Our Story
For over 40 years, The Bridge International has connected US donors with Christian workers in the world’s most challenging regions — built on relationships, not overhead.
“Be a bridge — don’t build one.”
— R.K. Ulrich, vision received during her trip to Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, 1983
Steven & R.K. Ulrich
Ragnhild “R.K.” Marie Kjeldaas Ulrich
Steven & R.K. Ulrich
In 1973, while teaching in Norway, R.K. received a Fulbright scholarship to attend a post-graduate program at the University of Hartford. After completing the program, she moved to Upstate New York to help establish a private school for a community of young people who had come to faith in Christ — founding it in a barn’s toolshed. Six years later it was acknowledged by the Albany State Educational Department as the best private school in its category in New York. Nearly 50 years on, it is still in operation.
In 1981, R.K. moved to Germany where she administered a German East European Mission, producing and delivering Bibles and Christian materials to persecuted believers behind the Iron Curtain. For two years she traveled as a courier, personally encountering the suffering church face to face.
During her final trip to Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, she received a vision of a bridge spanning between the United States and the Soviet Union — with a commission to return to America and “be a bridge, don’t build one.” She understood this to mean: don’t build an organization with costly overhead, but build relationships and serve the believers with like vision and passion.
In 1983, R.K. founded The Bridge International in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Steven Ulrich
Steven & R.K. — married April 1987
After college, Steven returned to Fort Lauderdale where he became a successful entrepreneur. In his mid-twenties, after coming to faith in Christ, he became a philanthropist with a passion to help resource those serving others with the Gospel — choosing a frugal lifestyle while generously funding Christian leaders and projects.
After reading Richard Wurmbrand’s Tortured for Christ, Steve’s focus shifted to helping the suffering believers behind the Iron Curtain — searching for a venue through which he could funnel funds and be assured they would reach those for whom they were intended, without too many middlemen.
In 1985, Steve and R.K. met over their mutual burden for the persecuted church. Their friendship grew to love. In April 1987, they were married — bringing to their union a unique combination of missions expertise, education, and entrepreneurial business.
40+ Years of Faithful Service
R.K. Ulrich establishes The Bridge International in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, beginning with serving the underground church in East European countries under Soviet rule.
Their union combines missions expertise, education, and entrepreneurial business — strengthening The Bridge’s capacity to serve the global church.
The Bridge finds itself in the midst of a massive spiritual revolution. Hundreds of believers are sent from Western countries to share their faith across Russia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.
Steve builds partnerships with ministries and businessmen to fund the printing and distribution of millions of New Testaments in multiple languages across the former Soviet nations.
The Bridge shifts toward partnering with indigenous missionaries who have established solid ministries in Africa, the Americas, and the Far and Middle East.
The Bridge celebrates 40 years of faithful service and begins transferring leadership to a younger generation — ensuring the mission continues for decades to come.
Our principles
We build bridges with people as the stones — not costly organizational structures. Our leadership serves on a fully volunteer basis.
Every dollar donated passes directly to field workers and their projects. No administrative skimming. No executive salaries.
We prioritize partnering with indigenous missionaries who know their people, their culture, and their language better than any outsider ever could.
Our support focuses on those doing pioneer evangelism, church planting, and Bible-based leadership training in regions where the Gospel is least known.
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”
1 Corinthians 3:6–7