FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Equipping Pastors Worldwide launches a free, story-driven devotional series to awaken evangelical Christians to the urgent need for pastoral training across the Global South — and invite them into the solution.

Eighty-five percent of pastors in the Global South shepherd their congregations with no formal biblical training. They are sincere. They are devoted. And they are largely alone — without the tools to rightly handle God’s Word, without anyone who has shown them the difference between sound doctrine and inherited tradition. This is the crisis Equipping Pastors Worldwide (EPW) was founded to address.

Beginning this month, EPW— in partnership with Goodwill Media Services — is making that crisis visible through a new 30-part devotional series: short, story-driven, spiritually rich pieces drawn from the front lines of pastoral training across Africa, South Asia, and beyond.

Released weekly on Facebook through Goodwill Media’s and EPW’s pages, each devotional is crafted to enlarge the reader’s vision of the global Church, stir intercession, and invite tangible partnership with EPW’s equipping work.

“I have been weeping — weeping with joy because I have heard the Bible explained so clearly. And I have also been weeping with sadness. I wish I had received this training at the beginning of my ministry, not at the end.”

— An elderly pastor in his 80s, Darjeeling, at his first EPW training

The stories in this series span continents: a sangoma-turned-pastor in Southern Africa who walks away from syncretism; a Nigerian shepherd who confesses to his congregation, “We thought we knew. We did not know.”; a deacon in Dharan, Nepal, who never sought the pulpit and now leads a church of 350. Behind each story is the same conviction: a pastor well-equipped in God’s Word will feed his congregation faithfully for a lifetime — and raise up others who will do the same.

The series is free and available for republication by any church, small group, or ministry publication. To support EPW’s equipping work directly, visit epwusa.org or epworldwide.org.

About Equipping Pastors Worldwide

EPW trains pastors across the Global South in biblical exposition and sound doctrine, partnering with indigenous leaders to build a self-sustaining multiplication model. Learn more at epwusa.org and epworldwide.org.

About Goodwill Media Services

Goodwill Media Services provides strategic communications and content development for evangelical ministries. Its partnership with EPW is focused on building awareness of the global pastoral training crisis and inviting the Church into meaningful partnership.

Media Contact

Contact: goodwillmediaservices@gmail.com

Website: www.epwusa.org

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – New York, NY — April 2026 — Equipping Pastors Worldwide (EPW), www.epwusa.org, is calling attention to one of the most urgent challenges facing the global Church: a critical lack of biblical training among pastors in the fastest-growing regions of Christianity.

On April 25, 2026, EPW will host a free webinar titled “The Preparation of Pastors & the Urgency of Preaching in the Global South,” offering insight, solutions, and a pathway forward.

According to EPW, an estimated 85% of pastors in Africa, Asia, and Latin America have little to no formal biblical training. As a result, many churches are left vulnerable to false teaching, syncretism, and spiritual malnourishment.

Through this upcoming webinar, EPW will share how strategic, accessible pastoral training can strengthen churches at scale — raising up biblically grounded leaders equipped to disciple growing congregations. The session is designed for mission-minded individuals, church leaders, and organizations seeking to invest in sustainable, gospel-centered impact worldwide.

The urgency of this work is echoed by pastors themselves. One pastor from southern Nigeria, after completing EPW’s training program, shared: “We thought we knew what the church is and how to build a healthy church. We did not know.”

In addition to the webinar, EPW is rolling out new programs where U.S. churches can directly support pastor training in places where the church is suffering and threatened — such as Nigeria, South Sudan, Bhutan, and elsewhere.

EPW’s Director, Dave Holdt, will be in the United States from August 30 to September 2, 2026, meeting with partners, churches, and supporters to further advance EPW’s mission. Holdt will also be a featured speaker at Missions:Together RDU on November 7, 2026, a Missions Catalyst gathering focused on mobilizing collaborative global mission efforts.

Webinar Zoom Link: Click Here

EPW exists to equip pastors in underserved regions with the theological training and practical tools needed to lead healthy, thriving churches. By investing in local leaders, EPW is helping to ensure that the rapid growth of the global Church is matched with depth, clarity, and biblical faithfulness.

To learn more or register for the April 25 webinar, visit Equipping Pastors Worldwide at www.epwusa.org.

Media Contact:
Contact: goodwillmediaservices@gmail.com

Website: www.epwusa.org