Written by Anna Townsend, Justice & Mercy Amazon Volunteer Staff
Three years ago, a group of 20 pastors and missionaries, men and women, said “yes” to something big—not a title, not a position, but to a journey. A three-year journey that would equip them to dive deep into the pages of His Word, theology, and what it means to teach the Gospel, and to grow in their relationship with the Father. For many, this “yes” came with great trust in God to provide the time, energy, discipline, and care it would take to commit to something ongoing, even though they didn’t fully know what they were stepping into. But God knew, and this journey He had planned for them was special, fruitful, life-changing, and one to truly celebrate!
You see, this group of men and women was the first to participate and complete our inaugural class of JMA’s Continual Theological Training Program in Tefé! What a special class with special memories of firsts. This specific program took place in the Western Amazonas region—an area where we know God is continuing to call us to go, equip, serve, and reach for His glory. These pastors and missionaries are His hands and feet in this region of the Amazon.
THE VISION & HEARTBEAT
Justice and Mercy International’s vision and heartbeat have always been to train and equip local pastors for the work of spreading the Gospel. The vision to give pastors theological training and understanding, practice, and mentorship is important to us, and these last three years were a testament to that.
Many times, a jungle pastor feels called and knows they need to shepherd, teach, and care for their community, but they don’t always know how to communicate the truth of God’s Word. Because of a growing gap in theological education, these communities are sometimes susceptible to false teaching, which can cause confusion and lead people to believe they are teaching Jesus when they aren’t.
Partnering with consistent, Bible-trained pastors and teachers, we equip local pastors to share God’s Word truthfully and boldly with the people God has entrusted to them. This is what JMA’s Continual Theological Training is all about!
Lucas Freitas, Justice and Mercy Amazon’s Missions Assistant, has been translating the teachings from this training in Tefé since it began. Hear his heart about the impact this training has made for these pastors, their ministries, and in his own life:
“I had the privilege of being part of this training from the very beginning, and over these past three years, I have witnessed the growth and transformation in the lives of these pastors. What’s truly impactful is that we’re not talking about newly ordained pastors, but pastors who have been in ministry for 10, 20, even 30 years—yet never had the opportunity to study the Bible in a clear and diligent way.
What I saw over these years were pastors being enlightened by the grace of the Holy Spirit, delighting in the Word of God, and preaching what is written—above any denomination or doctrine. One of the oldest pastors shared that he came to know a Jesus he had never known before, even after 30 years of ministry.
We allowed the Holy Spirit to lead throughout this time, and in the final module, we witnessed a conversion. Yes, that’s right—one of the pastors realized he had never truly accepted Christ, and during this last module, he confessed Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
My own life has been deeply impacted, and I know now that I want to spend the rest of my life teaching the Word of God. All honor and glory be to Him.”
How it’s done
So how does this training happen with all the responsibilities these pastors have in their everyday lives? Here’s a picture…
The Textbook: The Bible
The Process: 3 hours each day for a week…3 times a year…for 3 years. Lots of time, lots of commitment, and many hours outside of class practicing what they are learning. It’s life-changing!
The Fruit: Pastors and missionaries refreshed, Spirit-filled and led, bold, challenged, and equipped with the truth of God’s Word to transform the people and forever change the communities where they serve. Truly, His Gospel mobilized. And an empowering bonus: they feel equipped to train other leaders to do the same and share God’s love and true Gospel with their communities.
GRADUATION AND CELEBRATION
Two weeks ago, with much joy, after a last week of nightly classes with these pastors and missionaries, we got to celebrate! Think a college graduation meets a prom, all focused on the work of Jesus! And delicious food. I’ve never been to a Brazilian party without food. That was this graduation! I hope the pictures bring a big smile to your face because their excitement is contagious!
Pastors and missionaries were dressed in their best, with their families there to mark this special occasion. They were encouraged, through God’s Word, by their teachers, Mark and Jeff, who have consistently trained them for all these years. They were reminded and affirmed by the Justice & Mercy Amazon team that we see them, celebrate them, and will continue to partner with them in the work God has called them to, in whatever way we can.
One of their fellow classmates, Pastor Pedro, shared a powerful charge with his classmates, reminding them that work doesn’t stop here, but it’s really beginning! He spoke Mark 16:15, which says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation!”
And the most beautiful part… they will go forward confidently, faithfully, and grounded in the truth of His Word.
TESTIMONIES
Nothing speaks more clearly to the heart and the great need for this training than hearing the participants share testimony of what God did, not only in their ministry lives, but also in their own hearts and families. They now minister and teach out of an overflow of the work God has done and is doing in their own lives.
Pastor Luiz articulated, “I met a Jesus I’d never met before.” He was experiencing the true teaching of God’s Word. He continued, “We are so grateful to JMA for not abandoning us!”
Pastor Marcia shared, “A healthy church is a church aligned with Christ. Now I look at the Word in a new way. Now I can make connections from Genesis to Revelation.”
Other participants expressed:
“When we put into practice what we learned here, people will be saved, and they will remain in Him.”
“I learned that when you preach, in every message, we have to put Christ in it! He’s the key. My ministry was changed because of this.”
These words and many more give you a small glimpse into how impactful this course has been for these pastors and missionaries. Truly life-changing for their ministries!
WHAT’S NEXT?
We can’t wait to follow up with these pastors and hear how God is moving the communities where they serve, changing people’s lives forever through their commitment to teach the Word in truth! As we’ve seen the fruit in Tefé, we can’t help but continue this type of extended training for pastors in other places.
Isn’t it just like our God to already be guiding us and providing connections? Just five days after we celebrated graduation in Tefé, some of our team traveled to Boca do Acre to begin a three-year commitment of training with some precious pastors! We are already thanking God for what He has planned. It will be special, that’s for sure.
PRAY WITH US
Would you pray…for these pastors, who’ve just graduated, that their understanding of God’s Word and how they communicate it would be in truth and full of His words?
Would you pray…for their ministries and the impact they make in the areas God has called them to?
Would you pray…for Boca do Acre and this new class to be trained?
Would you pray…for this continued call to go and share with areas of the Amazon that are unreached?
As I sat in the last week of training with the pastors in Tefé, the Lord reminded my heart that we’re all students of Him, called not only to know about Him, but to know Him deeply. To be rooted in truth. To teach with love. To serve with wisdom. To go and tell. May He continue to help us all do just that to bring honor and glory to Him!
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