Andy & Anne Hermanns
- Our Local
- Our Reach
- Our Self
Andy and Anne Hermanns serve in Irrigon, a small farming community which is home to roughly 4,000 people. The community has been growing with the influx of Amazon data centers being built daily. The community suffers with growing drug problems, with a drug house located right across the street from the elementary school. Along with the issue of drugs, prostitution and gangs are well known in the area.
Because of nearby farming, the town and surrounding areas have a large flow of immigrants and seasonal workers, some with the lack of adequate housing and food. Most families are low income and rely on government assistance. The elementary school has a secret "backpack" program where they send home food for the weekends to students who are going without. There are a few churches in the community, but church attendance has been declining. Many people in the community consider themselves Christian, but don't fully understand the walk.
The kids in Irrigon do not have a safe place to go. They crave healthy relationships with people who actually care about them. In recent years there have been a number of suicides, and even more have been attempted. Most of the children are from broken homes, and because of this they turn to drugs, alcohol, and sexual relationships before they get into high school. Teen pregnancy is on the rise in the community, as well. The community desperately needs connection and unity.
After seeing the need in their community, Andy and Anne began to facilitate Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at the local high school, volunteering at the school, and hosting small groups in their home. Their home group is geared toward youth and young adults to help them learn about Jesus and how they can teach others. The Hermanns go to the schools to support the kids during sporting events, concerts, and activities. They also volunteer at the school campus to help the students and teachers.
Several times a year Andy and Anne gather people from the community for prayer walks around the schools. They offer whatever they can: counsel, prayer, support, time, love, and more to the youth God lays on their hearts. FCA allows them to take church to the kids several times a week who are unable or unwilling to attend a church or youth group. They believe God is leading them to expand outside of church and into the heart of the community in order to take Jesus to the four corners of the city.
Andy and Anne Hermanns became approved candidates with InFaith in 2018.
Andy is a big-bearded, Jesus-loving guy who loves people and youth. Raised in Irrigon, he has a passion to serve his community. His testimony is powerful and beautiful as God called him to a life of hope at the age of thirty-three. He has the energy and spontaneity of a twelve-year-old— which the youth love! He is currently driven to impact the schools with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) programs and a home-based discipleship program to help youth grow and go make disciples. After working as a mechanic for years, God called him to InFaith to fulfill his dream of doing full-time ministry in his hometown.
His best friend and wife of seventeen years, Anne, participates in the ministry alongside him when she is not homeschooling their four children and helping others in the community. Anne loves cooking and providing the extra attention that so many of the youth need.
