Lots of landscapers drive past our house in a day. I’ve never sat on our front porch and actually counted them, but it’s a lot. And it makes sense. Grass needs cutting, bushes need trimming. Landscapers get it done.

I tend my own lawn. (I like doing it, and I need the exercise.) But if I were looking for a landscaper, I would hire someone who 1) really knew what they were doing, 2) consistently did it with excellence and 3) did it at a good price. Wouldn’t you? If you use a lawn service, you know how important these things are.

What’s true of landscapers is also true of missions. A LOT of mission organizations exist in the United States. That’s a good thing, but Christians, churches, and mission leaders rightly ask questions such as:

• Do we REALLY know what we’re doing? In other words, are we focused on the right things?
• Are we consistently doing missions with excellence? Are we as effective in the Lord’s mission as we could be?
• Are we doing missions at a good price? Are we making the most of the funds God provides?

For eternity’s sake, we should be as clear, strategic and effective as we can possibly be!

Did you know that 90-95% pastors lack access to good ministry training? 90-95%!! Church leaders in countries like Haiti will never be able to go to Bible college, let alone seminary. They don’t have the money to do it. These pastors also lack basic ministry resources, including the Bible.

That’s why PPI is committed to offering short-term, high impact ministry training in accessible locations to front-line church leaders. We take ministry training to pastors so they can continue to live and minister in their home setting. PPI training doesn’t replace Bible college or seminary training. That’s not our intent. Rather, our training complements Bible college or seminary by providing a solid foundation for more formal ministry training – if a pastor and his family are able to access it.

But for the majority of pastors who likely will not be able to access formal Bible college or seminary training, PPI courses provide a foundation in God’s Word and practical ministry training for them to build on in their churches and communities.

I’m convinced that this focus on encouraging, training and resourcing national pastors is the right WHO, WHY an WHAT for missions in our generation! This isn’t rocket science. Rather it’s an ACM for me – an area of moral clarity. And I am so thankful for the “fellowship” of mission organizations with the same focus that PPI is privileged to be part of – The Thompson Bible International Institute (aka Help for Christian Nationals) led by Dr. John Jauchen and African Pastoral Training directed by Chuck Ballard. As a fellowship of ministries, we’re focused on the obvious need – the 90-95% of pastors who lack access to good ministry training – and we’re committed to addressing that need with excellence and cost-effectiveness.

Okay, enough on that. I need to get my lawn mowed. Learn more about partnering with us HERE.

Haitian pastors in Atlanta, Georgia?! Yes! As I write this, I’m part of training 42 Haitian church leaders at a Haitian Alliance Church in north Atlanta. Nearly 20,000 Haitians live in this area.

My friend, Chuck Ballard, is leading this training and invited me to join him in encouraging and training Haitian pastors here. Chuck is the Executive Director of African Pastoral Training (APT) Ministries. (Check out aptministries.org for more information about Chuck and APT.)

Did you know that over 1,000,000 Haitians live in the United States? Nearly half reside in Florida, 190,000 in New York City, and the rest in larger U.S. cities such as Atlanta.

This is day two of our training, but already I have had many opportunities to meet and network with a number of Haitian-American pastors. They are concerned for their home country and are VERY interested in our pastors training there.

After the training, I will meet with leaders of the Haitian Evangelical Clergy of Georgia to talk more about partnering together in training Haitian pastors. This is an avenue of partnership – and potential multiplication of our vision – that I didn’t anticipate even a week ago. I’m humbled again by the Lord’s leading and these amazing opportunities to make a difference for eternity!

As part of today’s training, we focused on 2 Chronicles 7:14 then took time to pray specifically for Haiti. It was a moving time. Who knows how God will use our conversations with Haitian-American pastors in Atlanta to multiply our mission of encouraging, training and resourcing pastors in Haiti and other developing countries?

I am reminded of the truth of Proverbs 16:9: A man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. We made plans, but the Lord directed our steps in ways we couldn’t imagine!

We had planned to combine orders of Thompson Bibles with another ministry in Haiti in order to get the Bibles at a significant discount. (Read the details of that amazing opportunity HERE.)  Thank you so much for giving toward these Bibles! That opportunity fell through when the other ministry in Haiti wasn’t able to commit all the funds needed for their 300 Thompson Bibles. 

But the Lord directed our steps forward in two amazing ways! First, Keith Jones (the man who pulled our two ministries together for the Bible order) recommended PPI to CLC France so we were able to order our 264 Thompson Bibles on our own at the discounted price. Praise God! And from now on, I believe we will be able to order directly from CLC France at a discount and – hallelujah! – get our Bibles shipped directly from France to Florida (MFI). 

Second, the other Haiti ministry heard more about PPI and, as a result, invited us to lead a PPI training at their 50th anniversary pastors conference in August. This ministry, EBAC in Haiti and Olive Cove in the U.S., has been working in Haiti for 50 years. (Literally. They will celebrate their 50th anniversary of ministry in Haiti in August.) Over those years they have established a network of nearly 300 churches in Haiti and the DR.

 It seems to me that the Lord is directing our steps!

After reaching out to trusted friends in Haiti and talking with our Board of Directors, I accepted the invitation to lead a PPI training conference with EBAC/Olive Cove on August 9-16.

Please pray for this opportunity! PPI will provide 150 Thompson Bibles, workbooks, resource books (God-Pleasing Worship) and all our usual conference materials. Including my travel expenses, I estimate PPI’s financial investment in this special opportunity at around $8000. This is a significant step of faith because of our focus these next several months on building our support base. The Lord is stretching Rena’s and my faith in His provision, and that’s a good thing!

To be honest, I had planned to get to know these folks more and propose that we work toward a training conference some time next year. After talking with them at length by phone last week, I was moved to accept their invitation to offer a training conference this August for two reasons. First, this is their 50th anniversary celebration and they want to communicate to their network of pastors the need to deepen their commitment to God’s Word in their churches. They said about PPI training: “This is just what we have been praying for!” Second, I think the Lord has opened the door for us to at least explore the possibility of partnering with EBAC/Olive Cove to train pastors across Haiti and in the DR – well beyond this one training conference in August.

Update on Our July Training Conferences

The details of our two July training conferences in Ouanaminthe and Cap Haitien are coming together well. Esaii and Jasmin are working hard on the in-country details. We talk several times a week these days. They said pastors in Haiti are very excited for us to come! Pray for the Lord to protect their health and hearts for Him. We couldn’t do this without these two faithful brothers in Christ!

We have all our materials ready to go to Haiti, either at MFI (Thompson Bibles, Course 1 and 2 workbooks, and tracts) or in the PPI office at our house (everything else). Our new Course 2 workbook cover shown here – in English, Our Powerful Gospel.

One special item for prayer: We’re having trouble getting Creole Bibles. I started working with the Haitian Bible Society (SBH) three months ago, knowing COVID-19 has slowed down production and shipping everywhere. Magda Victor at SBH told me last Tuesday that she expected to have their shipment of Creole Bibles from the South Korean printer by July 1 – but could not promise. Please pray with us that the Creole Bibles come through in time for SBH to ship them overland to our two training conferences in mid-July!

The Lord is so wonderful to include us in His saving work in the world! Thank you for your partnership with us in His mission. We couldn’t do this without your encouragement, prayers and faithful financial support.

Grateful for His leading,

Ken

We finished a special resource this week, and you can get a copy! This resource benefits American Christians like us as well as Haitian pastors. God-Pleasing Worship is a book based on a sermon series by my good friend, Joe Talone. Get your copy of the book HERE.

Regular supporters of PPI are receiving a copy of the book by mail as I write. Learn more about becoming a monthly partner HERE.

Joe gave me permission to edit his message series for print not long before he unexpectedly went home to Heaven in May 2019. Joe loves Jesus, His mission and His church. He was a gifted pastor and a leader’s leader. He lived a life of  love in his family. Joe lived for God!

At first, I intended to bring Joe’s insightful, courageous biblical teaching to more believers and churches in the United States. After pastoring in two larger churches for the past 22 years, I’m convinced the Body of Christ also needs to hear from faithful, godly pastors of smaller churches. These pastors, like Joe, tend to focus well on the essentials of Jesus’ mission – evangelism, discipleship, community and missions.

But after Joe’s death, I became convinced that the Lord also intended for believers in Haiti to benefit from Joe’s teaching. Joe loved Haiti and served there many times with members of his church. Not long before he went to Heaven, Joe and I talked at length about the spiritual, physical, economic needs of Haiti – and how God might use us to make a difference for eternity.

Pastor Esaii Paulema helped me translate the book for Haitian pastors and churches. This was quite a task! First, I removed American cultural references that wouldn’t make sense to Haitian readers. I then sent this simpler English version of the book to Pastor Esaii, chapter by chapter, on WhatsApp. (WhatsApp is a messaging app used internationally.) Internet in Haiti is unreliable and expensive. Next Esaii read through each English chapter and wrote out long-hand his draft Creole translation. After double-checking it, he typed his Creole translation – chapter by chapter – into WhatsApp messages to me. He did a fantastic job of translating!

From there, I copied Esaii’s WhatsApp translations into a single Google Doc and went to work proof-reading and formatting the text. The WhatsApp messages came to me without any paragraphing and often without punctuation. Relying on the English version, Google Translator and my very basic knowledge of Creole, I formatted the text in MS Publisher into the Creole version of the book – Adorasyon ki fè Bondye Plezi. Every Haitian church leader who completes our training courses will receive a copy of this book, beginning with our two conferences in July.

Multilanguage Media, a long-time friend of PPI, is also purchasing several copies of the book in Creole and English to make available to other mission ministries. Praise God!

Get your copy of the book HERE.

We’re finished. My time as interim pastor at First Baptist Church in Bad Axe has ended. We have grown to love this dear congregation. They love the Lord. They’re serious about learning and following His Word. They want their lives to count for the gospel in their community and around the world. It was hard to end our time there.

Our feelings are mixed, but our thoughts are clear. God has called us to encourage, train and resource pastors in Haiti and other developing countries. He wants us to rally believers and churches to help brothers and sisters in Christ whose basic needs – basic needs – consistently go unmet. The love of Christ, growing opportunities and God’s clear leading compel us!

We ended our time at First Baptist with this beginning in mind. We begin a new season of expanding the impact of Partnership of Pastors International (PPI).

What’s next? By God’s grace, we will devote full time for the next 9-10 months to building a base of financial support for PPI. A small monthly salary from PPI complemented by our personal savings will provide for our needs through these months. I will also lead three (3) pastors training conferences in Haiti during this season of development, Lord willing.

How will we do it? We will pray then meet with as many churches and individuals as we can to tell them more about PPI and invite them to partner financially and prayfully with us. We have developed an information packet for potential supporters that shares the vision, strategy and impact of this ministry.

What then? We’re praying and working toward continuing full-time with PPI without looking back! That’s our heart’s desire. As the Lord opens doors and hearts, we will build a base of financial partnership that enables us to fully engage the need for training and resourcing church leaders in poor countries. We’re convinced that’s what it will take to fulfill PPI’s mission. CLICK HERE for more information about my full-time role with PPI.

What can you do? If you already partner regularly with us, THANK YOU! Will you pray for us in this season of development and tell others about Partnership of Pastors International? Would you consider increasing your support of this mission, as you are able?

If you have not yet partnered monthly with us, TAKE THAT STEP if the Lord wants you to. Supporting a mission organization is an act of stewardship and partnership. If you see the need to help believers in places like Haiti, get involved. If you believe that PPI will represent you well in encouraging, training and resourcing pastors in Haiti and other developing countries, send us.

We’re asking you to ask the Lord whether He wants you to support PPI. We’re inviting you to make the commitment to give to PPI consistently and generously. To become a PPI partner. Through His grace and the power of His Spirit, we will represent you well! CLICK HERE to learn how you can become a PPI partner.

We’re grateful to the Lord for our 22 months at First Baptist in Bad Axe. We’re trusting the Lord for this next step with PPI.

Thank you all for praying for us and partnering with us!