Matt & Michelle Norman | Barcelona, Spain
Matt and Michelle Norman are Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel serving in Barcelona, Spain. The southern European city of Barcelona has seen diverse growth in population, including large numbers of refugees and immigrants from around the world.
Spain is also one of the world’s most secular countries and, according to a 2015 Win/Gallup Poll, ranks fifth in the world in its percentage of self-identified atheists. The region of Spain where the Normans serve, Catalonia, is less than one percent Protestant and most of the population is two to three generations removed from the Church. Only 12 percent of the population of Catalonia attends regular religious services of any faith and 30.2 percent of the population identify as atheists or agnostics.
In this unique community, the Normans are engaged in ministry to assist local churches in connecting with their secular communities as well as welcoming immigrants and refugees. They lead trainings for local churches, Bible studies with individuals interested in learning more about the Christian faith and assist local ministry efforts. They are also engaged in social ministry, seeking to address the felt needs of the community through various endeavors.
In addition to this location ministry, the Normans are associate coordinators for the two CBF Global Mission teams in Europe. They are responsible administratively for the work of CBF field personnel on both teams and resource their work as it connects to the larger CBF context. Relationship development and connecting with European partners such as the European Baptist Federation are also among their responsibilities.
Learn more at www.cbf.net/norman.