Ben and Karen Sargent

Ben and Karen Sargent met during Ben's initial enlistment in the Navy and married two years later. They have successfully raised five children and are anticipating the arrival of their seventh grandchild.

Ben has been teaching the Word of God for 35 years and serving in local churches in various capacities as a preacher, teacher, youth pastor, deacon, choir director, and street preacher during his military service and subsequent second career as a consultant in defense contracting. Karen has honored the Lord by serving her husband at home and in Ben's public ministry, homeschooling their five children, and now is a business owner raising funds for mission projects around the world. She is an avid hiker, writes and edits for a Christian magazine, and raises cattle in her spare time. Together their children have carried the gospel to twelve countries in various foreign works.

Ben first joined the Carpathian Mountain Outreach in 2015 and returned in 2018 with plans to continue annually. He has begun a new work stateside, Onward for Christ, training itinerant street evangelists in personal evangelism, street ministry, and discipleship. Karen and Ben live in Leicester, North Carolina, and minister together in their local church as youth ministry leaders and mentors to young families.