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We are investing in a lifetime of ministry by training pastors and evangelists

“And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
II Timothy 2:2

In response to urgent invitations from Christian leaders of third world nations, Reaching Souls travels throughout Africa, India, and, in 2010, Cuba conducting intense training for pastors and evangelists through Leadership Development Institutes.

These men are typically bush pastors with little or no training at all. Some do not even have a complete Bible. We believe it will be Africans who reach Africa for Christ, and we are training and mobilizing the faithful to accomplish exactly that.

how Leadership Development Institutes work
For over 20 years, Reaching Souls’ focus has been evangelizing third world nations by following the blueprint of II Timothy 2:2. We are invited by Christian leaders to come hold a Leadership Development Institute (L.D.I.). Typically we train 300 pastors and 50 of their wives in a two week intensive seminar.

80% of those who attend these Leadership Development Institutes have little or no theological training at all, but

 they have a strong call to pastor. Throughout the week they are trained to pray, study God’s word, evangelize, disciple faithful believers, plant new churches and care for the spiritual needs of their flocks.

Reaching Souls puts together a team of teachers each year to expound on 20 subjects including How to Share Your Testimony, Effective Methods of Evangelism, Bible Study, and Pastoral/Family Priorities. The sessions are designed to be practical and concise training in important areas of pastoral and evangelistic work. They are also given a Bible, and for many it is the first complete version of the Bible they have ever owned.

After each Leadership Development Institute, those in attendance are given the opportunity to immediately apply what they’ve learned through major open air meetings. They receive on the job training in open air preaching and one-on-one evangelistic skills.

In essence, each person who attends a Leadership Development Institute is on a full scholarship. Their travel, materials, room and board are all paid for by Reaching Souls.

By the time they leave, each of these faithful men and women are equipped and trained to be warriors for Christ, piercing the darkness of their home nations with the light of Christ. This training leads to a lifetime of evangelism and ministry for Christ’s Kingdom.

The vision
Through this simple, scriptural and highly successful method, the Lord is multiplying His laborers in the field. Graduates of a Leadership Development Institute experience incredible advantages over Western missionaries in that they can stay and continue to spread the Gospel of Christ, even when we can no longer return. Nowhere is this more evident than in Zimbabwe, where it is very difficult for white missionaries to go, but our graduates are still there preaching Christ!

We are very excited about the future of L.D.I. Each year we continue to receive invitations from new nations. In 2010 we plan to enter Cuba for the first time.

An investment in pastors and evangelists trained through L.D.I. is leveraged across hundreds of individual congregations, tens of thousands of church members and millions of new believers. Jesus uses His mighty multiplying touch and the results are amazing.

Instead of establishing a Western missions culture in Africa and Asia, our goal is to transition a mission situation to a church situation by training and handing over leadership to nationals. We give the nationals the needed tools and support to evangelize and shepherd their own people.

L.D.I. Distinctives
- Reaching Souls is invited by nationals
- Over 20 years experience training nationals
- Through mass evangelism, new churches are started and established churches grow
- L.D.I. graduates disciple others multiplying the impact
- L.D.I. graduates minister where foreign missionaries cannot
- One time investment of training produces a lifetime of ministry