Waldemar was born in Kazakhstan (one of the Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union) to German parents who were not Christians. He became a Christian at 15 after his sister, who had left home a few years earlier and found Christ, returned and shared her new faith with him.

As a native of the former Soviet Union, Rev. Kurz knows firsthand both the religious repression of Communist government and the spiritual hunger that was awakened when the Soviet empire crumbled. "Countries will not always remain as open as they are now," says Rev. Kurz, referring to the former Soviet Union and other areas he oversees." We are not expecting any countries to close soon completely, but that possibility most certainly can become reality," he says, pointing to increasing challenges of ministry in this region.

"And more and more we see hearts closing to the Gospel as materialism creeps in. We are racing with time. Right now, the hearts of the people are still much more open than the hearts of those in the West. Jesus says, 'Work while it is day, for the night is coming.' We must follow His command. We must work now."

For the past 24 years Rev. Kurz has been overseeing ministry projects and programs in the former Soviet Union, Central/Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.