Raising, training and equipping a mission-minded generation!
The Need
It is estimated that, on any given Sunday, 80% of the pastors preaching in the Majority World have had no formal biblical training. How many pastors is that? Some estimates are as high as 1.8 million! The situation in Zambia is no different. Most pastors and leaders are desperate for the training we in the United States take for granted. Formal biblical education is very costly and, to most, inaccessible in Zambia. Very few pastors are paid and most have significant family responsibilities in this poverty-stricken culture. Yet, they long for knowledge and are eager and able to learn when given the opportunity. They want to be mature Christian leaders. They know that strong leadership leads to healthy churches that multiply so that many more may come to know and follow Jesus!
The Strategy
We are committed to training church planters, pastors, chaplains and leaders in Zambia, Namibia, South Africa and beyond. Our strategy is to use intensive training of small groups of pastors and leaders, both men and women, from a local community. Typically, we train in rural areas where access to training is virtually nonexistent. Our goal is to affect positively the head, heart and hands of the pastors and leaders we train. We do this by teaching historic Christian doctrine, sound biblical character and practical skills. Subjects such as Understanding the Bible, Introduction to Pastoral Care, Missionary God, Family & Church Systems and Church Planting build a solid foundation for ministry and mission. In addition, strong relationships for mission across denominational lines are established.
Our Story
Our daughter, Jen, first traveled to Mwandi, Zambia in 2002. Intrigued by her experience, Doug and our daughter, Emily, visited Mwandi in 2006. Doug's heart was changed forever by the people of Mwandi and he began leading annual mission teams there. Abby joined Doug in 2008 and fell in love with the people, as well. That same year, Doug & Abby made friends with Zambian pastor, Percy Muleba, whose friendship has opened so many doors in Zambia and beyond. In 2014, Doug and Abby joined Global Training Network, a mission organization dedicated to training pastors and leaders in the Majority World. They are now full-time, self-supporting missionaries to Zambia and Namibia, and travel internationally each year to train and equip pastors, church planters, chaplains and leaders.