EQUIP calls it the "Million Leaders Mandate,” and the number of leaders in training across the globe is at 1,067,316 – a figure that will continue to increase “until Jesus returns,” according to the leadership development ministry.

|TOP|It has been four years since the launch of EQUIP’s worldwide leadership training. Already passed its one million leaders mark – in 80 countries and way ahead of schedule – the movement is planning on another million by the end of 2007.

"Leadership is a process. And a part of the process is multiplication," EQUIP's vice president of strategic partnerships, Tom Atema, told The Christian Post. With two million leaders and 107 countries to be trained and reached by the end of next year, the leaders mandate sees no brakes in the near future.

"It will go on until Jesus returns," he said.

And it's going on into unprecedented areas for the ministry. EQUIP recently partnered with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) to pierce through the "10/40 window."

"This may be one of the most significant opportunities God has given EQUIP to date," said Atema in a released statement. "We believe the impact in the '10/40 window' will be huge, and we are humbled to be part of what God is doing."

Training has already begun. Atema recently trained 48 YWAM leaders in Habersham, England, to train their teams, churches and communities with the Million Leaders Mandate curriculum in the next three years. It only takes US$20 to train one pastor overseas in that time period.

|AD|The idea for the worldwide leadership training mandate came up 10 years ago with EQUIP's founder, John C. Maxwell. But only six months ago, Atema realised what leadership training really does.

"We're about the only ones who do process leadership training," he said. "You have to continually study it, develop skills and develop others."

"It's about what leadership training can do," Atema added, saying they don't make evangelists but can make better evangelists. "We're helping these church planters plant better churches and be more effective in their ministry because they're getting their leadership piece right."

Good leadership and therefore effective ministry is nothing new. Atema pointed to the Old and New Testaments that show models of prosperity that go hand in hand with good leadership.

Million Leaders Mandate is already active in 80 countries and counting toward two million leaders, "...but the work of leadership development has just begun," said Maxwell in a released statement.

EQUIP has been working with such Christian groups as Rick Warren's Purpose Driven ministry – catering to the megachurch pastor's PEACE plan.

And things are moving "must faster than we ever anticipated," commented Atema.

"What happens in leadership is it takes a life of its own. You got to be careful you don't get overextended."

EQUIP's Million Leaders Mandate was launched in 2003 and reached its millionth rank in 2005, two years faster than originally planned.






Lillian Kwon
Christian Today Correspondent