International (MNN) — Serving in persecuted areas takes more than basic training. It requires close guidance from someone who has walked the path before.
Patrick Anthony with FMI explains, “A common approach to leadership training that helps people be equipped for persecuted context is really internship programs or mentorship programs.”
Men talking (photo courtesy of Tanmay Tiwari via Pexels)
This approach is often called relational discipleship or life-on-life mentoring. New leaders don’t just gain knowledge. They watch, learn, and walk closely with experienced leaders.
Many face daily challenges and difficult questions. As Anthony puts it, “How you walk through a crisis? Or how do you go about everyday shepherding? And then, how do you handle a crisis?”
This need is being echoed by ministry partners across multiple countries. In high-risk regions, the demand for trained mentors is urgent.
Anthony says, “Governments will expel foreign workers, and that can leave a gaping hole of leadership in a country that deals with chronic persecution.”
That reality points to a training model that values character as much as competence. One FMI partner in Kenya says:
“This moment offers a powerful opportunity to raise leaders who reflect Christ, demonstrate integrity and shepherd God’s people with resilience rooted in the Gospel.”
Several FMI partners also highlighted the need to find and build leaders, especially in crisis areas, emphasizing “a leader’s own walk with Christ before their competence and skills,” Anthony adds.
Pray for FMI’s ongoing work training leaders worldwide, especially those in persecuted countries. Pray also for more life-on-life mentorship in the churches facing persecution.
“Pray for their walk with Christ and their families, and that they would work together as a family, taking part in Christ’s work with FMI in those countries,” says Anthony.
Visit the FMI website to learn about their approach training leaders.
Header photo: Two men walking side by side on a railway platform (Photo courtesy of Ritesh Arya via Pexels).
