Community Gospel Church

Sven Verbeet was born in Kaiserslautern, Germany, a small industrial town 50 miles west of Frankfurt.  After his mother met an American army officer stationed at Ramstein, they relocated the family to Pasadena, Texas in 1981.

Shortly after arriving in Pasadena, Sven, his brother Frank, and his sister Kirsten, were invited to ride the bus to Sunday School at the Austin Avenue Independent Baptist Church.  It was through this outreach ministry that Sven found the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior.  At the age of 13, Sven received his call to ministry.  Hungering for more of God, Sven received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the age of 16 and began attending a large Pentecostal church in southeast Houston.

Sven began working in the church with children at the age of 17.  He bacame actively involved in the bus ministry and the sidewalk Sunday School program.  After completing his studies at Berean University of the Assemblies of God and receiving his ministerial credentilals, he joined the staff of a local Assembly of God as Children's and Outreach Pastor in July of 1994.  After relaunching the bus program, the children's ministry grew from an average of 30 children to over 200.  Though the Lord was greatly using him, after a great personal struggle with his sexual identity, Sven resigned his position after eight years of ministry.