Chris was born in Zambia, where his family were farmers, and went to school in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He gave his life to Jesus at nine years old, alone in his boarding school room, after his mother had taught him about the Lord. His family later moved to South Africa, where military service was still compulsory, and Chris served for two years. Coming from a farming background, he studied agriculture, which opened doors to the US and to Israel. In 1986 he went to Israel to learn how they farm the desert and make every drop count. Little did he know that God had future plans for his life concerning that little country in the Middle East.
Uta was born into a German South African family. Her paternal great-grandfather came from Germany to South Africa as a missionary, and her mother came after the Second World War. Uta grew up in a home where she was nurtured in the faith of the Bible. Her parents had a special love for the Jewish people and reached out to the few Jewish families in their hometown, so Israel was on her radar from a young age. Uta worked as a teacher, then spent 10 years with Trans World Radio, an international Christian radio ministry, before returning to teaching.
Chris had been a believer for most of his life and was involved in Muslim evangelism in South Africa. When he and Uta moved to New Zealand in 2010, early in their marriage, the Lord led them onto a new path of Jewish evangelism. Soon after arriving, they met Chris and Margaret Herud, who hosted monthly "Israel Nights" of prayer for Israel and teaching on God's plans and purposes for His people. Through these gatherings they were introduced to Celebrate Messiah New Zealand, and in 2018 they joined the ministry as full-time staff, with Chris as Zula Lodge Manager.
In April 2026, Chris was appointed Executive Director of Celebrate Messiah New Zealand. He speaks English and Afrikaans, and is available to speak at churches and groups on topics including Restoring God's Kingdom, Israel & the Church, The Feasts of the Lord, and Sharing Messiah with Israel.