A key part of being formally adopted into Sovereign Grace Churches is our ordination process. This process is valuable not only for the evaluation it provides, but also for the edification and equipping the candidate experiences, and in great news, 3 of our Global Pastors have passed their ordinations in the last month. 

I have highlighted the men below and their responses to this good news...

JEFFREY JO - Philippines

JEFFREY JO

Philippines

“Through the mercies of the Holy God, I am humbled to pass the ordination process of Sovereign Grace Churches and to belong with you all as a co-servant of the gospel of Christ. Indeed it was an “immersion” to establish one’s foundation both in spirituality and ministry, thank you for this privilege. I also want to thank pastors Dave Taylor, Lynn Baird, David York and Brendan Willis for guiding me patiently and lovingly all throughout the ordination process. Your trust and friendship for the past years have always been fruitful and beautiful which I will always treasure for the rest of my life. 

Today I am grateful to be with you all, pastors of like-minded in the Gospel and in the love for His church, the dearest place on earth. Looking forward to work hand in hand with you all so that His Name may be known in the generations to come to the praise of His glorious grace.”

CORNELIO EBO - Philippines

CORNELIO EBO

Philippines

“Yes, it's finally done. Thank you so much for all your prayers & support. So good to hear your congratulations. Yes, it was a long struggle, but His grace is indeed sufficient, throughout all of the exercises. 

The church is also celebrating with me. We are beyond words in expressing our gratitude!”

JAYAPRAKASH RAVURI - India

JAYAPRAKASH RAVURI

India

  “I have no words! My eyes are wet!! I am so much overwhelmed by looking at the past how God led me to this point from the time I met SG team in Jagdalpur, India in 2018. I never thought I would become a part of SG family. The Lord made all this possible. When I started moving with SG, I wasn't so clear where I would reach. But the Lord led me through to complete the ordination and become a part of the SG family. 

I am praying and waiting on the Lord to see how the Lord will use this for His glory. I am so much thankful to Asian SGC ordination team especially Mr Todd Peterson who has taken so much of time in helping me come to this point. I am so thankful to everyone who contributed one way or the other for my ordination. Thanks to Pastor Dave and his team. To God be the glory!”

Each of these men mark ‘firsts’ for the countries in terms of SGC Ordinations. It is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes!

I recently asked my friend, Pastor Songhwan Kang, Lead Pastor of Lord’s Grace Church in Korea, if he’d be willing to write us an update on his church and his writings. This was his wonderful reply…

I am Songhwan Kang, and I serve the Lord’s Grace Church in South Korea. It is God's grace and joy for me to able to deliver the latest news of our church to our friends at SG. 

Lord’s Grace Church has recently moved to a new location. It was difficult to move from a familiar location to which we had grown an attachment to for the past 10 years to a new region, but the moving process was a special event for the church community to be able to experience God's goodness and faithful guidance. We thank our SG friends for your prayers.

In the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic for the past year and a half, our church is periodically repeating both offline and online worship. Yet even in the uncertainty of the pandemic, God has protected the church and the members. Although sometimes we worship at home via YouTube, we are all praising the gospel of His grace. We are also having small group meetings online but are still growing in love by caring for and encouraging each other.

This September is Lord’s Grace Church’s 11th year anniversary. 11 years of God’s grace and kindness, and one of the fruits that we are thankful to God from this time, has been the publishing of two books: “The Steadfast Christian in the Gospel” and "The Steadfast Parenting in the Gospel”. 

The first book I wrote by myself, and the second book with my wife, Miran. These books are all about what my wife and I learned through our 15 years of experience with Sovereign Grace. These books are a summary of what a gospel-centered church is, what gospel-centered parenting is, and what our church members have learned together and applied in our lives. I would like to express my gratitude to my precious friends at SG who have been a role model for me in living the life in the gospel. I thank pastors Dave Taylor, Larry Malament, and Marty Machowski for encouraging me to write this book.

There were two reasons for me to write these books. The first reason was to teach the new members of the church the core values of the gospel and how to live a gospel centered life (humility, the church community, biblical masculinity and femininity, God's sovereignty, etc.). Raising children is an important issue for Korean families., and so I wanted to write about what gospel-centered parenting is. But more than that, I wanted to ensure that all of our church members would not forget the importance of a gospel-centered church and life. The book, “The Steadfast Christian in the Gospel” is therefore being used as a one-to-one training material in our church. 

The second reason was to introduce the core values of SG to Korean churches. Many pastors wonder what a healthy gospel-centered church is and are curious how the gospel is applied to the lives of believers. Through this book, I wanted to share this vision with other pastors in Korea. 

I am not a theologian with excellent theological knowledge. I'm not a writer who likes to write. However, my earnest hope is that gospel-centered healthy churches like SG would be established in Korea. Because of this hope, God gave me and my wife the courage to write these books.

I ask all my friends reading this to pray for Korea. Please pray that the beautiful Church of the Lord would be established through Lord’s Grace church and that we will be able to plant another gospel-centered church within the next few years. Please pray that He will use our church to turn many lost souls back to the Lord. On behalf of our church, I express our gratitude for your continuous love and care.

An update from Emmanuel Iluzada, a Pastor of Cross Of Christ Salvation Gospel Ministries (CCSGM) in Kawit, Cavite, Philippines...

This pandemic has brought us both limitations and possibilities. And one of the things that has become possible is a gathering of around 100 worshippers from all locations in one virtual place. This transpired at the recent Worship Team Fellowship on July 24, when the worship team members from various churches in the Philippines came together online. 

Friends and fellow-Christians from various churches in Luzon, Vizayas and Mindanao (Philippines’ main islands) were invited, brought together, and connected via Zoom for a Saturday afternoon of teaching, prayer and fellowship. It was a chance to get to know each other and the ministries that each one of us does in our respective local churches. 

Pastor Dave Taylor shared God’s Word with us, looking at “What’s the Point of Singing?”. He focused in on Colossians 3:16, “‘Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.’ Highlighting four main points as compelling reasons as to why we sing: 

1. Singing enables the Word of God to dwell in us richly

2. Singing enables us to sing praise to a worthy God

3. Singing enables us to reflect the glory back to Him

4. Singing enables us to enjoy a foretaste of a glory to come

The attendees listened and then gave their reflections and appreciation of the Word that was shared and the encouragement brought by the event. It was a wonderful time together. 

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The main desire and prayer for this online session was to continue encouraging our fellow worship team members as we traverse this pandemic in the Philippines. No one has been spared from its repercussions, but the encouragement of the Word of Christ is the sustaining grace in this trying time, and the essence of singing to the praise of His glorious grace needs to be heard now more than ever. 

We have another online worship team session lined up for October, with Pastor Devon Kauflin preaching the Word. Please pray that we’d be able to have more of these times together in the coming months, to continually strengthen our fellowship. It is our hope, that we will be able to have a Worship God Conference in the Philippines when we finally have the opportunity again to meet face to face. 

An update from Allen Dicharry, a pastor in Sovereign Grace Church, Midland, TX and SGC Representative to Nepal…

Mandatory mask laws, lockdowns, curfews, limited medical support, limited supply of oxygen tanks, and multiple deaths. Those are some of the ways to describe the current impact of COVID-19 in Nepal. Food stores are operating on limited hours and many neighborhoods have assigned windows of time when they are allowed to leave their home. Law enforcement is on patrol to ensure any travel is limited to essential purposes only (food, medical, etc.) 

While churches were allowed to gather in limited numbers a few months back, they have now been forced back to virtual meetings only. Our partnering pastor in Nepal has been working tirelessly with his team to get food, support, oxygen tanks, and care for the sick and dying in his own church, as well as the churches he pastors and oversees. 

All of this while facing his own health challenges and trying to care for and protect his family. During most of this time, he was providing end of life care for his aging father, who just recently went to be with the Lord.  In addition to large numbers of the population dying from COVID-19, we have been told over 130 pastors have died as well, creating an even greater void and need for pastoral leadership in the many growing churches across the country. 

Throughout the last 18 months, Sovereign Grace has been able to come alongside our churches in Nepal and care for them, and our partner and his churches wish to say a big thank you to Sovereign Grace Churches for the financial support provided during this crisis. These funds have been used in his church directly, since giving has been significantly impacted, and have been able to provide food and medical care to those most affected by COVID-19, as well as temporary financial support to several pastors in remote areas. Thank you so much!!

In God’s kindness, He is using this time in surprising ways. With travel in Nepal restricted, providing care and resources to pastors and churches in remote areas is a real challenge. This has meant that many have had to innovate and figure out the technical challenges of living in a virtual world, and so Pastors are learning to use Zoom or other virtual options for the first time. 

This has allowed our primary partner pastor the ability to connect with some 50-60 pastors around the country for weekly Zoom meetings, where he can care for these pastors and equip them through focused Bible studies. We were recently invited to participate in these pastoral Zoom meetings and work through our 7 shared values. God is so kind to us and what a joy it is to share these things with these brothers! Getting used to using this medium has also enabled these pastors to provide care to their flocks while physical gatherings are prohibited. 

The situation is still so difficult and the need for on-going prayer and support is still great. Here are some ways you can get involved:

• Pray for our church planting pastor and the churches he serves

• Take time on a Sunday morning to share about the situation in Nepal and pray corporately

• Adopt an unreached people group in Nepal and pray for that group (Joshua Project or Operation World are great resources for evaluating the opportunities)

• Give to the Sovereign Grace Missions Fund so that more of our partnering pastors and churches around the world can experience the benefit of partnering together in gospel ministry

Thank you, Sovereign Grace Churches, for the ways you have generously and graciously showed God’s love for the church in Nepal. 

In last months newsletter I put in an update from Carlos Contreras, Senior Pastor of Gracia Soberana de Ciudad Juarez and Regional Leader for Mexico, on the 'Fieles 2021 Conference’, our Spanish conference for pastors, leaders and their wives (click here).

I recently caught sight of an excellent highlight reel from the conference and wanted to share it with you. You can click here to take look.

Likewise if you’d like to take a listen to the messages, they too are now available to you. Please click here. Enjoy!

Charles Spurgeon once said,

   “No man can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me."

Mr Spurgeon was wonderfully aware of his need for the Lord, in each and every way, at all times and in all things. He was so grateful then when people prayed for him, feeling that there was no truer kindness that they could do for him. And my friends, we feel the same way. As we seek to make disciples of ‘all nations’, we also so need the Lord, in each and every way, at all times and in all things, and so here’s how you can be praying for us in the month ahead…

1. Please pray for our friends and partners on the African continent involved in Covenant Mercies, who continue to battle with new waves of the Covid-19 infection. Among the three countries where Covenant Mercies works, only Ethiopian schools remain open at this time. In both Zambia & Uganda, our students were set to return to the classroom after more than a year out of school. However new waves of infection have prevented this, with no new date set for reopening. It is no secret that disruptions in a child’s education can have long-term impacts, and so please pray for these dear children. We believe the Lord can help them overcome this challenge.

2. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Nepal as they continue to deal with a new surge of Covid-19 cases. To date there have been 635,000 reported cases, with over 9000 deaths, 130 of those deaths being Nepali Pastors. Church buildings have been closed for gathering for almost one and half years now, and yet incredibly, the Church itself continues to grow. The Nepali Christians are continually committed to serving the poor and suffering in the name of Christ, and so may we be praying for them in this. May this be their finest hour and may His grace abound to them in this walk.

3. Please pray for Songhwan Kang and his church, Lord’s Grace Church in Seoul, South Korea. They have recently moved to a new location as a church and are keen to reach out to their new community. Please pray that God would give their members courage and grace to boldly preach the gospel in this new area, as well as reach into the next generation. Please also pray that God would help them find and train some church planters who can plant new SG Churches in South Korea in the next 3-5 years, a happy hope and prayer that they continue to carry as church.

4. Please pray for our Pastors College in Ethiopia (Trinity College) as the students begin to gather in Addis Ababa over the next 3-4 weeks, ahead of their September launch date. May all the moves for these students go smoothly, may everything come together well, and may God’s great hand of grace be on everything they put their hands to in this great endeavour.

             … No man can do us a true kindness in the world than to pray for us! Thank you so much.

An update from Edgar Flores, an international graduate from last years US Pastors College class…

It was a huge privilege to be at the Pastors College in the class of 2021. It has sometimes been said that one of the challenges that seminaries and other theological institutes face; is not only teaching the Word academically, but also personally and pastorally. Yet since the first day of the Pastors College, Jeff Purswell told us that one guideline of the college is based on the words of Paul to Timothy in 1 Tim. 4:16: "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers." And we soon discovered that this truth would form the basis our entire year. 

The PC has 36 classes designed to equip future pastors in areas like counseling, preaching, spiritual disciplines, evangelism, church planting, Greek lessons, etc. Also, the teachers and pastors who work with the PC love the local church and share the values of Sovereign Grace. What a privilege it was to be in the classroom and see Jeff's passion in sharing the glories of the Gospel,to receive CJ's pastoral wisdom and experience, to glean from Bob’s advice for leading worship, and, of course, to benefit from Gary's pastoral care. And all of this in the context of the local church. The PC is more than just an academic experience. Being able to spend almost a year studying alongside my classmates - men who love the Lord, His Word, and the church - was indescribable: we laughed, cried, suffered, and had fun together. The PC was more than an academic experience. 

There was always particular care for our families, especially for our wives. My wife Abby was very blessed by the love, care, advice, and friendship of women like Betsy and Julie, and by the beautiful and close relationship that she developed with the wives of the other students. Without a doubt, the PC is more than just a school. During the Pastors College, the Lord confirmed my call to pastoral ministry; it was there that I made friends that will last for many years, and it was there that I gained a clearer and more sober understanding of the weight and privilege of the pastoral call. To summarize, the Pastors College exists to prepare men for the work of ministry so that all the glory goes to the great Shepherd, our Savior Jesus Christ.

Finally, I want to thank my local church in Cd. Juarez, Mexico, especially Carlos Contreras and the pastoral team , for sending me to the PC. It was a great privilege to be equipped by the Pastors College, especially in light of what God is doing in the church in Mexico and Latin-America. My wife and I will join our local church, Gracia Soberana of Cd. Juarez, in the next few weeks. I will be a pastor-in-training, and I will begin a study with men who feel called to plant a church in Mexico, so it is exciting to contribute with what I learned in the Pastors College. Finally, in a few months, our first child (a daughter) will be born. We ask for your prayers for all these next steps. Thank you, our dear Sovereign Grace family.

An update from Leo Parris, an elder of Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, USA...

Greetings brothers and sisters. For some time, members in our church have loved Costa Rica and in recent years have developed a burgeoning friendship with Chespi, lead pastor of Casa Vida. Chespi’s wonderful people have worked with many missions teams to build a beautiful camp site to host teams and serve as a connection point to their neighborhood. Their church also meets there on the property. 

Earlier in July, Covenant Fellowship sent me and my fellow pastor Jared Torrence, along with 21-person team of youth and adults to deepen our partnership with Casa Vida Iglésia in Playa Azul, Costa Rica. We went in faith despite the challenges of travelling during COVID (very challenging there right now). God was so kind! He kept us safe while there and we all were able to return safely home on time. By God’s grace he helped us accomplish a lot in a short time under the leadership of several guys from Playa Azul and the church. While there we worked hard most of the day laying a concrete basketball court, painting large trash receptacles, and constructing street signs for the community. It was hard, but it was fun!

Through this trip, our youth were also able to build relationally with Casa Vida Iglésia and the Playa Azul community. We worshipped in song in Spanish most evenings and prayed for one another. On Sunday, I had the privilege of preaching to the church from John 1 on the deity and humanity of Christ. Alvaro, deacon of Casa Vida, did an excellent job translating. That evening we enjoyed a traditional Costa Rican barbecue with the church. It was a rich time of exalting Christ, loving one another, and sharing fellowship!

One fun highlight for our youth was participating in a 4-church futbol tournament at the campsite field. Our team, Gracia Soberana, held our own, at least for a bunch of gringos! We even came away with one win (not sure if this was just them being kind though, haha)!

I’m so grateful for the many friendships that my team and I built while in Playa Azul. At the airport on the way home the question that I kept hearing was, “So when are we going back?” I love that! Our hearts our filled with gratefulness for what God is doing in Playa Azul, and they remain behind as our prayers continue for this church. We certainly do hope to return to continue deepening our partnership and help this church spread the gospel throughout the Puntarenes region of Costa Rica. I’m so grateful for partnership in the gospel! God is so kind to join us to a worldwide body when he saves and unites us to himself.

An update from Carlos Contreras, Senior Pastor of Gracia Soberana de Ciudad Juarez and Regional Leader for Mexico…

This past year and a half has been for many the year of cancellations, and that is what it was for us last year with our Fieles 2020 Pastor’s Conference. “Fieles a Su Llamado” (Faithful to His Call) is our Spanish conference for pastors, leaders and their wives. We meet to be equipped and encouraged in the work of pastoral ministry. Because the conference was cancelled last year due to COVID, we held it this past July with about 300 attendees, most of which were pastors and leaders who were finally able to come together to meditate on the topic of Pastoral Leadership in Difficult Times. We had folks come from 17 different Mexican states, and 7 different countries. We also had about 40-50 people join us every day through the live stream from other parts and countries. 

A highlight for me were the volunteers from our church in Juarez preparing for weeks and working to make our Conference possible. We had about 60 people daily who did a wonderful job of serving humbly and tirelessly during the three days of the conference in areas ranging from administration, production, vending, transportation, clean up, and many others. In all there were about 90 volunteers working to make this possible some even extending hospitality to pastors, others picking up people from airports or hotels, some translating for our English-speaking guests, etc. I was humbled that many took a week of vacation from their jobs to be able to come and serve. To all attending, the demonstration of grace filled servanthood and generous hospitality by local church members is the most powerful testimony of what Sovereign Grace Churches are. 

This is what a young pastor attending for the first time wrote to us this week: I have never been at a conference where the Gospel of the grace of Christ was so central. Not only in the teachings, but modeled by a whole family like yourselves… It does us good to be with you because of so much love, generosity, hospitality and grace. You modeled Christ to us.

The morning before the conference started, we held our Mexico Region Assembly of Elders with all the pastors who already officially belong to Sovereign Grace and with pastors from Mexico, Costa Rica, and Colombia who are in the process of being adopted. We thank God for the blessing of officially presenting the Spanish translation of our Statement of Faith, which Mark Prater and Jeff Purswell later introduced in the auditorium to all our guests. We also voted for the official creation of our Mexico Regional Fund and committed to contributing to it for this first year.

At the Conference we were blessed to have Miguel Núñez from Iglesia Bautista International in the Dominican Republic, Jeff Purswell and Bob Kauflin from Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville in KY, Mike Bullmore from CrossWay Community Church in Kenosha, WI, Joselo Mercado from Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg in MD, and Rich Richardson from Center Church in Gilbert, AZ join me as main speakers. We also had Manolo Quintal from our church in Silao, Guanajuato, Hellman Avila from our church in El Paso, Texas, Abelardo Muñoz from Juarez and Cathy Scheraldi-Nuñez from the DR serve us as workshop speakers.  They all did a wonderful job in preaching to pastors and leaders wanting to serve faithfully in their difficult circumstances.

It was a wonderful time in which God was working by equipping us biblically, strengthening relationships, making new relationships flourish, confronting our sin, encouraging us in our weakness, comforting us in our suffering, challenging us to trust Him and depend on Him fully amidst this past year's difficulties and future uncertainties, reminding us about the dangers the church faces in this world from within and from without, and showing us how the gospel of Jesus Christ informs and empowers the way in which we should live taking into account all these things. It was a blessing to perceive the hunger in many who visited, but even among those from home and those who spoke, to be satisfied with God's presence and strengthened by His promises.

Another highlight this year was the presence of our Executive Director, Mark Prater, who came to participate and get a fresh impression of what God has been doing in Latin America. Mark served us well by hosting a luncheon for those pastors interested in exploring a future relationship with Sovereign Grace. About 35 folks attended, some with their wives to hear from Mark about our mission as a family of churches and about what is involved in planting or being adopted by Sovereign Grace. In all about 12 pastors expressed their desire to begin a relationship with us, and of those, 4 have already expressed a desire to be adopted in the future.

Finally, Arturo de la Fuente from SG Juarez, Bob Kauflin and Fabrizio Rodulfo from SG Louisville, Roberto Estupinian and Andrés Contreras from SG Guadalajara, led us in worship during the conference. We rejoiced at the opportunity of introducing 3 translations from the latest Sovereign Grace albums: Cristo, nuestra gloria (Christ, Our Glory), Mi refugio Cristo es (Christ Will Be My Hideaway), and En ti esperamos (We Look to You), which helped us put into words our cry to God for His presence, His help, and His guidance during these difficult times. In all, I have to give God all the thanks and glory for His faithfulness to allow us to have such a wonderful expression of Sovereign Grace life in Latin America. I pray we may soon have many more countries experiencing His amazing Grace like we did this past week.

An update from Doug Hayes, Pastor in Covenant Fellowship, PA, and Executive Director of Covenant Mercies…

In my capacity as Executive Director of Covenant Mercies, I’m typically on the African continent three times in a year.  Since 2020 was not exactly a typical year, it’s been refreshing to resume my normal travel routines in 2021.  In June, I had the pleasure of visiting Liberia for the first time.  This was a brief make-up trip for a plan that had to be canceled in 2020.  It was such a pleasure to get to know Dyonah Thomas better (along with his beautiful family), and such an encouragement to see the great work the Lord has begun there through Gracelife Church and all its associated ministries.  

Dyonah’s kingdom ambition seems to be wonderfully matched by the leaders and co-laborers the Lord has raised up around him.  In addition to their normal church life, they are engaged in pastoral training through Gracelife Seminary, and the education of young people through Gracelife Academy.  Construction is underway on an ambitious new facility for the seminary, which will position this church well for its church planting goals both in Liberia and in neighboring West African nations. 

From Liberia I traveled on to Zambia, where our friends at Christ Community Church (CCC) in Ndola continue to find their footing after the shocking loss of their Sr. Pastor, Wilbroad Chanda.  All things considered, the church is doing well.  Wilbroad’s name comes up in routine conversations almost every day, many times through tears.  But across the board – from the surviving eldership to the newest church member – our brothers and sisters in Ndola are trusting God and persevering in their mission as a local church.  

One way the church is moving forward is through the training of current and future leaders.  This was a passion of Wilbroad’s, and I am certain he would be pleased to see the brothers he left behind stepping up in both church leadership and in theological study.  Three men (one existing elder and two non-elders) are now working on their required readings with a view toward possible Sovereign Grace ordination in the future.  Through SGC’s generosity, I was able to deliver a stack of books to each of them to support these pursuits.  Their eagerness to “study to show themselves approved” is a great blessing that will serve CCC well into the future.

I was looking forward to seeing our sponsored children back in their classrooms at Lighthouse Christian Schoolduring my visit to Ndola, but just two days prior to my arrival, the government closed schools nationwide due to an uptick in COVID infections.  Schools remain closed as of this writing, so prayers would be appreciated both for the health and safety of our Zambian friends, and also for the impact of yet another school closure to be minimized.  There is no fallback plan to online classes or homeschooling for the typical Zambian student, so we need to pray for a rapid return to the classroom. 

My itinerary said I’d fly on to Ethiopia from Zambia, but sadly this portion of my trip did not come to fruition.  Due to a recent election and some political unrest that followed, the country decided to turn away everyone except Ethiopian passport holders and permanent residents.  So I was blessed to return home a few days early, but disappointed not to see our friends and partners in Addis Ababa. 

Whether on behalf of Covenant Mercies or Sovereign Grace, it is such a delight to visit these dear friends regularly and witness the powerful work the Lord is doing in Africa.  I have never been more excited about the opportunities He has put before us, and I am eager to see the fruit that comes from them in the years to come.  

An update from Mark Prater, Executive Director of Sovereign Grace Churches…

There are several things happening throughout the world in Sovereign Grace right now that can only be explained by what the Psalmist writes in Psalm 118, “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” (Psalm 118:3) 

Let me tell you what the Lord is doing. First, there are at least 75 churches outside of the United States who are pursuing partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches, and in addition 4 of our 6 church plants are occurring outside of the U.S. Second, God is giving us experienced, wise, strategic leaders that will help us steward the God-given opportunities He is giving us. Third, God is also giving us people who are giving generously to financially support our global expansion. In other words, God is faithfully providing for the God-given opportunities to partner with churches globally through the sacrificial giving of faithful saints, most of whom are members of Sovereign Grace churches.

As I have interacted with the generous folks God has given us, there is a common refrain that I hear again and again. They say to me, “I want to see Sovereign Grace expand throughout the world because of how I have benefitted from being in a gospel-centered Sovereign Grace church.” Frankly, it’s humbling to hear their desire to see Sovereign Grace expand in different parts of the world. 

As I have talked and prayed with these generous people about the best way to financially support what God is doing in Sovereign Grace, they have helped me to create 3 development funds; a “Latin America Development Fund,” an “Africa Development Fund,” and an “Asia Development Fund.” Each of these funds contain defined general categories for how the money given will be used. Categories like, establishing and supporting Pastors Colleges, resource development, church plant funding, pastoral equipping, and care, etc.

Within the last several months, monies from the Latin America Development Fund were used for an “Emerging Nations Leaders Retreat” in Guadalajara, Mexico where we strategically invested into 22 pastors from Mexico and South America, many of whom are pursuing partnership with Sovereign Grace. This retreat would not have happened without the people who gave generously to this fund. Money from this fund was also used to help pastors from Mexico and Central America attend the Fieles Conference, a Spanish speaking Sovereign Grace Pastors & Wives conference, led by Carlos Contreras in Juarez, Mexico. Because the Latin America Fund exists these pastors and wives were cared for, and equipped to go back home and serve their churches.

Likewise in Africa, it’s amazing to see all that God is doing in there, so launching the Africa Development Fund couldn’t be more timely. Monies from this fund are being used right now to establish our Ethiopia Pastors College that is based at Trinity Fellowship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Without this fund, we couldn’t start this college that will theologically equip pastors who will plant or pastor churches in nations throughout East Africa. Additionally, money from this fund is being used to equip pastors in West Africa through the work being done in our Liberian Pastors College, and to financially support several church planting opportunities in West Africa.

I’ve given you just a glimpse of what the Lord is doing in our small family of churches, and it is marvelous, isn’t it? As I pray about our future, I believe that there is so much more good gospel work that He has for us to do throughout the world. Therefore, would you pray, and would you consider giving to one of these 3 development funds for the purpose of financially supporting all that He is doing in Sovereign Grace? As the Lord’s good gospel work continues, may it remain marvelous in our eyes.

Charles Spurgeon, in his book “The Power of Prayer in a Believers Life," writes the following,

   “Do not bring before God stinted petitions and narrow desires, but remember, as high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are His ways above your ways and His thoughts above your thoughts. Ask, therefore, after a Godlike fashion, for great things, for you are before a great throne.” 

Friends, in prayer, we go before a “great throne” and get to ask the maker of heaven and earth for “great things”... What a glorious reality that is don’t you think?

Here then are some ways that you can be praying for us in the month ahead…

1. Please pray for the Pastors of Sovereign Grace Churches around the world, asking God to give them wisdom as they continue to lead their local churches through COVID-19 related decisions, particularly in places like Australia, Nepal, Pakistan & Brazil.

2. Please pray for Carlos Contreras as he leads the Fieles Pastors Conference in Juarez, Mexico, 7th-9th July. Please pray for all the Pastors & wives that will be attending from all over Latin America. Would this be a wonderful time of envisioning, refreshment and encouragement for everyone involved.

3. Please pray for Emmanuel Iluzada, Elder at CCSGM, Manila, as he puts together a Sovereign Grace Churches Philippines, Worship Conference, 24th July, for around 100 worship team members from across the Philippines. Please also pray for me (Dave Taylor), as I speak at that event over zoom.

4. Please pray for Riley Spring (Sovereign Grace Church, Parramatta, Australia) and Myself, as we head to Canberra 21st-22nd July, to meet with a small group of folk who are expressing an interest in Sovereign Grace planting a Church in their city. Please pray for wisdom and faith as we explore this opportunity together.

5. Please pray for Pastor Jeffrey Jo in Manila, Philippines, and Pastor Cornelio Ebo in Cebu City, Philippines as they take their final Ordination exam this month. May His grace abound.

             … May we go to the “great throne” together, for great things He hath done!

An update from Josh Pannell, Pastors College graduate, and SG Missionary to Ethiopia, Africa…

Hello once again from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. God has been up to wonderful things out here through our partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches, and it’s been encouraging to have felt your support and enthusiasm every step of the way. And that’s precisely what excites me most about this announcement. 

Michael and I have long prayed that Trinity Fellowship would be a training ground for the next generation of Ethiopian pastors. And to our joy, God is answering those prayers, and he’s doing it much quicker than we expected. He’s brought to our church many men who show giftings and qualifications for elders. After 20 months of praying, fasting, and seeking counsel, we’ve decided to establish a pastors college as a ministry of Trinity Fellowship. Similar to the SGPC in Louisville, the Trinity Fellowship Pastors College will seek to train future pastors in both “life and doctrine” (1 Tim 4:16). 

Over a 12 month period, each student will complete 40 one-week block courses covering topics of both theological and practical ministry. God has given us professors from the US, Canada, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia who will travel to Addis to teach these classes. We’ve also established a partnership with Union School of Theology in Wales which will allow our graduates to receive accredited diplomas as well as credits towards an MTh from Union upon graduation. 

As Addis Ababa is a very international city, we’re glad that TFPC’s first class will host students from 5 different countries. Many of them are men Michael has been building relationships with for several years. If I were to speak of all the qualifications of these men, this email would easily double in length. Let it suffice for me to tell you a story of just two men. 

First, let me introduce you to Brian. He was introduced to Sovereign Grace Churches over a decade ago by looking up sermons by CJ Mahaney, Bob Kauflin, and Jeff Purswell on Youtube. Slowly, and over many years, the core values of SGC were sown into his heart as he watched our sermons, tuned-in to our pastors conferences, and listened to our music. He shared with me that his dream has been to attend the Pastors College, but he knew that he never would be able to afford moving to the US for a year. He finished his story by saying, “but God has heard my prayers, and he’s answered them in such an unexpected way. Instead of bringing me to the Pastors College, he has brought the pastors college to me!” 

Next, I’d like to introduce you to Muhammad. After his conversion from Islam, he faced threats of death as he worked to establish underground churches and even saw the conversion of several of his guards in jail. As threats on his life became more intense, he knew it was necessary for him flee his home country to hide in Ethiopia. But while he’s hiding in Ethiopia, he’s doing so much more than laying low: as he is learning about gospel-centrality, the doctrines of grace, and Christ-centered preaching, he is secretly passing along the things he is learning to pastors back in his home country. Doing this puts them all in danger, but it’s worth it to them for the sake of Christ. 

God answered another prayer for us just last week. We’ve been searching for a building large enough for our Pastors College and church to meet in. This has proven difficult as much of the real estate in Addis is owned by muslims. But God has answered our prayers: he’s given us a building to rent that not only can be used as a meeting spot, but also includes housing for students and professors. We celebrated God’s goodness in answering our prayers by going to eat at the best goat restaurant in town. 

As I sit back and think about all that’s happening here in Addis, I find myself grateful. I’m grateful for all God is doing, I’m grateful that I get a front-row seat to see it, and I’m grateful for our partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches that has made this possible. “What do I have that I have not received?” comes to my mind often. Please feel encouraged: God is on the move, and he’s using you — your prayers, your gifts, your encouragement — to do great things for his kingdom here in Africa. Thank you for your continued investment in me, these men, and Trinity Fellowship. 

With affection and gratitude,

Josh Pannell 

An update from Rich Richardson, Lead Pastor of Center Church, Gilbert, Arizona; and Emerging Nations Representative to Latin America…

Last fall, after much toil and time, Sovereign Grace unanimously approved a new and vastly improved Statement of Faith. It is a document that will outlive us and be a gift to future pastors and churches of Sovereign Grace Churches. We want this gift to be understood and enjoyed in other parts of the world as well. A significant step in ensuring this gift extends to the Latin American world was completed when we completed the Spanish translation of the Statement of Faith this month. 

Translating our Statement of Faith into Spanish is more than just inputting it into "Google Translate" and getting a result. Instead, our goal was to produce a faithful translation to the original but not carry the tinny sound of just translated English. Therefore, under the leadership of Carlos Contreras, we took the statement through at least four different editing revisions to ensure smooth Spanish readability. Lastly, we contacted someone who is a translator by trade. The result? I am pleased to announce that we have a Spanish version of our Statement of Faith. 

If you are interested in seeing the newly minted translation, you can check it out here.

Now, we have a gift not just to future English-speaking pastors and churches but also to Spanish-speaking pastors and churches. 

An update from Mario Vucenovic, Pastor of Church of God’s Grace in Zapresic, Croatia…

In February of this year, our building landlord contacted us to let us know that he needed the space back that we were renting due to his own business expanding and that we would have 30 days to move out. 

We meet twice a week to hear God’s word preached, and for prayer, bible study, to have fellowship together and encourage one another. We had previously been praying and looking for a new space for our church to meet for about a year. Our space was small,  approximately 43 meters squared, and it was challenging to invite guests as we tightly packed the entire space.  In addition, because of covid distancing restrictions, only about half of the church could attend on a Sunday morning. We had previously looked at about 15 places, to no avail, because they were either too small, too expensive, or the landlord’s didn't like our work and so we were not welcome there. However we now had no choice, and so we started looking again right away, and of course praying. 

Two days later I remembered passing by a "space for rent" sign recently, and so decided to stop by. The space was 130 square meters, three times our current rental space, and was a new modern and clean gymnasium size space on a main street near the center of town, with men's and women's bathrooms, and on the other side of the building, two separate rooms for children's ministry.  Our whole church would be able to meet there with the appropriate distancing and we would be able to invite people to join us!

Before I got too excited about the possibility, because of the rental costs being so high, I asked how much they would charge. Meanwhile, my wife was outside in the parking lot praying that they could offer it to us "by the hour", as it would reduce the costs, and allow it to be within our budget. 

They told me that they only actually rent the space by the hour, and so at the end of the month, the cost would end up being the same amount in rent that we are currently paying!  In addition, a free parking lot is included, no utilities fees, and they do the cleaning and upkeep.  

I shared with the landlord couple that we are a new church in town with a small group of believers who follow Jesus Christ, and that we teach from the bible. In response to this they said that they met missionaries in Zaprešić many years ago who were reading the bible with them, and that they are also Christians, and that it would be a joy for them to rent their space to us, and that this is what Croatia needs right now!

Because of the generosity of funds through Emerging Nations, our church was able to purchase church chairs, a projector, a projector screen, and a pulpit.  This blessing has taken our church to a new level, where it just feels surreal to be in what feels like a proper church space where we can open our doors to people, and have the necessary equipment to serve them well.  Thank you to the Emerging Nations team for making this possible!

We have been enjoying our new space for 4 months, and we continue to rejoice in how the Lord provided for us, in His timing.  We as a church finally get to meet together again with appropriate distancing, and also can invite people to join us safely, even in the midst of the pandemic .  We regularly have new guests, and we are eager to see how the Lord will use us and our new space to be a refuge, a city on a hill, to people during very difficult times. 

After a year of many earthquakes, strict lockdowns, and job loss, the general feeling for many people is depression and fear, hopelessness.  But in our hearts of hearts we know in spite of everything happening around us and in our lives, we know only hope and joy is in Jesus Christ. 

We have a lot of gospel work ahead of us and need much wisdom, prayer, patience, protection and support.   Please pray that the Lord will guide us to the people who need Jesus right now the most, who are lost and seeking, whose hearts are soft and prepared to hear the message of salvation. Also pray for the relationship with our new landlords, and that our presence in this new space will be a blessing to them, to the church, and to our city.  

An update from Riley Spring, Lead Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church, Parramatta, and Director of Church Development for Sovereign Grace Churches, Australia…

One of the great privileges we have here down under is to be a part of pioneering a new denomination in our country by establishing Sovereign Grace Churches Australia. When people hear of Sovereign Grace they often know the music but don’t know that it’s a global family of churches seeking to plant and adopt churches here in Australia. And so part of our job at the moment is to help people know who we are and why we exist. This is where our new exciting development comes in, a new church leadership podcast that we’ve started called, ‘Grace and the Adventure of Leadership’!

Our podcast is designed to help develop and cultivate church leaders who are fueled and formed by the realities of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is hosted by myself, Riley Spring, and Dave Taylor, Lead Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church, Sydney, and the SGC Director of Emerging Nations. 

One of the things we can struggle with in church leadership here in Australia, is that it is so easy to look to the business world and not theWord for models, plans, and strategies for leadership. Yet in all reality, the Bible is the best book for understanding how to lead a church, and the Gospel is therefore right at the centre of it all.

The title of the podcast is borrowed from a famous sermon by our founder, C.J. Mahaney, which he preached over two decades ago. His sermon can be found here. In it, he looks at how a proper understanding of the grace of God fundamentally changes how you lead your church. And we thought it would be a great title to reflect what we are hoping to do. 

The first series will go through what is fundamental to biblical leadership: character! And we will look at seven characteristics that mark a gospel centered leader, that is, the gospel culture or D.N.A that we have experienced at Sovereign Grace, beginning with humility. 

You can listen to the podcast and subscribe on all major channels here and you can read the transcripts by heading here and subscribing to our blog. Please leave a review and a rating as that will help us to be found more easily!

We want to pass on what we have been so blessed to have learned from others. And we want these episodes to help raise up future church planters, encourage lonely pastors, and train lay leaders. 

Please be praying for us as we seek to pioneer Sovereign Grace Churches here in Australia. Pray that this podcast would truly help us train and develop leaders. Pray that it would spread far and wide so that people will get to know us. Pray also for the new opportunities that are opening up for us, that we would be wise and courageous. We are starting to receive more requests for ‘Sovereign Grace Churches’ in various cities across Australia!

We hope, one day, to see Sovereign Grace Churches littered across the cities, suburbs, and rural towns of our great nation!

An update from Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana in Gaithersburg, and Emerging Nations Representative to Latin America…

Pura Vida is the phrase that describes the people of Costa Rica; it is their Aloha, which can translate to the Simple Life. For the Ticos, it is a way of life, including their hospitality, kindness, and desire to be good hosts. Our family experienced the Pura Vida for the full 22 days that we spent in this beautiful country.

The primary purpose of this trip was to deepen relationships with three churches in the process of being adopted by SGC and create other relationships with other churches with which we have shared values. We want to learn from the churches in Costa Rica and be able to model SGC's values as a family to the pastors with whom we interact. It is unlikely that pastors in Costa Rica will spend a year in the Colegio de Pastores; due to this, the Latin American Church Fund decided to send us to spend ample time with the churches in Costa Rica. With this in mind, on June 8, Kathy, the children, and I left for this nation in Central America.

For the first four days, we were located in the coastal city of Jaco. We were able to rent an apartment with a kitchen where we received pastoral families to spend time with them for three days. Kathy cooked Caribbean food, and we spent long hours developing relationships. We spent time with the families of Rodrigo Fournier (House 2:42 in San Jose), Allan Mongue (Sovereign Grace Cartago), and Chespi Sandoval (Casa Vida Playa Azul). These days were days of creating more trust in relationships and getting to know each other as families in a more profound way.

The first weekend I had the opportunity to preach at Casa 2:42. There were three meetings, and on Sunday afternoon, we had a time of communion with the church leaders. This included pastors and ministry leaders. It was an exceptional time that allowed us to connect with this precious church. From Monday the 14th to the 16th, I returned to the United States for some ministerial meetings. Kathy stayed in Costa Rica with Joey and Janelle, and each day they met with the wives of these three pastors.

The second weekend we had the opportunity to visit the town of Tamarindo in the province of Guanacaste. There we shared with Pano Rojas, a former member of SGC Louisville for the three years whilst he studied at SBTS. We also got to meet Alex and Lynn. Alex is the other pastor of Casa Vida Tamarindo. It was a time of sharing and seeing the grace of God in this local church and the many areas of affinity that we have. You can preach the word to this precious church on Sunday, in both English and Spanish.

We returned to San Jose on Wednesday, June 23, to give a class at Casa 2:42 on biblical leadership based on Acts 6. That day the church sang my birthday since I had turned forty-seven the entire day. We ended the day with several meetings, including Grace Church elders who wish to consider being adopted. Then on the last weekend of our trip, I gave a marriage seminar and preached Sunday in Sovereign Grace Carthage. We had sweet communion times with the Allan Mongue family.

We hope to make similar trips to other places in Latin America in the coming years. Kathy did an excellent job of connecting with the ladies, and I am so grateful for the testimony of Joey and Janelle. During these 22 days of their service to the church, their attitude towards mission brought glory to God and encouraged all pastors about the power of the gospel in a pastoral family.

We returned with great joy as Christ was proclaimed, relationships were deepened, and pastors were encouraged.

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It is with great privilege and joy, that I introduce you to the twin daughters of JP & Sathwika Ravuri. 

Having been married for 9 years, JP & Sathwika were told by the top-ten gynaecologists in India that they had “no chance and no hope” of having children. But look what the Lord has done! Just two days before the arrival of these girls, both JP & Sathwika got sick with Covid-19, but “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” (Gen 18.14). 

The Lord heard our prayers and provided good hospital space for them, good availability of doctors, and a safe delivery for these dear twins. All the family are now back home and in good health. All glory be to God!

We serve a King who loves to answer our prayers, and so here’s how you can be praying for our global work in the month ahead...

1. Please pray for Doug Hayes (Pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church and Director of Covenant Mercies), as he travels to Liberia, Ethiopia & Zambia this month. Please pray that he has a good and fruitful time in all three locations, as he both works for the good of Covenant Mercies, looking at new possibilities and strengthening existing work. As well seeks to serve our churches there, particularly in Liberia, where he’ll be preaching on 13th June, and then in Zambia, where he’ll be coming alongside the elders in determining the best way forward for Christ Community Church and the Copperbelt Pastors College. Please pray that Doug would be a real comfort to our dear friends in Zambia, as they continue to recover from the devastating loss of Wilbroad Chanda, and that God would give them all faith, wisdom and unity, as they consider the road ahead.

2. Please pray for Joselo Mercado (Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana in Gaithersburg, and one of our SGC Representatives to Latin America) as he and his family relocate to Costa Rica for the next 23 days, to continue building relationally with our Sovereign Grace Church in Costa Rica, as well as two further churches pursuing adoption with us. He will be preaching each Sunday in a different church, doing workshops on leadership and marriage, as well as spending lots of fellowship time with the pastoral teams and their families. Please pray that God really blesses this investment of time. 

3. Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Belarus. Since the Presidential Election demonstrations in August of last year, things have gone from bad to worse for their country. Over 35,000 people have been arrested and many have been beaten and kept in inhumane conditions. Many pastors felt compelled to speak out against the widespread violence and injustice against the citizens, and as a result have been threatened and warned by the government. Fear and uncertainty are a heavy shadow over the nation, and with people being arrested at random, this only adds to that sense of fear. Please pray for protection on our pastors there (names concealed for security reasons), who are being threatened. Please also pray that what is taking place there will lead to further opportunity and fruit for the gospel, which is their hope. 

4. Please pray for our dear friend and church in Nepal (names also concealed for security reasons), who are in his words, feeling like they’re “walking through the valley of the shadow of death”. Our pastor there lost a family member (his cousin’s wife) to Covid, on 14th May. In addition, six pastors in the network have recently died, all from Covid, and a great deal of members of their churches are also hospitalized or sick at home, unable to get to the hospital. The severity of the Covid situation has brought with it severe lockdowns and closure of food stores, making it difficult even for those that do have money, to get what they need. Please continue to pray for our dear friends at this very difficult time. As they’d be quick to tell you, even in this, they know He is able and good.

… We serve a King who loves to answer our prayers, so may we go to Him in this, and may His grace abound.

An update from Michael Granger, Lead Pastor of Trinity Fellowship in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia…

Where do we find ourselves in this season? Delighting in the day-in and day-out grind of ordinary ministry. In the kindness of the Lord, Trinity Fellowship has been established. And, I have naturally undergone something of a transition from being a church-planter to a pastor. Currently, I'm preaching through Paul's Epistle to the Philippians. And when we, the church-planting team and I, look out over what is taking place, we find growth. And that, to the praise and glory of Christ's grace! 

Glorious grace and resounding praise!

Our team is growing as we recently hired my sister-in-law, Tensu, last month to come and work for Trinity Fellowship full time as an administrative assistant. What a gift she has been! The church is growing in size, averaging 50 to 70 on Sunday mornings; growing in maturity and in our understanding of the gospel; growing as a community; growing in discipleship; and I trust, growing through conversions.

One example from recent weeks happened when a first-time visiting unbeliever sat down in the third row during our Sunday morning service. She was openly aware that she was not a true Christian and that her Orthodox Christianity was nothing more than a cultural identifier. But to our joy, a miracle happened between last Sunday and this Sunday. And when it came time to take the Lord’s supper - I having given a warning to those who are not true believers and to those living in sin - to my great delight, I saw her take the bread and the wine. After the service, I approached her and said, “I saw you take the Lord’s supper. Have you become a Christian?” Holding her tears back, she nodded her head and said, “I became a Christian this week." 

A few weeks back a young Somali brother in our church and also a disciplee and ministry partner of Muhammad received a text message on his phone from Al-Shabab (a major Islamic terrorist network in our part of the world). The text message read, "We know that you are spreading the false teaching of Jesus and that you are working with Muhammad. We are planning to kill you when we find you!" This young man in turn articulated his fears to Muhammad, to which Muhammad responded, "Oh man, I've been receiving those texts for 2 years and I'm still alive. Let's keep working for Jesus.”

I get to pastor these people? I simply don’t know what to think when I consider that God himself has entrusted such sheep - to me. I have the best job in the world! I get paid to do this? This is scandalous! This is why we moved to Ethiopia. So that we might experience the super-natural regenerational power of God as he raises the dead to life. May that always be the ordinary ministry of Trinity Fellowship. Amen!

Sovereign Grace, we do not forget your generosity, your kindness, nor the abundance of warmth we have received from you. Indeed, this work out here exists because you did not stop working for Jesus. Trinity Fellowship is the fruit of your combined efforts. Thank you so much. 

An update from Carlos Contreras, Senior Pastor of Gracia Soberana de Ciudad Juarez and Regional Leader for Mexico…

This past week we had the joy of hosting in our sister church in Guadalajara Mexico, a retreat for 13 Latin American leaders that have requested adoption by Sovereign Grace Churches, or have recently planted a church, or are in planning stages to plant a church in the near future. 3 men came from Costa Rica; Allan Monge who planted a church in Cartago 4 years ago and is in his ordination process; Chespi Sandoval who also planted a church in the area of Jacó, and Rodrigo Fournier who is leading a large church in the western part of San José, both of whom have requested adoption. Jacobis Aldana came from Santa Marta Colombia and also has requested adoption, and David del Castillo came from our recent church plant in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, who is progressing well in his ordination process. 

From México, we were joined by Enrique Villegas and David Puga from the state of Veracruz, both of whom are in the process of ordination. As well as 4 pastors from 3 churches requesting adoption – Carlos Martinez from Torreón, David Hernandez from the city of Chihuahua and Jorge Luis Gutierrez and Emmanuel Alfonzo from the city of Uriangato in the state of Guanajuato. Additionally, I had the privilege of introducing two men who are currently living in Juarez being equipped to be sent out in the next couple of years to plant churches: Marcelo Torres who plans to plant a church in Reynosa in the state of Tamaulipas, and Israel García, who is looking to plant a church in Huajuapan, Oaxaca. 

The retreat was organized as a new initiative of the Latin American Fund to help move forward the process of church planting and church adoption in Latin America. Rich Richardson, Joselo Mercado and myself, planned this event as a context designed to expose participants to the values and virtues that have distinguished our rich history as a family of churches. We wanted to expose new and younger leaders to men with a very long history within Sovereign Grace who we encouraged to share from their personal decades-long experience. The general theme of the retreat was “Training Faithful Pastors for Decades”. 

Rich Richardson started us very well talking about “The certainty of Pastoral Suffering”. Next day Mark Prater also served us well - sharing via Zoom - some valuable insights into “Leading through Suffering”. CJ Mahaney also joined us via Zoom that afternoon sharing about “How to tend to your own heart”, a theme he has been teaching for decades. And on our last day Steve Shank, one of the founding leaders within our family of churches, shared a priceless talk on “Leading your Family Faithfully”.  

After each session there was an invaluable extended time of questions and discussion with much participation from all, including from Hellman Avila, Abelardo Muñoz and Manolo Quintal who also came, as part of our regional leadership team in Mexico, to help with the relationship building among all.

I believe the fruit of this time together met and surpassed our expectations. After 3 days together, men from different countries who didn’t know each other before, went back home as friends. They experienced first-hand what all the speakers emphasized: Leaders in Sovereign Grace never lead alone, that is why we build relationally. And, most importantly, we all got a concentrated extra dose of what it means to be a pastor in Sovereign Grace. We pray events like this will help us plant and build churches in Latin America who faithfully reflect the values that, by God’s grace. we have been given as a family of churches.