THE HISTORY: ENCOUNTER MINISTRY
Encounter Ministry launched in 2014 with the goal of offering encounters and events across different churches.
The organization began with men’s encounters in 2015 and later expanded to include women’s encounters as well.
Over the years, the ministry expanded to multiple cities across the United States, including Northern California, Michigan, Alabama, and Texas.
In 2023, the organization purchased a building and launched a biblical counseling school, followed by the introduction of marriage encounters, Biblical counseling and other programs like Harmony In Marriage, Grow, Forge, and leadership training.
THE TIMELINE
MARCH 2014
Richard Wenschlag, Troy Dillard, Ed Kofel, Ryan Hensley, and Mike Miller see a need in offering Men’s Encounters for all churches. The ministry is officially launched by this group of founders.
FEBRUARY 2015
First Men’s Encounter is hosted.
APRIL 2019
Other cities begin launching similar Encounter Ministry’s in their region. The first was in Grass Valley, California at this time. Detroit, Michigan follows the next year, and other areas join in subsequent years including Sacramento, San Diego, and Portola in California as well as faraway places in Alabama and Texas.
AUGUST 2020
First Women’s Encounter is held in Detroit, Michigan. Many more Women’s Encounters would follow in Reno, Nevada and elsewhere.
DECEMBER 2023
The first Marriage Encounter was hosted. During this weekend, the news spread that the purchase of the Encounter Ministry building on Prototype Drive in Reno, Nevada had been completed.
JANAURY 2024
First class offered by the new Biblical Counseling School. Many new programs like Healthy Souls, Freedom Fire, Harmony in Marriage and others launched as a result of having the new building to host these activities.
