Ben and Julie started dating in 2021 and got married in September of 2022. Ben brought along two beautiful daughters that Julie gets to be a bonus mom to! She is very thankful to have a husband that puts God first in their marriage and family. Ben very much understands the importance of leading his family well. Julie takes her role as a helpmate very seriously and encourages Ben in any way she can (i.e. being honest and truthful, holding Ben accountable, being a sounding board, praying for him regularly, etc.). As a couple, they strive to model for their girls and others the same values Christ has modeled. Ben and Julie currently serve within Commissioned and Freedom View in varying capacities. Ben co-shepherds alongside the other men within Commissioned leadership and serves as facilities manager for Freedom View. Julie serves as administrative assistance and communication.
Being raised in a Christian home, one thing Ben has always been thankful for was his parents instilling the importance of keeping God first in his life. For him, this was demonstrated by always being involved with church events and programs. The old saying, “every day of the week and twice on Sunday” could sum up his family's church involvement. This was not a bad thing, and Ben was grateful for his experience and exposure to the traditional local church’s inner workings. It was not until his late 20’s that he realized why he continually struggled to maintain steady intimacy and ongoing fulfillment in his relationship with the Lord. The motivations for being at church and involved were often misplaced. Based largely on his appearance to others and more often focused on his behavior towards others, rather than the true condition of his heart and his heart towards others. Freedom View played a significant role in helping Ben rediscover true freedom in Christ, along with the practical and Biblical training to maintain this freedom and intimacy.
Ben values spending time with his wife Julie and two girls Emmerson and Elise. Playing card games, putting together puzzles, going ice skating, and swimming at the pool. When Ben has any margin of time, he enjoys woodworking, and the occasional day on the mountain snowboarding.
Julie has been a believer since she was 7 years old. She grew up memorizing Bible verses, going to VBS, attending youth group and missions trips, going to church every Sunday, and participating in various women’s Bible studies as she got older. Unfortunately, Julie did not develop a meaningful relationship with the Lord until she was 28. Instead of developing an intimate relationship with the Lord that would lead to heart changes, everything seemed to be focused on behavior modification and short-term fixes. Julie became bitter towards the church and frustrated with seeing how His people were treating others. This bitterness led to Julie leaving her church of 20 years in June of 2020. However, God knew Julie was using this hurt from her past church to avoid Him and His people altogether. She was running and He needed to get her attention somehow. Along came Ben Kurtze - a coworker and fellow believer. He was in the midst of a divorce but his character and demeanor through the process stood out to Julie. He invited her to his home church, Commissioned. She was hesitant to join, as she had been burned by the church before. But this felt different. For the first time in her life, she felt surrounded by genuine and authentic believers. People who truly loved God and His people. She felt a spark come alive in her that had been burned out for years. Things like unforgiveness and spiritual warfare were ideas that Julie had not encountered until joining Commissioned. It was clear to her that she had deep roots of unforgiveness that Satan was controlling. She completed the Steps to Freedom in spring of 2022 and has lived in freedom since then!