Amy Lynne Rogers

Amy was born on September 12, 1972, and was raised in Avoca, New York, as the middle of three sisters. She treasured her childhood on their family farm, from summers in the hayfield to winters feeding calves in the snow. Amy grew up in a strong Christian home and attended a rural Wesleyan church. As a teenager, she was active in Youth for Christ. She graduated from Avoca Central High in 1990, then went to Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester.

Amy began college with plans for a career in broadcast news, but her summers changed that. She served as head women’s counselor at Streamside Camp in the Pocono Mountains, which served children from inner-city Philadelphia. She also worked at an inner-city Rochester church. During this season, Amy’s faith deepened significantly.

At Roberts, Amy had amazing mentors who challenged her to step out of her comfort zone and join the campus ministry team. So, Amy helped launch “At the Foot of the Cross,” a student-led worship service she emceed as a senior. These services drew up to 700 college and high school students every week.

At just 22 years of age, Amy left NY for California to become Pastor of Discipleship and Outreach at Living Spring Christian Fellowship in Garden Grove. Though this was a hard decision, Amy was convinced it was where God wanted her to be. During her interview, Amy shared that it was her desire to serve in missions someday—something she had mentioned many times from third grade through college.

Amy knew moving across the country was going to be an adventure, but little did she know the many adventures that lay ahead for her! On her first Sunday at Living Spring, she met Don Rogers, a missionary who had just returned from Tanzania. Don was in the process of launching Empowering Lives International (ELI), a non-profit organization. The couple grew into love and married in May 1996, and just two months later, they moved to Tanzania. Amy started learning Kiswahili, and not long after, they relocated to Kenya to deepen the opportunities to serve alongside the amazing Kenyan people and advance their vision of empowering lives.

In Western Kenya, Amy spent years learning the Kalenjin culture and building close relationships with the women of the villages wherever they served. After the birth of their first son, Amy became known in the villages as “Mama Joshua.” Soon after they welcomed their second son, Nathaniel, the family began splitting their time between Kenya and the USA, expanding the base of financial and prayer partners, and speaking at churches while Amy homeschooled the boys whom she fiercely loved.

As Josh and Nathaniel approached graduation, Amy found greater and greater joy in partnering with God to stir people to yearn for more of Jesus—not only in Kenya but also in California and wherever her travels took her. She completed Dr. Larry Crabb’s School of Spiritual Direction, and she’d often meet folks for coffee or on her patio to listen and pray together. Anyone who met with her attested that when you’d meet with Amy, she was always fully present and completely trustworthy.

In 2024, Amy started serving as a chaplain on the oncology floor at Loma Linda Hospital. A few months later, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, and even while going through surgery, chemo, and radiation, Amy became ordained as a minister in the Free Methodist Church and was officially certified as a Free Methodist chaplain in March of this year.

Mid-August, Amy re-entered the battle against cancer that had metastasized. The disease took an indescribable toll on her body, but it failed to diminish her love and confidence in the God who holds her destiny in his hands. Surrounded by her family, Amy took her last breath on earth October 14 and her first breath in heaven as she embraced the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit she so adores.

Amy is survived by her husband, Don; her son Joshua and his wife, Gigi; her son Nathaniel; her parents, Dick and Ellie Bossard; her sisters, Kari (Scott) Ward and Jodi (David) Newman; and her in-laws John (Val) and Dan (Val) Rogers. She was preceded in death by her parents-in-law, Joe and Marilyn Rogers.

A celebration of life service will be held on October 29 at 5:30 at Centerpoint Church, 2447 Washington Ave, Murrieta, CA 92562. An additional service will be held in Upstate NY on November 14. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to give to Empowering Lives Intl in Amy’s honor. For information, visit empoweringlives.org/Amy-Rogers.