300,000th pastor receives Global Advance training

Kazakhstan (MNN) — Kazakhstan is a country that continues to pass laws restricting religious freedom. However, that didn’t stop Global Advance from traveling to that country to hold a Frontline Shepherd’s Conference and a Marketplace Missions Conference.

Almost 2,000 pastors attended. Doctor David Shibley with Global Advance says the Frontline Shepherd’s conference was record setting. “We were privileged to train the 300,000th Frontline Shepherd, 300,000th pastor, that we have given on-sight training to since 1990, over the last 15 years.”

However, the best news about the conference is what happened at the conference. “A number of pastors, hundreds really, who committed to planting at least one new church within the next year. So, we’re really grateful that there is a strong commitment to church planting among these Kazakh pastors, many of them are committing themselves to planting churches cross-culturally.”

The Marketplace Missions conference saw about 200 business leaders in attendance. They received practical business training, but also ideas on how they can assist ministry. Shibley says it’s working because a Christian business woman is using it that way. “She uses a large portion of the profits from that to help sustain and help send Kazakh missionaries to Afghanistan. We believe that’s a brand new paradigm for missions in the future.”

According to Shibley, these conferences could be key to helping Christians in closed countries. “These developing nations are very open and very appreciative for this kind of training. We take very capable, skilled business men and women who are committed to advancing the Great Commission. And, they pour their lives and their insight and their expertise into the lives who attend these seminars.” Which is providing additional funding for ministry.

Pray for Global Advance as they have 60 Frontline Shepherds conferences and 9 Marketplace Missions conferences planned for 2006.