It is sometimes asked, who ministers to the needs of those who minister? "Where do our Christian workers go when they are in crisis or have family problems?" More often than not, many, including Christian workers themselves, have a difficult time addressing this question. A common answer given is I guess that they just have to trust God. "While trusting God is certainly a key element in any trying situation, we, the Body of Christ, are called to minister to one another. Christian workers are also part of this Body; yet, because they are often in a place of leadership, many feel that sensitive problems cannot be shared with their fellow colleagues or with those to whom they minister.

Barnabas Zentrum is especially designed to strengthen the lives of Christian workers who are serving in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. While not being a facility to treat mental illness per se, the facility serves as an interdenominational personal and marital retreat center for pastors, missionaries and others in church and Para church staff positions. Without the confining elements of the clinical setting, the relaxed atmosphere of Barnabas Zentrum provides a place of solitude and confidentiality in which such issues as marital crisis, stress, burnout, staff/team relations, and interpersonal or vocational conflicts may be worked through while at the same time fostering rest and refreshment. Therefore, the Barnabas program functions as a preventative for chronic problems whose occurrence would require long-term treatment.

As part of the  Christian community the purpose of Barnabas Zentrum is to:

1. Provide a place where Christian workers can privately seek a unique program of care
2. Serve in a complementary and reciprocal referral relationship with existing pastoral and member care ministries in order to enhance the overall effectiveness of care provision.

Barnabas Zentrum is strongly committed to the importance of maintaining the strength and stability of Christian workers and their families in order that they may minister to others.