In the coming year, TPI is looking to train more pastors by conducting about nine or ten institutes in Africa. The financial situation in America, however, is a major challenge and obstacle to meeting the needs of pastors in African countries that are in much worse condition than America. We can only train as many pastors as the Lord provides through the generous support of churches and individuals in the United States.

Would you consider helping us to pay for the pastor’s expenses for institutes we seek to offer in 2009 so they can receive this training free of charge and we can afford to feed the pastors during the week of training? It costs us about $30 per person to train pastors in Africa, and each institute costs us about $7,500. It will take a great effort to help in this monumental task, especially because the expenses are escalating and the economic situation is worsening, but we feel that the Lord would have us go during this crisis to encourage and train these pastors because the need to train them is critical to reaching people for Christ in their areas. We also need many people to pray for the teams as they go out, for traveling mercies on the way, spiritual strength for each day of the institutes, and unity, peace, and victory in each challenging context.

If you would like to give to help us at this time with a missions gift, please make a check out to Training Pastors International, and send it to 5132 Wedgewood Road, Lynchburg, VA 24503. Each gift will help pay for the pastors to attend one of the five 2009 institutes planned for the Summer in East/Central/Southern Africa.   If you are able to help with our monthly or quarterly personal support this year, this would help us greatly. John and Jennifer Balmer have lost $700 a month in support due to the U.S. economic crisis.