Who

Peter Leininger, 41, director of a discipleship training class at Antioch Community Church. He and his family spent 11 years in Germany, where they started a church in the city of Mainz.

What

In 1999, Leininger bought a German Bible, Die Bibel, that is a translation of Scripture by Martin Luther, a German priest and professor of theology who initiated the Protestant Reformation. In 2002, he bought a more modern version called Neues Leben, which means New Life. He purchased both at a Christian bookstore in Wiesbaden.

Language

Leininger spoke very little German when he went to Germany in 1999, but he wanted to minister to the people in their own language. He attended a language school called Inlingua for one year, but learned most of what he came to know by speaking with people on the street and meeting with a private tutor.

He said he could preach in German after three years and captured the nuances of the language to more effectively communicate after five years.

Today

Peter Leininger spent 11 years in Germany, where he started a church with his wife, Jennifer. Here he holds two German Bibles he bought at a Christian bookstore in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Duane A. Laverty / Tribune-Herald

Now back in America, Leininger stills reads from his German Bibles and often prays in German during worship services. After being there 11 years, he said, “some words in German come to mind first.”

Background

Leininger, who hails from San Antonio, said he took no German in high school and only one semester in college.

He moved to Waco in 1990 to attend Baylor University and has an undergraduate degree in business administration and a master’s degree in business. He and his wife, Jennifer, 39, have three boys — Samuel, 12; David, 11; and Jacob, 8. They grew up speaking German. An adopted daughter, 7-year-old Meghan, is from Ukraine and has limited exposure to German beyond her family’s conversations.

Ministry

The Leiningers created a church with about 25 members, and performed outreach for other churches in Germany.

“As a general rule, the Germans we witnessed to were not receptive to the gospel, though we did see people come to Jesus,” Leininger said. “They were more receptive to having a relationship with us as people.”

Favorite verse

John 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Why

“It was the first Scripture I ever memorized in German, and I just love how it points with such clarity to who He is. The things we’re looking for can be found in a relationship with Jesus.”