Leader Development

Two church planters trudge up a dusty Nepali road under the scorching sun. They are tired, but their faces are bright as they seek opportunities to share the gospel. Fewer than two percent of the 29 million people in Nepal are Christian, and of the 90,000 Nepali-speaking people in the U.S., about 90 percent are either Hindu or Buddhist.

The East Africa Partnership (EAP) works to improve the lives of those living in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in a holistic and sustainable manner. To fulfill their mission, EAP trains and supports 50 medical dispensaries and 9 hospitals in rural areas, provides scholarships for children to attend high school or trade school, and supports more than 200 orphaned children in a sponsorship program to provide shelter and food.

RCA Global Mission is sponsoring a leadership training program to help rise up the next generation of indigenous leaders.

At dawn in the city of Muscat, a call to prayer fills the desert air. It’s the same call that echoes against the buildings every day, five times a day. It is against this backdrop in Oman, a Muslim-majority nation, that God calls Christians to bear witness to peace and reconciliation in Christ. This call is lived out, in part, through the Protestant Church in Oman and the dozens of congregations in its care.

Bob believes that God has been preparing him for this missional role his entire life.

In the 1920s, a new field of expansion opened in Chiapas with the help of missionaries John and Mabel Kempers of the Reformed Church in America (RCA). The National Presbyterian Church in Mexico developed important evangelistic work in Chiapas, first among the Spanish-speaking population and then among the Mayan-speaking people in the 1950s. Today Chiapas is one of the strongholds of the National Presbyterian Church. The number of members of the National Presbyterian Church in Chiapas alone is greater than the total number of RCA members.

A son and mother working together for peace and justice, Josh and Sally Vis seek a political conversation in the U.S. that is pro-Palestinian, pro-Israeli, and pro-peace. To this end, Josh and Sally educate individuals about the injustices of the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. They also offer individuals opportunities to support Palestinians, Israelis, and others who seek an alleviation of and ultimately an end to the Israeli occupation.

Phil and Olivia work with local partners to help meet Nicaraguans’ physical and spiritual needs.

The Protestant church continues to grow—so much so that it has outgrown the number of Bible school and seminary professors needed for proper training in Latin America. As desks fill and eager future Christian leaders enroll in Bible schools and seminaries, there is an urgent need for theological trainers who will shape the next generation of Latin American pastoral leaders.  

A bus trundles by, wheezing exhaust into the street. Crowds of people push past. To a teenager from the nearby valley, the city of Cusco, Peru, can be overwhelming. But because most rural households lack electricity and many more are without running water, young people often migrate to the city seeking opportunity.

In Manama, Bahrain, a doctor hurries through the stark hallway, a stethoscope around her neck. She stops in her patient’s room, checks the charts, and pauses. The patient is improving, thanks to the administered medication. But the doctor is worn down by the stress and tiredness that comes with nursing patients back to health.