Pastor Von was born in Hollywood, California (1929) as Erhardt George Anton Wolf Trutzschler Von Falkenstein. What a name; that’s why most people simply called him “Von”.
Conversion: First Baptist Church of Torrance, California (1940).
In youth work since 1947. Von was part-time Youth Director & Director of Christian Education for three churches in San Diego, California from 1947 to 1960, (Emmanuel Baptist Church, Clairemont Baptist Church and Trinity Baptist Church of Allied Gardens), with a two-year interruption by the U.S. Army. He fought in the Korean War as a machine gunner.
Von became full-time Youth Director and Christian Education Director at Clairemont Emmanuel Baptist Church in 1962. He continued in those positions for 19 years, (1962-1981).
Von was single and never married. He had one sister.
Von’s hobbies, if he had them, were travel, adventure and photography.
In his travels he visited and ministered in more than 40 countries. Most of his travel was by invitation from a variety of mission agencies. (Wycliffe, S.I.M., New Tribes Mission, etc.) to speak to field conferences and missionary schools. Von founded SPECTRUM MINISTRIES, INC., which was organized in 1981. Pastor Von retired from the large and growing Spectrum Ministries in 2012 to a smaller and more comprehensive ministry called “PASTOR VON’s MINISTRIES” continuing to minister to the poor in and around Tijuana, working with street kids and fractured families.
In October 2015 Pastor Von, together with Philip and Joyce Cunningham formed VON & ON MINISTRIES to ensure the continuation of the work of PASTOR VON’s MINISTRIES after he was gone.
Pastor Von went home to be with the Lord on November 4, 2016.
Pastor Von wrote and co-wrote many articles and books. Some books that are available currently are Outrageous Object Lessons, (Gospel Light Publications), Incredible Questionnaires, (Zondervan Publications & Youth Specialties), and Youth Ministry Crash Course, (Zondervan Publications & Youth Specialties). You can search for these titles on Amazon.com.
Check out this great video