Tanner and Katie Coleman
Greece | 10295
Our Story
Katie and Tanner joined GEM in 2019 as part of the GEM Refuge project serving and discipling refugees that were fleeing from the Middle East. During this first year, they worked in a space called Ephraim, a center walking distance from a refugee camp that hosted hospitality tea times, discovery bible studies, and served additionally at a center in the main city for belivers to gather in safety with locational discrestion. After Covid hit, the landscape of ministry changed. The old camp was burned to the ground and refugees were moved to a transcient camp just walking distance from the village where Katie and Tanner live. The Lord provided a third center in 2021 called Peace House where they now serve alongside a small team. Peace House hosts a thriving Farsi speaking ministry led by Muslim background believers consisting of believer gatherings, bi-weekly open tea times, conferences, seeker studies, and a meeting space for discipleship gatherings.
Where We Work
Despite moving to Greece with a singular focus of refugee work, the Lord was gracious to open up relationships within their Greek village. They feel incredibly burdened to minister and love on the Greeks who by large have traded relationship for tradition. Despite an overwhelming prevalence of Greek Orthodox churches, very few have a relationship with Jesus and know Him personally. Currently, Tanner and Katie continue to serve in both Greek and refugee ministry contexts.