A Letter from our President
DEAR FRIENDS,
As I sit here and look at the map on my screen, seeing all the nations where Joshua Nations has Bible Training Centers and students, my heart is overwhelmed with gratitude. What we are seeing God do is incredible! Leaders are being trained. Churches are being planted. Countries are being flooded with the gospel. The vision that started 21 years ago through Joshua Nations has now expanded to thousands of Bible Training Centers in over 84 countries. What began with a few being impacted has swelled to over 240,000 men and women across the globe.
But there are still so many places that the Holy Spirit continues to highlight that have next to no gospel witness. This is the tension that we must navigate. I want to look in the eyes of Jesus at the end of my race and know that I did everything I could to get the Gospel to the hardest places. Beyond that, I would like to have confidence that we not only proclaimed the Good News, but we also discipled the people for spiritual maturity and ministry service.
Joshua Nations has seen unprecedented growth in countries that have received our training. These first began to grow by addition, but now they are growing by multiplication. In countries like Uganda, we started with one leader and have now established hundreds of training centers, reaching thousands of people every year. This is what happens when you create a model that is affordable, accessible, and reproducible. It works. It multiplies. The fruit continues to grow exponentially. Yet, there are millions of people across North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia who have never heard the gospel. Whole people groups have never had the Gospel, let alone a biblical worldview, presented in a way that they can understand. Leaders are few and far between. Access is nearly impossible. Additionally, the cost to engage these people is often much higher.
So how do we steward what God has given us wisely while also boldly pursuing what He is calling us to do next? The answer is simple. Don’t abandon what is working. Let multiplication free up our capacity to go, disciple, and multiply! Because of the health and development happening in our current countries, we have decided it is time to begin shifting some of our focus and resources to the unreached. When healthy movements become less dependent on importing leaders, it’s time to let them become self-sustaining. Interestingly, many unreached people groups are in close proximity to existing Joshua Nations strongholds.
Just this morning, I had a conversation with John Wandera from Uganda. John is our National Coordinator for Uganda and our Africa Overseer. He shared with me about the Yumbe district in the northwest part of Uganda. In this district, the Aringa people group reside. This is a highly unreached people that claims only 0.1%-2% Christians. The Aringa are traditionally hunters and cultivators.
They also keep small-scale livestock to provide mainly for their families. Some have become businessmen as their towns modernize, and most grow crops to supply their families with at least some of their needs. As is common throughout Africa, they typically have large families and are hard workers. The Aringa are primarily Muslim with a few nominal Christians. While they believe in the basic teachings of Islam, they also have a deep belief in ancestral spirits. Through the Joshua Nations network in Uganda, we have strong leaders and ministry workers who are thoroughly trained and equipped to reach the Aringa. I am pleased to be working with John Wandera and his team to develop a plan and strategy to “win” the Aringa people to Jesus.
For scenarios like this, Joshua Nations values multiplication and discipleship. Those who have been equipped through our Bible Training Centers are excited and ready to go!
One leader trained (like John Wandera) becomes many. The many become a faithful multitude willing to advance the Gospel. Before you know it, whole regions are transformed by disciples making more disciples, because they have what it takes to lead the movement themselves. Yes, we are going to assist with resources to make this possible sooner rather than later, but the church in Uganda is stepping up to the task of the Great Commission in their own nation.
Joshua Nations now must take that same model into the hardest places in other nations. This next season will take faith, wisdom, prayer, support, and faithful partners like you. We are not just looking to expand in numbers; we are going where the Holy Spirit guides with the intent of discipling the lost, the least, the last!
Will you join us not only in celebrating what God has done, but what He is calling us to do next? Together, we are watching multiplication happen in the nations. And together we will continue to press on until every person group has access to the Gospel.
