NW Welcomes Patrice Tsague!
With Bill MacLeod, Director, MissionConnexion
Patrice Tsague will open our MissionConnexion Northwest event this January 17-18, 2025. He founded The Nehemiah Project in 1999 with his wife Gina Tsague in Washington D.C. Patrice and Gina both arrived in the United States in 1983, with Patrice coming from Cameroon, Central Africa and Gina from Haiti.
During their high school years, they met at work and soon became friends. Patrice started his own business at the age of 18 and invited his best friend and chief encourager, Gina, to join him in his new venture. Through a series of events, this initial business idea evolved into the Nehemiah Project and Kingdom Business Coaching.
Patrice and I first met in March 2009 at Luis Palau’s Guatemala Festival where we were both involved in the Business as Mission conference, just months before he moved his entire ministry to Portland, Oregon. I recently asked him about his own spiritual journey and what he brings to our Northwest 2025 theme: “Come Together Go Further”:
1. How did you hear and respond to the call of Christ in your life, and was there someone who influenced you to submit your life to Him?
I did not grow up as a Christian, though I was surrounded by many who were. I rejected Christianity primarily because I perceived it as a religion used to colonize Africans, and I associated Christians with poverty and hypocrisy. When I was 19 and in business, I met a Christian businessman who took a special interest in me and intentionally began mentoring me. He shared Christian resources such as books, leadership teachings on cassette tapes, and even the Bible. I didn’t realize he was witnessing to me—I just saw him as a successful, kind businessman who wanted to help.
One day, he invited me to a men’s retreat. I thought it was a business retreat, and I was excited for rest, relaxation, and networking. When we arrived, I realized it was a Christian men’s retreat. Although I was taken aback, I was curious because I had never seen so many black men together with such reverence.
Out of respect for my mentor, I remained open-minded. On the first night, the message of Christ deeply touched me. The preacher, a pastor from Dallas, seemed to speak directly to my concerns in a way no one else ever had. That night in December 1994, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.
The next day, I resolved to test if this experience was real. By midday, the feeling of conviction was even stronger, and I knew Jesus Christ was real. Yet, during lunch, I began to worry that it might just be emotions. I asked my mentor how I could be sure I was saved. He took me to a cabin where some pastors were staying, and they led me to Romans 10:9.
After reading it a few times, I realized that salvation is based on believing in my heart. When I affirmed that belief, I knew without a doubt that I was saved. I left that cabin rejoicing, exclaiming, “I’m saved! I’m saved!”
2. What kind of changes in your thinking and life did you go through to “come together” with God’s people and follow Jesus?
The first significant change in my thinking was my belief that Christianity was a “white man’s religion.” God corrected this by helping me understand the Old Testament and the origins and evolution of the Christian faith. I learned that the Gospel didn’t originate in Europe and that Africans were familiar with Scripture.
Learning about Egypt and Ethiopia in the Bible opened my eyes to Africa’s place in God’s plan. I saw cultural parallels between Scripture and my own heritage. I came to understand that the God I had rejected was indeed my God, who died for me, my people, and all people.
I also had to reassess the company I kept and commit to a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church. I had spent my life learning the ways of the world and admiring worldly success, but now I had to learn God’s ways and delight in His rewards. I found my new community—not defined by race or nationality, but by faith in Christ. Furthermore, my mindset concerning suffering, oppression, and economics shifted toward a kingdom perspective.
3. How do you see your ministry working with the local church to “go further” with the Gospel in the harvest field you’ve been called to labor in?
The local church is essential for equipping believers, fostering community, and serving as a catalyst for local transformation. Without the local church, my ministry would lack a community anchor to ensure the continued discipleship of those we serve. The local church is vital for sustaining and directing the harvest we reap in communities, ensuring that new believers are channeled into fruitful work and ongoing growth.
It was the local church that introduced me to Christ through a men’s retreat, it was a local church that discipled me and it was the local church that helped me understand my calling and develop the courage to pursuit it.
4. What do you hope people attending MCNW 2025 will take away in light of the “Come Together, Go Further” theme?
My hope is that attendees will understand the value of collaboration and the power of unity. In John 17:20-21, Jesus prayed that we would be one so that the world would know He was sent by God. If the goal of the Gospel is to introduce humanity to Jesus and invite them to follow Him, this cannot be achieved without unity.
Additionally, Psalm 133 teaches that where there is unity, God commands a blessing. Without that blessing, we will lack the resources needed to carry out our mission effectively. Together partnering with local churches, we can go further in fulfilling the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.
I am so excited to be able to introduce you to my friend, Patrice, at MissionConnexion Northwest, and have the Lord use him in your life!
