Origins
Inspired by Aquila and Priscilla
Aquila Initiative began when a group of expat ministry leaders, all serving in Europe, realized we were witnessing the same trend: churches shrinking, pastors burning out, and too few leaders being raised up. We came together around a shared burden — and a shared hope.
The biblical example of Aquila and Priscilla gave us language for what we were already doing. They weren’t apostles or stage-front leaders. They were mobile, tentmaking, Spirit-led supporters of the church — investing in people like Apollos, hosting gatherings in their home, and always showing up where the gospel needed reinforcement.
That’s who we want to be.
Not the heroes of the story — the guides. Faithful servants who walk with leaders, support local churches, and model church multiplication through apprenticeship and marketplace mission.
What began as informal collaboration has become a growing network committed to one goal: training up leaders to plant churches — right where they are, with what they have, to the glory of God.
Why it matters
EU churches need leaders
Across Europe, the church is in steady decline — less than 2% of the population is evangelical, and many churches struggle to raise up new leaders. It’s not that the gospel has lost power. It’s that pastors are overextended, leaders are underdeveloped, and too often, the next generation is sent away to be trained — and never comes back.
We believe the local church is still God’s chosen vehicle for gospel transformation — and that every church has the potential to train and send its own leaders. They just need a path.
That’s where we come in.
Aquila Initiative exists to serve the church — not to replace it. We walk alongside pastors, mentors, and ministry teams with the tools, training, and relational support they need to equip leaders from within.
Because when the local church leads, the whole church multiplies.
Practice
What we preach
We’re not an outside agency. We’re a team of missionaries, pastors, church planters, and entrepreneurial leaders who live and serve across Europe. Each member of the Aquila Initiative is actively rooted in a local church — preaching, mentoring, discipling, and leading in everyday ministry.
Most of us are expats who moved here with a calling to serve the church in Europe. We’ve wrestled with language barriers, cultural shifts, financial limitations, and the slow pace of gospel work in post-Christian cities. We’ve also seen firsthand what happens when a church begins to train its own leaders and send them out: hope returns, disciples grow, and mission multiplies.
Everything we create — from training paths to Business in Mission cohorts — is shaped by what we’ve learned on the ground. We’re walking the same path we invite others into.
Meet the people
We come from different countries, backgrounds, and professions — but we share one mission: Love Jesus, love his church.
David Martin
Managing Director
David has served in international local church ministry since 2005, and in international ministry since 2013 when he became the lead pastor/elder of IBC Cologne. Under his leadership, the church helped plant IBC Bonn in 2018 and IGK in 2023. In 2025, David and his family moved to Aachen to lead a team to begin a new church plant. As Managing Director of Aquila Initiative, David provides vision, oversees team development, and directly mentors several apprentices. He also serves on the Executive Leadership Team for Church Multiplication with the International Baptist Convention (IBC). David earned a Masters in Theological Studies from Gateway Baptist Theological Seminary in 2011 and a Doctorate of Ministry from the same institution in 2024.
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Nicolas von Brandenstein
Operations Director
Nick served on the leadership team of IBC Cologne from 2013–2019 and helped plant IBC Bonn, where he served as an elder until 2023. In 2025 Nick and his family returned to IBC Cologne. As Operations Director of Aquila Initiative, he oversees day-to-day operations, which involves administration, design, communication, and finances. Nick also runs two businesses: Acaycia, which coaches Christian entrepreneurs, and Home Aid Köln, an in-home care service for the elderly. Nick has a background in Communications design from Kölner Design Akademie and Biblical counselling from BCC.
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Zacharias Carlens
Marketing Manager
Zach has served as an elder at IBC Cologne since 2019 with a strong emphasis on discipleship and spiritual formation. In addition to his pastoral role, he is an entrepreneur involved in two businesses: Acaycia, a startup consulting firm, and Home Aid, a practical care business for households. Zach brings marketplace and ministry integration to his work with Aquila’s board. Zach earned a degree in Marketing in 2005 and his masters in Theological Studies from The West Institute in 2021.
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Stephen Campbell
Academic Director
Stephen has served as the lead pastor/elder at IBC Bonn since 2019. He oversees the Aquila Theological Institute (ATI), where he develops curriculum, oversees theological training, and equips local church leaders in mentoring apprentices. Stephen also personally mentors apprentices within his own church, modeling the local apprenticeship model Aquila promotes. Stephen received his MDiv from Shepherd's Theological Seminary in 2015 and his PhD in Theology from Durham University (UK) in 2019.
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Kristen Martin
BIM Manager
Kristen has dedicated nearly 20 years to ministry, serving alongside her husband, David and their five children. Her passion lies in one-on-one discipleship and developing curriculum for children’s and family ministries. As a founding member of the Aquila Initiative, Kristen now leads the Business in Mission track, where she organizes and coordinates business placements, providing Aquila apprentices with valuable hands-on learning experiences. Additionally, Kristen is an author, co-owner, and editor at Prisca Publishing, a company that creates theological resources for families and local churches.
Max von Kymmel
Board Member
Max is a founding member of Aquila Initiative. After earning a degree in Business Administration and working in several industries, he and his wife returned to Erfurt in 2017 to join the Jesus Projekt, where he now serves as General Manager. Max brings strategic insight and nonprofit leadership experience to Aquila’s board.
Adrian Polifka
Academic Assistant
Adrian, born and raised in Germany, serves as an academic mentor at the Aquila Initiative, guiding apprentices in biblical knowledge and ministry skills. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Bibelseminar Bonn, in partnership with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (USA), and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Theology through the same program. Adrian also works part-time at an art and archaeology museum and has been a member of IBC Bonn since 2020, serving as a Small Group Leader, preacher, and counselor. In his free time, he enjoys studying stories and narratives, drawing insights to inspire his teaching, writing, and ministry.
Stephen Campbell
Academic Director
Stephen has served as the lead pastor/elder at IBC Bonn since 2019. He oversees the Aquila Theological Institute (ATI), where he develops curriculum, oversees theological training, and equips local church leaders in mentoring apprentices. Stephen also personally mentors apprentices within his own church, modeling the local apprenticeship model Aquila promotes. Stephen received his MDiv from Shepherd's Theological Seminary in 2015 and his PhD in Theology from Durham University (UK) in 2019.
David Martin
Managing Director
David has served in international local church ministry since 2005, and in international ministry since 2013 when he became the lead pastor/elder of IBC Cologne. Under his leadership, the church helped plant IBC Bonn in 2018 and IGK in 2023. In 2025, David and his family moved to Aachen to lead a team to begin a new church plant. As Managing Director of Aquila Initiative, David provides vision, oversees team development, and directly mentors several apprentices. He also serves on the Executive Leadership Team for Church Multiplication with the International Baptist Convention (IBC). David earned a Masters in Theological Studies from Gateway Baptist Theological Seminary in 2011 and a Doctorate of Ministry from the same institution in 2024.
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Nicolas von Brandenstein
Operations Director
Nick served on the leadership team of IBC Cologne from 2013–2019 and helped plant IBC Bonn, where he served as an elder until 2023. In 2025 Nick and his family returned to IBC Cologne. As Operations Director of Aquila Initiative, he oversees day-to-day operations, which involves administration, design, communication, and finances. Nick also runs two businesses: Acaycia, which coaches Christian entrepreneurs, and Home Aid Köln, an in-home care service for the elderly.
Nick has a background in Communications design from Kölner Design Akademie and Biblical counselling from BCC and is currently pursuing a degree in counselling from SATS.
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Zacharias Carlens
Marketing Manager
Zach has served as an elder at IBC Cologne since 2019 with a strong emphasis on discipleship and spiritual formation. In addition to his pastoral role, he is an entrepreneur involved in two businesses: Acaycia, a startup consulting firm, and Home Aid, a practical care business for households. Zach brings marketplace and ministry integration to his work with Aquila’s board. Zach earned a degree in Marketing in 2005 and his masters in Theological Studies from The West Institute in 2021.
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Stephen Campbell
Academic Director
Stephen has served as the lead pastor/elder at IBC Bonn since 2019. He oversees the Aquila Theological Institute (ATI), where he develops curriculum, oversees theological training, and equips local church leaders in mentoring apprentices. Stephen also personally mentors apprentices within his own church, modeling the local apprenticeship model Aquila promotes. Stephen received his MDiv from Shepherd's Theological Seminary in 2015 and his PhD in Theology from Durham University (UK) in 2019.
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Kristen Martin
BIM Manager
Kristen has served in ministry for over 16 years, alongside her husband David. Her focus has been one-on-one discipleship and writing curriculum for children’s and family ministry. She is a founding member of Aquila Initiative and now leads the Business in Mission track. Kristen organizes and coordinates business placements that give Aquila apprentices hands-on learning opportunities. She also runs Prisca Publishing, which develops theological resources for families and churches.
Max von Kymmel
Board Member
Max is a founding member of Aquila Initiative. After earning a degree in Business Administration and working in several industries, he and his wife returned to Erfurt in 2017 to join the Jesus Projekt, where he now serves as General Manager. Max brings strategic insight and nonprofit leadership experience to Aquila’s board.
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Kristen Martin
BIM Manager
Kristen has dedicated nearly 20 years to ministry, serving alongside her husband, David and their five children. Her passion lies in one-on-one discipleship and developing curriculum for children’s and family ministries. As a founding member of the Aquila Initiative, Kristen now leads the Business in Mission track, where she organizes and coordinates business placements, providing Aquila apprentices with valuable hands-on learning experiences. Additionally, Kristen is an author, co-owner, and editor at Prisca Publishing, a company that creates theological resources for families and local churches.
Adrian Polifka
Assistant to the Academic Director
Adrian, born and raised in Germany, serves as an academic mentor at the Aquila Initiative, guiding apprentices in biblical knowledge and ministry skills. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Bibelseminar Bonn, in partnership with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (USA), and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Theology through the same program. Adrian also works part-time at an art and archaeology museum and has been a member of IBC Bonn since 2020, serving as a Small Group Leader, preacher, and counselor. In his free time, he enjoys studying stories and narratives, drawing insights to inspire his teaching, writing, and ministry.
Max von Kymmel
Board Member
Max is a founding member of Aquila Initiative. After earning a degree in Business Administration and working in several industries, he and his wife returned to Erfurt in 2017 to join the Jesus Projekt, where he now serves as General Manager. Max brings strategic insight and nonprofit leadership experience to Aquila’s board.
Vision
We seek to establish a network of like-minded churches who partner together to engage in church multiplication.
Mission
We do this by apprenticing leaders who will establish Christian community through marketplace missions.
Values
The Kingdom of God -
The local church -
Relationships -
Leadership -
Sustainability -
Reproducibility -
Entrepreneurial spirit -
The urgent call to go and make disciples.
She is Christ's precious bride.
God works through people.
Inspire others to follow.
It's meant to last.
To the ends of the earth.
Dare to try.