Derek and Amy are first of all lovers of Jesus who have pursued a dual track mission to see the love of God transform the Earth through practical education. Based on the commission of Genesis to have babies and take care of the Earth, they have both pursued education in order to educate others. Their longing is to see a generation encounter the heart of the Father through both transformed birth and transformed soil. Derek and Amy founded GoMidwife in 2012 and Boundless Permaculture in 2014. They work tirelessly together as partners and friends, leading our school and community forward into the nations.
Derek & Amy Kirbow
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Derek has worked in marginalized communities in over 55 countries around the world. In each place that he has been there have been needs that families have faced, needs that were often not met because of a lack of education and financial support. Derek focused on getting advanced degrees, including a masters degree and doctorate, to help families like these succeed.
Now serving as the Administrator of GoMidwife, Derek strives to provide individuals, families, and communities with the tools they need to thrive. Working with curriculum development and MEAC standards, he brings an understanding of long-term community development in whole family health. This focuses specifically on training the mothers of tomorrow in order to bring resiliency to not only the family unit, but also to the community as a whole.
Director of Operations & Finance, Academic Administrator
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Amy began her journey into midwifery after experiencing the birth of her first child with a doctor and all manner of interventions 26 years ago. Understanding there must be a better way, this pivotal experience led her to become a doula and childbirth educator, driven by a desire to empower women in their birthing choices. She dedicated five years to studying as an apprentice in Indiana and Missouri, gaining invaluable hands-on experience in midwifery. In 2011, Amy achieved her certification as a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and soon after began practicing in Hawaii in 2012. Her commitment to the midwifery community deepened as she became a Licensed Midwife (LM) in 2019. With a vision to train midwives with a heart for service, she co-founded GoMidwife in 2012 with her husband Derek, a program designed to equip midwives with a deep understanding of the original design of birth and the ministry of presence, focusing on both out-of-hospital care and holistic birth practices. In 2024, Amy expanded her expertise by earning her Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) certification, further enhancing her ability to support mothers and babies in the crucial postpartum period. Her journey is a testament to her dedication to maternal and infant health, her commitment to education, and her unwavering belief in the power of informed, compassionate care.
Director and Co-Founder
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Our approach is deeply rooted in discipleship, hospitality, community, connection, journey, and rest. At GoMidwife, we train midwives with a purpose: to “GO” into all the world to educate, train, and teach.
We focus on the childbearing years—one of the most intimate and transformative seasons in a woman’s life—as an opportunity to influence change for generations, restore dignity to the individual, express perfect love, and cultivate life. By addressing the current crisis in maternal and child health, we aim to redirect care back to its original intent: life abundant and flourishing.
Our mission is to equip midwives and birth workers with compassionate, competent care rooted in timeless values. We seek to move beyond the intervention-heavy medical model, advocating instead for a gentle, trust-based approach to childbirth that honors the original design of birth. At GoMidwife, we believe education has the power to transform everything.
From our home in Montana to the ends of the earth...
our mission, approach & values
Laney is a certified professional midwife and a licensed midwife in Montana. She is a MOMs course graduate and has worked as a midwife since 2022. She has been a co-leader for several in-person GoMidwife courses over the years as well as serving in an executive role. Watching students grow into midwives and seeing all they accomplish is one of the things she values most about her job. It is a priority to her to see women across the nations have access to adequate midwifery care and have well equipped midwives serving all communities.
Beth and her husband, John, live in Arizona with their blended family of four adult children, their spouses, and ten grandchildren. Beth began her career as a Medical Laboratory Technologist before training as a midwife after the home birth of her second son in 1984. She became a Licensed Direct Entry Midwife in Oregon in 1995 and has since served in eight countries, including establishing a birth center in Uganda. In 2010, Beth and John moved to Colorado Springs to serve with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), where John worked as CFO until 2020.Since 2015,
Beth has been involved with Go Midwife, teaching midwifery and providing pastoral care to midwives in training. After retiring from active midwifery in 2020, she now focuses on supporting midwives through prayer and counseling, helping them find healing and wholeness. A favorite Bible verse, Ephesians 2:22, inspires her work. In her spare time, Beth enjoys hiking, biking, swimming, and spending time with family, especially her grandchildren.
—AKAYA WINDWOOD
We cannot do the work of transforming the world unless we are in interdependent relationships—the work is too vast and complex for any one of us. Let's reach toward each other.
midwives licenced since 2015
Countries with GoMidwife Midwives or Students
Current Students
