Steve Kern is an evangelist at heart, pastor, missionary, and Christian leader with more than four decades of ministry experience in Latin America. He serves as Director of Good News In Action, leading evangelism, church planting, and leadership development across Latin America. A graduate of UC Davis with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Steve also holds a Master’s degree in Religious Studies from Liberty University and a Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

After founding New Life Baptist Church (Vida Nueva) in San Salvador in 1991 alongside Julio Contreras, Steve has co‑pastored the church for over 35 years, guiding its growth to six campuses and thousands of members. Under his leadership, Good News In Action has helped start more than 72 churches and seen over 460,000 professions of faith. Steve continues to mentor pastors, train leaders, and advance the Gospel throughout Latin America.

Early Life

Steve Kern was born on December 14, 1958, in Riverside, California, and grew up moving from base to base as his father served as a navigator in the U.S. Air Force. By the time he turned fourteen, he had already lived in California, Alabama, Kansas, New Mexico, and New York. On December 26, 1972, everything changed. While traveling from Plattsburgh, NY, to the Montreal airport with his mother and two sisters to visit family in Seattle, his mother suffered a sudden heart attack and passed away. That moment shattered his world and set the course of his life in an entirely new direction.

After his father returned from Vietnam, Steve and his sisters were sent to Seattle in hopes their grandparents could care for them. When that wasn’t possible, the children were moved again—this time to Sacramento—where their father had been relocated. Raised in an atheist home, Steve had no knowledge of the Bible or Jesus Christ. But the loss of his mother stirred deep questions he couldn’t ignore. That grief became the beginning of a sincere spiritual search that would eventually transform his life.

Young Adult Years

At seventeen, after months of invitations from his best friend Scott LaBotz to church and Campus Life meetings, Steve attended a retreat in Santa Cruz, California. There, he made the life‑changing decision to trust Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

During his college years at UC Davis, Steve pursued Chemical Engineering while earnestly seeking God’s direction for his life. In his sophomore year, he met Pam—bright, curious, and not yet a follower of Christ. As Steve and Scott continued sharing the Gospel with her, Pam eventually placed her faith in Jesus as well.

Pam graduated in 1980 with a B. S. degree in Biological Sciences. One year later, Steve completed his B.S. in Chemical Engineering, and just two months after his graduation, the two were married on August 8, 1981.

Newlyweds

After graduating, Steve and Pam moved to LaPlace, Louisiana, where Steve began working as a Chemical Engineer for Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Co. and Pam found a job as a dental assistant in Kenner. What felt like an inconvenient detour at first became the most spiritually transformative season of their young marriage.

Louisiana was nothing like California. The outdoor hobbies they loved—backpacking, skiing, surfing, fishing—were suddenly gone. They felt isolated, homesick, and frustrated as they searched for a church where they could grow. That discomfort pushed them deeper into Scripture and prayer, seeking God’s direction with a new intensity.

Their turning point came when they discovered First Baptist Church of Kenner. It quickly became home. They threw themselves into evangelism and visitation, eager to serve and learn. In 1983, they met Leo Humphrey, founder of Good News In Action, and began joining him in inner‑city outreach—knocking on doors, sharing the Gospel, and showing Christian films. Steve immediately felt a sense of calling as he watched people respond to Christ.

That same year, on May 14, 1983, their first child, Kristen Elisabeth, was born—marking the beginning of a new chapter both in family and ministry.

Called to the Missions

In December 1983, Leo Humphrey invited Steve on his first mission trip to El Salvador. The country was wide open to the Gospel, and Steve witnessed hundreds of people place their faith in Christ—a week that marked him forever. He returned in March 1984, and again in May 1984, each trip deepening the unmistakable sense that God was calling him to El Salvador. During his quiet times, the conviction grew stronger, even as he wrestled with how impossible such a move seemed for his young family.

One morning, while reading 2 Samuel 24 and trying to understand God’s dealings with David, the message became clear: his hesitation was rooted in a lack of faith. In August 1984, Steve surrendered to God’s call. Soon after, Leo invited him to join Good News In Action.

As they prepared for the move, their second daughter, Stephanie Joy, was born on May 9, 1985. Just four months later—on September 14, 1985—Steve and Pam moved to El Salvador with their two‑year‑old and newborn daughters, stepping into a country in the midst of civil war. From the moment they arrived, they saw extraordinary receptivity to the Gospel. In their first year alone, more than 12,000 people made professions of faith through their evangelistic efforts.

They poured themselves into helping launch new missions from Miramonte Baptist Church and serving alongside the teams Leo brought monthly from the United States. Because Good News In Action operated under Miramonte’s authority, Steve served on the church’s pastoral support team, ensuring all ministry flowed through the local church.

On October 10, 1986, a devastating 7.9 earthquake struck El Salvador. As a result, their third child, Matthew Steven, was born in New Orleans on December 29, 1986.

Church Planting and Evangelism

From 1986 to 1991, Steve and Pam continued evangelizing across El Salvador, helping plant numerous churches throughout the country. In January 1991, they left Miramonte Baptist Church to launch a new work in a strategic area of San Salvador alongside youth pastor Julio Contreras. Later that year, on October 26, their fourth child, Michelle Suzanne, was born. By the end of 1991, Steve had also completed his Master’s degree in Religious Studies from Liberty University.

When New Life Baptist Church began, Leo placed Good News In Action under its authority, where it remains to this day. Since then, New Life has grown steadily—reaching over 3,500 members across six campuses by 2026—and has launched a Leadership Training Institute, Theological Seminary, Bilingual Christian school, and the Metro América missions’ program, aimed at reaching the 262 million lost across the region.

On Sunday morning, March 26, 2006, Steve received devastating news: Leo Humphrey had passed away. Steve had just finished preaching the first service at the Miralvalle campus and was minutes away from preaching the second. Overwhelmed, he wondered if he could continue. But two thoughts steadied him. First, Leo always insisted that the Lord’s work was bigger than any one person—and would never want the service changed on his account. Second, Steve was preaching on Leo’s favorite theme: the cross and the crucified life.

That morning, as he preached from Romans 6:1–6, Steve told the congregation that Leo was the greatest example he had ever known of a man co‑crucified with Christ, wholly devoted to the salvation of others. To Steve, Leo was more than a mentor—he was a spiritual father and a beloved friend.

Appointed Director

After Leo’s passing, Steve stepped into leadership of Good News In Action with a firm commitment to carry forward the vision they had shared. Marketplace evangelism—going to where people lived, worked, and gathered—remained at the heart of the ministry. Under Steve’s direction, Good News continued strengthening national missionaries through leadership training, financial support, evangelistic campaigns, and outreach teams from the United States. The ministry kept preaching Christ in streets, parks, markets, and homes throughout El Salvador.

Good News also continued expanding MetroAmérica, the initiative targeting the vast metropolitan areas between Ecuador and Mexico—over 260 million people, with more than 220 million still unreached. More than 60% of them live in cities of over one million, the very places Good News and New Life Baptist Church are focused on reaching.

Church planting remained central. Since 1985, Good News has helped start more than 72 churches and has seen over 460,000 people make professions of faith (2026). Each new church is equipped with tools and training to reproduce evangelism and discipleship in its own community.

Steve committed not only to directing Good News In Action but also to continuing as one of the pastors of New Life Baptist Church alongside his close friend, Senior Pastor Julio Contreras. In May 2007, Steve completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, writing his thesis on assimilating new believers into the local church through small groups.

From 1991 to 2026, Steve Co-Senior pastored Vida Nueva, preaching God’s Word multiple times each week, teaching in the seminary, overseeing all outreach and church planting initiatives, and mentoring men called into ministry. He continues to guide MetroAmérica and disciple leaders across the region. Pam faithfully disciples new believers and mentors younger women through Titus 2:3–5, coordinates short‑term mission teams, and manages finances, administration, and communications for Good News In Action.

The Lord has richly blessed Steve and Pam with four grown, married children and ten beautiful grandchildren.