In the 1930’s, a group of six women were called by God to preach the gospel throughout the Upper Peninsula. Having no transportation, they walked for miles, going from Negaunee, to Ishpeming, to National Mine to ensure the life-changing power of Jesus reached every corner. The commitment to preach the gospel in uncharted territory in the U.P. and world still remains at the foundation of the mission of NORTHIRON.
As NORTHIRON moved from a home in downtown Ishpeming to its very first building, we saw exponential growth. Our Sunday school grew from 7 kids to 104 kids. This is where many families turned from a lineage of slavery to the things of this world to becoming faithful followers of Jesus, affecting their families for generations to come. The same power of the gospel that was impacting families then, is changing lives today as we focus on raising up the next generation of Christ-followers.
As the church moved to what is now our Ishpeming Campus, the heart for church planting began. NORTHIRON planted a sister church in Marquette, known as Silver Creek. The same heart to expand our walls so that more people would encounter Jesus is what has led us to our new campuses in L’Anse, Ontonagon, and Marquette. We want everyone in the U.P. to know their loving, heavenly Father.
We feel the great weight and responsibility of the spiritual blessing that NORTHIRON Church lives in. In the words of Helen Hedstrom, one of NORTHIRON’s founding members, “We stand here today because of those who have gone before us. Those pioneers who forged ahead through prayer and intercession for souls, and a willingness to be led by the intercession for souls, and a willingness to be led by the Spirit of God; who preached the truth of God’s Word, pointing out a straight path that did not deviate with compromise to the world. To them and all those who still proclaim the uncompromised Word of God, we say thank you with grateful hearts. Then with such a cloud of witnesses around us, let us dedicate ourselves, and let every facet of our lives point to the Living Christ, that we may proclaim His gospel to all.” We have grateful hearts for all those who have gone before us and press on in this generation to proclaim His gospel to all.
Lead Pastors
In the past 33 years of marriage and ministry, Pastor Mark and Jen Broberg have dedicated their lives to moving God’s Kingdom Forward both in the U.P. and around the world. In 1998, they began their missionary journey in Russia, just after the communist wall fell. They spent their time working to reach over 100,000 homeless children in St. Petersburg and beyond. While serving with Waking the Bear, their ministry expanded to Ukraine, Moldova, Nepal, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and conflict-affected regions such as Adygea, Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Kabardino-Balkaria. In these challenging areas, Mark and Jen built teams to establish feeding centers and care for orphans and neglected children.
After 13 years in Russia, the Brobergs felt called to return to the United States with their four children, Haillie, Noah, Jonah and Silas. In January 2013, they began leading NORTHIRON Church as lead pastors. Since then, God has richly blessed the ministry at the Ishpeming Campus, and new campuses have been launched in Marquette, L’Anse, and Ontonagon. It has been amazing to witness God breathe new life into souls across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as people receive the Gospel.
Today, Mark and Jen make their home in Ishpeming, Michigan. Their children are continuing to follow God’s call, working in ministry and beginning married life. Pastor Mark and Jen consider it both an honor and a privilege to love and lead people through NORTHIRON Church.
