Field Updates – Shepherding the Nations

A Divine Calling: The Journey of an STN Graduate

March 29, 2025 By Ryder Kumar

By Ryder Kumar

During our visit for a graduation event in November 2024, we witnessed how the Lord is increasing healthy churches and spreading the equipping and training of native leaders and pastors. Our hearts are grateful for the prayers of God’s people, to whom God has given the burden of praying on our behalf. An STN graduate of 2019 who organized and coordinated the 2022 class is D., whose wife M. graduated at this event. Here is a brief story of not only a brilliant young but a man with a vision. He is now the pastor of the church he planted.

Call of God

In 2015, “God gave me the vision to witness for Him in a remote village called P,” says D. “God and His word were the only sources I knew, and I knew no one else who could lead me in my situation.” Since D. passed with outstanding grades, he desired to study medicine to become a medical doctor. Though thousands are turned away based on merit in India, D. passed the test and was accepted. D. rejected the offer to be a doctor because “I began to see the call of God within me.” For two months, D. prayed for God’s assurance of His call. During this time, he mentioned that he could not sleep and had no desire to eat. These two months kept him on the battlefield with warring questions: “Should I become a doctor or become a teacher (per uncle’s instruction), or do I have to obey God’s call? As I was going through a struggle, God spoke to me through His Word, Matthew 6:33. God assured me of His plan for my life, leading me to serve Him.”

His choice did not come without opposition. His family and community discouraged him, believing he was wasting his potential. Yet, D. remained steadfast. “I obeyed God with a determination to serve Him, being fully assured that it is God’s plan for me,” he declares. In 2012, he was baptized by Pastor Elia, who later played a pivotal role in his journey with STN.

Planting Seeds of Faith

In 2015, D. felt an undeniable calling to P. By 2016, he and his mother relocated there, living in a rented house while engaging in street evangelism across 25 villages. “I held cottage meetings and gatherings for gospel outreach,” he explains. Though financial struggles loomed—weekly church offerings barely covered a fraction of their expenses—D. remained unwavering: “I didn’t ask or appeal to anyone for money, knowing the call of God. I depended on Him alone.”

Through perseverance, the ministry grew. By 2018, he joined STN training, traveling 100 miles each month to attend classes. “The course books immensely blessed me—more than even my formal Bible school education,” he testifies. Upon graduating in 2020, he was better equipped to lead and expand his ministry.

Trials and Triumphs

As the church flourished, new challenges arose. A Muslim family that had come to Christ donated land for a church building. But just as construction began, opposition emerged. “The community refused to allow the donation unless I married a girl from their faith,” D. reveals. Unwilling to compromise his beliefs, he and his congregation were forced to leave. “We met under a tree for our church services,” he recalls. Despite the setback, his faith remained unshaken. Six months later, an unexpected blessing arrived—an unbeliever from a Hindu background donated land, allowing the church to have a permanent place of worship.

The Legacy of STN Training

Determined to equip others, D. approached STN leadership in 2021 to organize training in his region. Though initially met with doubts, his persistence won out. “I will take the challenge of bearing all expenses,” he insisted. With limited resources, he and M. made countless sacrifices—preparing meals for 48 participants while balancing personal struggles. “Where would the money come from?” M. wondered. Yet, God provided.

New classes began in 2022 with the challenges surrounding them, and D. accepted all of them. When the STN class began, M. was in her eighth month of pregnancy. The challenges encountered were extreme. During this pregnancy, M. would cook for 48 participants with some help from the volunteers, but it wasn’t easy. M. was also one of the participants in the class. So, she would cook and at the same time study to be an STN graduate.

In the midst of this, their faith was tested again. When M. became pregnant with their second child in 2023, doctors advised an abortion due to predicted abnormalities. “Why did this happen when we are serving God?” she lamented. But they stood firm in faith, refusing to terminate the pregnancy. In a miraculous turn, their child was born completely healthy, stunning doctors and strengthening their testimony.

The Future of the Ministry

Other graduates from the 2024 STN program are also now actively planting churches. One such graduate, V., a former Hindu, now leads a church of 20 believers. Another, Y., who previously thought he understood the Bible, admitted, “I realized I knew nothing after 20 years in ministry.” His STN training transformed his approach to serving God.

D. and M. continue their work, living humbly in a one-room home attached to the worship hall. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Their journey is a testament to unwavering faith, perseverance, and the power of God’s calling.

Latin America Report

March 26, 2025 By sleinen

-Eddie Bueno

All classes resumed this month, the students’ spirits have not declined, and we hope to have a year full of blessings.

Below I share with you the books that they are currently studying and how many students there are in each institute.

Honduras. Book 5. 22 students
Mexico. Book 7. 16 students
El Alto, Bolivia. Book 1. 40 students
Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Book 1. 25 students
Panama 1. Book 3. 33 students
Panama 2. Book 2. 26 students
Panama 3. Book 2. 18 students
El Salvador. Book 2. 17 students

This gives us a total of 197 students.

As I shared previously, I will be traveling to Bolivia with David Nelson to attend 2 graduations in Santa Cruz and La Paz. We are very happy to reach this point and plan the planting of new churches for the glory of God.

Also in Bolivia I will be giving training to Pastor Roberto Carageorge, He is the pastor of the Evangelical Christian Church in the city of Beni, Bolivia. This is a city in the north of Bolivia closer to Brazil, Pastor Roberto Carageorge shares with me that there is no seminary or Bible institute there and that the need for theological education is very great. The church that he pastors has about 200 members and the desire is to be able to open a new institute this summer.

In the city of San Salvador in El Salvador we have a new prospect, Pastor Israel Carranza, he is the pastor of the Baptist church in a place called Sonsonate, 2 hours from the capital. There, God is also guiding us to open another institute, since Pastor Israel Carranza has a great desire to teach and prepare new leaders for church planting. In this place, we would also like to start classes in the summer of this year. We will plan the training for the next few months.

As always, I ask each one of you for your prayers, so that God blesses and uses each teacher and student, and so that from these students come pastors who plant churches and who can also teach the word of God with love, dignity, and a sound biblical doctrine.

I also ask for your prayers so that on the trip to Bolivia, God takes care of us and gives us the health that we need, since Bolivia is a country at a high altitude above sea level.

What’s Happening in Panama

December 1, 2024 By Tammy Werth

All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name. For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.
Psalm 86:9-10

by STN Board Member, Tammy Werth

In October, I had the privilege of traveling to Panama. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I am thankful the Lord allowed me to join Pastor Eddie and his wife, Xiomara, in Panama. I’ve always wanted to see the Panama Canal, and the city and the people exceeded my expectations. The start of each group brings the exciting opportunity to meet new pastors and students.

It was a blessing to meet Pastor Moreno, his wife, and his brother, who welcomed us with hospitality and made us feel like family. The joy of the Lord is evident in Pastor Moreno, who always has a big smile and a contagious laugh. His beautiful wife Giovanni is gentle and quiet and the mother of seven. Pastor Moreno’s brother, Kenny, graciously became our driver, and tour guide and even cooked us a special meal.

I couldn’t contribute much because I don’t speak Spanish, but the Lord allowed me to experience Panama’s beauty. Unlike the densely packed streets of India, Panama presented a different kind of busyness. Its roads were filled with much traffic but had a more relaxed Caribbean atmosphere. I truly appreciated your prayers; I felt safe throughout my travels and the Lord’s comforting peace as we explored this exciting country.

The American influence is evident, especially near the canal, but I didn’t sense the spiritual oppression I’ve often felt in other cities. Even while driving through a dangerous neighborhood near the historic area of Casco Viejo, I felt the Lord’s peace. Our driver, Kenny, on the other hand, experienced quite the opposite when he was forced to take unexpected detours that forced us into unfamiliar streets. We traveled through El Chorrillo which is a red zone area, and tourists are advised to avoid it. We saw many neglected, overcrowded apartment buildings, noticeable poverty, taxis everywhere, dusty streets, and lots of people sitting outside or walking around. These scenes are typical in impoverished areas or countries. The contrast was striking against the backdrop of the beautiful preserved colonial area of Casco Viejo and the sparkling modern and affluent downtown Panama.

On Friday, we attended a class that just started. Over thirty-two students are participating at this small church, which is impressive. There are now two more classes in Panama, one has thirty-six, and the other has twenty students, which is equally exciting. I thought I’d be able to grasp a few familiar words from the teaching in Spanish. I quickly realized I couldn’t understand anything until the end when the students recited the names of books in the Bible. I even tried using Google Translate and about halfway through the class, I leaned over to Xiomara and asked, “Are you following this?” She replied, “No.” It turned out the teacher was speaking many words in an Indigenous language from Panama, which made it impossible for me to understand anything. 🤦

On Saturday, our drive to the church was interrupted by strong winds and heavy rain from Hurricane Nadine in the Caribbean Sea. Although the hurricane didn’t make direct landfall in Panama, the area still experienced its effects. Pastor Moreno called his wife, Giovanni, who was driving me and Xiomara, and asked her to pull over to safety because strong winds and heavy rain were approaching. This prompted us to pray and ask the Lord for travel mercies while we waited. Until then, we had only experienced light rains, heat, and a lot of humidity in the afternoons. The dangerous winds and flooded impassable streets made the journey to church dangerous. This serves as a vivid reminder of how quickly life’s storms can catch us off guard but He is with us and our hope is in Him.

Please pray for the pastors and students in the three new groups that launched in Panama in the fall of 2024, as well as for the new group that started in El Salvador. These dedicated individuals passionately serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Uniting for Growth: The Inaugural PENIEL Virtual Conference

August 9, 2024 By sleinen

By Pastor Marc Boeker

“For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth…that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” – John 17:19,20 (NASB)

This spring, a momentous event for Shepherding the Nations – India (STN India) went down in the history books. On May 17-18, 2024, STN hosted its first virtual conference for pastors and leaders across India, Nepal, and Myanmar.

Ryder Kumar, International Director, was looking for a way to provide further training to graduates in the BTCP program (Bible Training Center for Pastors). A conference would provide an excellent platform to include crucial church topics for further growth and development of the indigenous churches. Out of this desire, the PENIEL Conference was born.

Persuading to Equip and Nurture Indigenous Evangelical Leaders

Months before the conference, STN began working on visas to bring several Indian pastors to The Bridge Bible Fellowship in Reseda, California for in-person training. With much prayer, invitations were sent requesting these men to be allowed to come to the United States for an intensive time of discipleship. Their presence at The Bridge would have been both an encouragement to them as well as to their brothers and sisters in Christ who have been supporting the work in India for over 15 years. Paperwork was completed. Consulate visits were made. And they waited. And waited. And waited…

Even through waiting, one can now see God was preparing the way for a change of plans – a change of venue, a change of schedule, and a change of participants – all changes which ultimately led to an unexpected exponential increase in the number of pastors and leaders who could benefit and participate in the training. God has told his followers in times past, “the heart of man plans his way, but Yahweh directs his steps” (Psalm 16:9). The STN board’s plans were laid out, but God’s sovereign direction was needed to go beyond what was currently envisioned and provide training into homes and locations that far exceeded the STN board’s initial expectations.

While Zoom fatigue was a real thing for many during COVID, the advances in video conferencing technology that it provided have been a huge help to proclaim the truth of God’s word. In places seemingly impossible to visit, we can now sit “face-to-face” and interact on a much more personal level. For many purposes, virtual meetings can provide an opportunity for equipping the saints where an in-person meeting is out of reach for the attendees or threatens the existence of the church.

Enter PENIEL Virtual. Paul Brown, Senior Pastor of The Bridge and founding STN member was eager for this conference to continue, but with only three (3) of the original invitees able to get visas to US, the plans had to change. Moving to a virtual platform could provide the desired training along with an expanded reach inherent to a virtual conference. Excitement began to build as plans fell into place for the restructured virtual conference.

As Ryder invited church leaders from across the country one of his desires was to expand the reach of STN and the BTCP program. Many of the groups he contacted are well-educated, mature, and sacrificially serving which could serve to enhance the ministry of STN. All of the participants were encouraged to connect more closely to STN as they applied what they were taught in the conference.

By God’s grace, the gathering together of over 60 men across four countries became a reality on May 17-18. Due to the 12.5-hour difference in time zones, India experienced the conference over two days, while in the US we began welcoming guests at 5:00 AM on Friday and said our final goodbye near 11:00 PM.

In India, the conference began in the evening where three sessions were presented, each followed by a Q&A time with the participants. Randy Leinen, Executive Pastor of The Bridge began the conference with a session on transformation groups. These are small groups of 3-5 participants that provide a strong focus on bible study, accountability, evangelism, and prayer. Pastor Joe Leinen followed this by talking on the importance of small groups in the local church. Both of these ideas are somewhat foreign concepts in the Indian church. The evening concluded with a challenge toward church planting from Patrick Carmichael, Senior Pastor of Christ Bible Church.

After a night of rest, Saturday morning in India saw the pastors once again start logging in and talking together as they eagerly anticipated the final three sessions. Mike Vos, ACBC Certified Biblical Counselor, began the day with an introduction to Biblical Counseling. Thinking about what the Bible has to say about life’s problems was a solid start to the day, followed by many questions from the men. Pastor Paul completed the conference as he taught the two final sessions on Conflict Resolution and Leadership Development.

What joy it was meeting with these beloved men – leaders and teachers – eager to grow in their knowledge of the Lord and strengthen the local churches across Asia. Through God’s Spirit, we were not only friends but also brothers caring for one another as we toil for the Lord and his Church. This is the very mission of STN. God, in his sovereignty, took our humble plans for a conference to become a jumping-off point for future opportunities to provide solid biblical training and church development across Asia as he continues to unite His family around the globe.

The First Church Planted by STN Graduate is a Model

August 8, 2024 By sleinen

By Ryder Kumar, International Director, SE Asia

While church planting is on-going by the graduates of STN in India, we have a model church that is standing strong against all storms and challenges. Motivated and equipped with teaching for 5 years by the international team of STN, Brother D, who has been working as the principal of a principal of a public school, ventured into the mission of church planting immediately after his graduation in 2014. This was the first graduation in India. The Lord made this abundantly fruitful.

Brother D has established a church in one of the most heavily populated and hostile states in the country, which is H-dominated. Initially, the church had only about 10 members, including Brother D’s wife and 8 unbelievers. However, the church has now grown to 200 members! Additionally, there are now four different church locations under Brother D’s leadership, with each location having attendance ranging from 15 to 50 people. Despite facing challenges such as Covid and persecution, the churches continue. Approximately 80 to 90 individuals have been baptized through Pastor D’s ministry, and many have heard the Gospel message. Furthermore, three leaders who are graduates of STN were trained by Brother D and sent to different locations.

Pastor D at an outdoor church gathering

Jam-packed Mission Trip!

November 2, 2023 By Ryder Kumar

This mission trip was very different from others. The entire time that we were in India (March 3 – 17), our schedule was jam-packed. Everywhere we went, we saw God’s wonderful accomplishments. Each day, our faith and hope were focused on not missing the next great things God would do!

Training with the Word Partners:

For two years, the leadership resource staff of Word Partners worked with these dedicated and committed pastors from North and South India to complete intensive training on expository preaching. Each was equipped with five books (four were from the Bible), so that these leaders would become skilled, faithful ministers to diligently teach the Word in their local churches. It also provided great opportunities for the Shepherding The Nations (STN) Directors and faculty groups to sharpen their own teaching skills. An extra blessing is that Word Partners is having some of the study material translated and printed in Telugu.

These intensive training seminars are held twice a year. Recently, a few leaders demonstrated outstanding skill development and were chosen to lead various sessions with the whole group. Two of them were our STN directors and three were from the STN faculty. (see photo above)

The Power of Sunday’s Routines:

For the past 19 years, STN International has played a vital role in the local churches, developing strong spiritual relationships within each church. These relationships provided opportunities to encourage, admonish, and minister more effectively to the saints. STN’s close ministry association with the local churches (now 57) has led to increased prayer and financial support. Some churches have even volunteered to host our study groups by offering their facilities and providing meals.

God Brings Strength in Unity:

God has united so many Pastors and churches. Pastor J. has been to El Shaddai church three times where Pastor P. G. is the shepherd. Pastor A. has been to Agape Prayer House in Hyderabad to support their Pastor, Bro. P., who is an accomplished civil engineer, an STN graduate, and a participant of Word Partners.

I personally had the privilege of visiting Bro. A.’s assembly (congregation of 500) in Sangareddy, to minister the Word by delivering three messages and spending time together around the Lord’s Table.

On the second Sunday of the trip, I was with a church in Vijayawada with seven hundred people. Preaching two messages and spending time with these saints has been a real blessing.

“…there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11 28

Teacher Training Workshop:

Seven key leaders from Nepal, North, and South India were selected to undergo the Teacher Training Workshop with CCI (Crossing Cultures, International). Praise God for the facility and lunch provided by Agape Church. One of the leaders, S., a theology graduate and a native of Odisha started teaching. This was such a blessing as we now have a person who knows the Oriya language. Brother N. in Nepal is another person who started teaching under J.S. After a brief training, N. will begin teaching on his own in different parts of Nepal. N. is a graduate of STN’s 2022 class. The great news is STN has expanded into different parts of Nepal with several classes.

Administrative Issues:

Now, in 2023, our waiting period is over, and soon we are eligible to apply for our Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) status. Consultations and discussions have continued between V., our STN CPA, and me. We are now including J.S. on the team. J.S. is our treasurer on the STN board while V. takes care of the FCRA. He needs to understand the process, the functioning, and other implications.

STN’s India Board Meeting:

Conducting regular meetings of the board is a government requirement. The board meeting in March 2023 was important as we discussed certain changes in the board and issues regarding the FCRA. While a couple of board members exited, one new couple was added. We welcome Bro. P. and his wife S. to the STN board. The board proceedings are recorded for the STN office and to comply with government regulations.

Planting Churches:

Congratulations to two couples who graduated from STN in November 2022. A. & H., and N. & D. are now actively involved in church planting. I had the privilege of spending a few hours with them to encourage, fellowship, and record their stories. Do they have church buildings? The answer is NO. Are they supported by any organization? Again, the answer is NO. Being in remote areas where there is not a good economic structure, pastors often go through struggles. These limitations did not stop them from serving the Lord. By faith, they launched out! I witnessed their zeal, enthusiasm, and burden for perishing souls. These qualities will keep them pressing on with perseverance. Keep them in your prayers so that God will use them effectively for His service!

Going to your hometown and not visiting family:

Short term mission trips have always been busy times. I have rarely visited the homes of any of my family. Without complaining, but with great understanding, my sisters, nieces, nephews, and in-laws would attend the churches where I was preaching and meet me after the service just so we could have some time together as family. It was on one such occasion that I saw my younger sister, her son, her daughter, her grandkids, and my nephew with his wife. It was such a good time of fellowship together as a family!

Odisha finds a place on the world map of Christian missions!

October 15, 2022 By Ryder Kumar

STN’s Strivings in the State

India is a challenging country to reach with the gospel due to its diversity of languages. It’s 1.3 billion people have 16 major languages and 1600 dialects. Bible translators such as William Carey served the Lord with many sacrifices and translated the Bible into several of those languages, but not all. Even the areas that have a Bible do not yet have very many other resources translated into their language.

The state of Odisha in India.

While Odisha had the Bible in Oriya, the BTCP curriculum that STN uses was not available in that language. Jose Simon, our regional director for STN in North India and Nepal, started going to Odisha over 5 years ago and offering classes anyway. The task was extremely difficult. During this time, the President of STN, Paul Brown, wrote on September 4, 2018, “Ryder, I am so grateful to God for you and Jose as you make the long and difficult treks to train these precious saints for ministry. It is only appropriate that our sacrifice would be equal to or greater than the sacrifice these dear brothers are making to be trained. May God use both of you in a mighty way to give these men a greater love for God, tools for ministry, a heart for their people, and a passion to see churches multiply all over Odisha.”

Even with the difficulty of teaching this way, several students graduated in 2019. But it will be much easier now thanks to one of our ministry partners, Crossing Culture International. They have been working diligently on translating the curriculum into Oriya and it is now available!

2019 Odisha graduates pictured above

Presently, we have 200 pastors in Odisha who are waiting to be trained using this new BTCP translation.

Please pray for the Lord to provide the needed finances to pay for the travel expenses of our teachers and for the study materials for the students. The current cost is approximately $100 per student for the BTCP curriculum, a study Bible, and some reference tools.

Latin America is Opening Up Again!

October 14, 2022 By pbrown

by STN President, Dr. Paul S. Brown

STN began its work in Latin America in 2016 under the direction of Pastor Eddie Bueno (Hispanic senior pastor at The Bridge Bible Fellowship – Iglesia Cristiana Puente de Vida). At one time we had a total of six training institutes in four countries offering BTCP courses. Several groups completed the 10-volume curriculum, we held some graduation ceremonies, and we were ready to offer courses to new people. Then 2020 came and most of the work came to a halt due to Covid-19 restrictions. Pastor Bueno and I were supposed to travel to a graduation in Tapachula, Mexico in late March 2020 but all flights were canceled.

The Lord has once again opened the doors! Classes are being offered again in Bolivia and Honduras. By the time you read this, Pastor Bueno will have gone to Santa Cruz, Bolivia (Sept. 26 – Oct. 1) to offer a Teacher Training Workshop (TTW). BTCP requires this training for anyone who is going to use their curriculum to teach others. One of the men attending the TTW already has a group of 20+ students waiting for their new class to start in October.

Pastor Bueno will also be going to Tapachula, Mexico (Dec. 1-4) to preside over the graduation ceremony we were supposed to have 2 ½ years ago. The trainer in Tapachula is preparing to start a new BTCP class early in 2023 with 20+ students. There is a possibility that I will join Pastor Bueno early in 2023 for a graduation ceremony in Honduras. And there are other men and locations we are evaluating for possible STN Institutes in the future.

Thank you for your prayers for STN’s ministry in Latin America. Please continue to pray for Pastor Bueno’s health, for wisdom in restarting some of the Institutes and launching new Institutes in new regions. Ask the Lord to use STN’s training to raise up many new church planters who will go to currently unreached areas all over Latin America. And give Him praise for allowing us the privilege of resourcing native workers to reach their own countries with the gospel. To God be the glory great things He is doing!

Concern for the Local Churches

September 9, 2022 By sleinen

by STN International Director, Ryder Kumar (SE Asia)

“There is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.”
2 Corinthians 11:28.

The STN organization was born in a local church.

Most of the International board members are either pastors or elders and their wives. Others on the board are significantly involved in the ministries of the local church. I delight in talking about these facts as the Lord has put on our hearts to focus on local churches right from the inception of Shepherding the Nations.

Pastor Suresh with his wife, Mercy

About 18 years ago, even before STN was established, when we first launched out into India, we had about half a dozen assemblies (churches) in India with whom we were closely associated and ministered. The Lord increased the number; today, STN is partnering with about 60 churches in various parts of India and Nepal. On the left, we have Pastor Suresh with his wife, Mercy. Our team worked for several years with this church in North India.

While we labored in North India, we also had a great opening in South India. Left is a picture of a local church on the left where Pastor Ravi Rathan Kumar, along with one of his elders named Timothy, participated in the study courses of STN and graduated.

Everywhere STN has operated, we have worked with local churches. In Nepal, the Lord led our regional director, Jose Simon, to work with local churches.

Jose Simon, center

A Pastor from Nepal says,

“I could learn how to stop the wrong teachings from spreading in our area. I learned what true gospel is and how to keep a church record. Through church history, I could learn to avoid the faults of the previous generation.”
-Dil Bahadur Dharti

In one of the growing assemblies (church) in a remote location in South India, we have a dear brother who resigned from his lucrative bank job to be a pastor of his church.

Having no biblical training, he not only joined our study program but also provided the use of the church facilities and food to all the participants from the beginning to the end of the program. He graduated and continued to serve the Lord at the same location. (Photo on left.)

India has a population of 1.3 billion and will have the largest population in the world by 2023.

We look forward to tens of thousands who will be trained and equipped to catch the vision. We came in contact with one senior pastor who came into the grip of this vision. Brother Paul Chepa, a senior pastor, says, “STN has been pivotal in planting and establishing new local churches in remote and tribal villages of Andhra Pradesh. I can proudly say that STN training shaped, equipped, and prepared the ministers for effective and healthy churches. I found a mentor in Ryder, International Director, who personally prays, speaks, guides, encourages, and challenges with daily devotions and different biographies and his testimonies. We are always indebted to the STN ministries for blessing us with training”.

Is the Church in India growing? Yes!

New churches are planted.
The Word is preached.
STN stepped into these nations with God’s provision, enabling us to serve His people.
There are many needs to be met, and this can’t be done without the partnership of churches with a vision for Missions!

1 Corinthians 16:9 – “For a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

The STN training and equipping is not limited to study programs. The International team that goes to India has been involved in counseling to resolve conflicts in interpersonal relationships. The leaders’ relationships in the local churches were restored.

One of the blessings has been to be an example to the local churches in keeping New Testament practices. On the right, we have prayed over those baptized by laying on of hands. On the left, we have a photo of a child’s dedication. This attests to the teaching that we do dedication but not child baptism.

We do praise God for the local churches that are partnering with STN. Philippians 4:19 – “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Sacrificial giving is an answer to twenty years of prayers!

August 4, 2022 By Ryder Kumar

by STN International Director, Ryder Kumar

We praise God that he is raising up faithful prayer partners who also give sacrificially. This includes US local churches and individual believers that support the ministry of Shepherding the Nations. I know of a dear lady from the church where I pastored for 15 years. She has been retired for many years but is so committed to giving that even with her limited resources she keeps giving to the mission work of STN. Another brother from a Wichita church retired from his job many years ago, but out of his limited resources is committed to give to the ministries of STN sacrificially.

Even during the times of Covid lockdown, the giving of our donors enabled our regional directors in India to receive their monthly financial support. Each of our 1000 participants receive the set of 10 books in the curriculum, each costing $10. These participants could not afford to buy these books without your donations.

Not a single day goes by when I don’t thank the Lord for His saints’ giving! Here is a real story to tell how your giving enabled us to start a new class in an “H”* populated location which has been hostile to the Gospel for decades!

36 participants meet in a local Christian school

Praying for 20 years!

“This church has been praying for twenty years to have the course introduced by STN regional director, “P,”* said Bro. “S,” the local church’s pastor in “B” town. His local church, with about 150 believers, has opened the doors for STN training classes. The group of people in this local church also ministers in eight other churches in 15 surrounding villages. However, none of these believers, including the pastor, have formal training to teach God’s Word. “P” introduced the study program of STN. The church believes that this systematic study and equipping program was an answer to their prayers!

“P,” our regional director, launched STN training into this new area through the local church as is his practice. Incessant rains didn’t force him to cancel his schedule, but he sent a prayer request to several people. The Lord answered and stopped the rains!

This is not only a new class for STN, but a new state in India for STN. For these 36 new participants, this STN training will be a turning point in their pilgrimage to study the Word systematically and dive into reformed theology. While 32 new participants registered, 36 attended. The four extra people who attended couldn’t resist their hunger to study the Word, and for “P,” it became irresistible to stop them from attending the class.

A local Christian school provided facilities to hold our classes. This helps our ministry continue to be cost-effective for our students. Usually each class takes about 2 ½ years to complete the 10-book curriculum. Shepherding the Nations’ goal is to provide these classes in remote villages where most of the population live. This method is working to reach thousands of participants who live in unreached areas.

STN ministry’s presence in already reaching several states of India and Nepal. Please pray to that we may launch into eight new states where there is a need.
Pray for about 1000 participants in several states of India and Nepal who are currently being equipped to be the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, spreading the message of peace in personal lives, families, and societies.
Please pray that graduates of 2015 (67), 2019 (199), and 2021 (127) would multiply by taking His Word further to those who need this training.
Pray for the graduations scheduled in November 2022 as Paul Brown addresses over 450 graduates via Zoom. Pray that these graduates may consecrate themselves to plant new churches, establish new study centers and multiply the impact of solid Bible teaching into local churches.

New class in Orissa

STN is also working in this state in a new location where a new class has begun. “S” is a small town in the Orissa state of North India, one of the most backward areas on earth. It is populated predominantly by a tribal society that has responded to the Gospel in the last century. The church’s growth is limited chiefly to family expansion due to the lack of proper guidance and training.

In this town in 2022 STN has registered 16 pastors and leaders in our training classes to equip them with the systematic study of the Word. The group gathers every month for two days for study and training. “J”, STN’s regional director for North India and Nepal, spends 9 to 10 hours each day teaching, answering questions, and leading the students in discussions. He has such a heart for people to reach these unreached areas!

*Names of people and places have been abbreviated for security.