Hungary, a waiter at a restaurant asked our son Micah if he wanted something to drink. He replied with an English word that sounds a lot like the Hungarian word for beer. We knew right away that we were in trouble!”
Despite the difficulties, Potter jumped right into ministry, first by preaching and teaching Bible classes to local church members, and by ministering in music as part of a brass quartet. Soon, he began street preaching and door-to-door evangelism in the city of Pecs. He eventually began discipleship of two Hungarian nationals, Gedeon and Zoli, who have planted churches in the cities of Nagykanizsa and Budapest. Potter’s background in teaching allowed him to lead modular classes and seminars not only in Hungary but also in other parts of Europe, Africa, and the Far East.
Today, much of Potter’s work is centered on pastoring Bible Baptist of Pecs, Hungary—ministering to the local congregation. While still using traditional evangelistic methods, he says interpersonal relationships are a key to reaching souls for Christ: “The most productive way [to evangelize] is friends reaching friends.” Another key to effective evangelism is prayer. “We have seen people saved as a direct result of prayer,” said Potter.
For the Potters, a typical day of ministry in Hungary includes a variety of opportunities—private Bible reading, answering emails, visiting church members, leading a church prayer meeting, doing street evangelism, and spending additional time in prayer. Special events, such as a Children’s Bible Week, often make for a very full ministry schedule.
Challenge to the Next Generation
Potter challenges MBU students who are thinking about going to the foreign mission field to take the opportunity now to prepare: “Take a foreign language. Look for people to witness to. Learn to appreciate others who are not coolly sophisticated in dress and outlook like the people you have grown up with. Be real.”