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  • Why Discipleship

    Why Discipleship

    "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
    - Jesus' words in Matthew 28:19-20

  • Partnerships

    Partnerships

    "And my God will liberally supply your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
    - Phillipians 4:19

  • Why Discipleship

    Back

    Why Discipleship

    "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
    - Jesus' words in Matthew 28:19-20

  • Partnerships

    Back

    Partnerships

    "And my God will liberally supply your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
    - Phillipians 4:19

  • Join the Mission

    Back

    Join the Mission

    With your help we are able to train leaders living near least-reached communities to multiply disciples.

One third of our world hasn’t heard the Good News of Jesus. Yet.

Global Disciples refers to these as “least-reached” people, and fewer than 10% of all missionaries work among these groups. We live in a time where many of these people are within reach of a local church. Through our simple and effective strategy of training and coaching, believers share the Gospel in their own nations and cultures. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” and we’re committed to doing just that.

Global Disciples helps the church fulfill the Great Commission among least-reached people.

Our Vision

To see that every person has an opportunity to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ in a way they can understand and respond.

Our Prayer

That disciples of Jesus Christ, from many nations and vocations, will embrace this vision and do their part.

Our Mission

To make it possible for clusters of churches to multiply Christ-like disciples and locally-sustainable fellowships among least-reached people.

Our Central Focus

To equip leaders selected by their churches to multiply Christ-like disciples, who multiply churches among least-reached people.

Our Philosophy

That local expressions of the Body of Christ in close proximity to least-reached people are best able to reach them—and we all can help.

Our Values

The values guiding Global Disciples set the pattern of our relationships, integrity and ethics, how we deal with conflict, how we communicate and more. 

Intimacy with Jesus.

Who we are and what we do flows from our relationship with Christ.

Trusting Relationships.

Building trust with our co-workers, partners, and donors is essential.

Risk-taking Obedience.

Obeying Christ requires the courage to risk all for our God-given mission.

Unwavering Integrity.

Being authentic, accountable, and truthful in our words and actions.

Serving with Humility.

Modelling the way of Jesus is our goal, living selflessly for God’s glory.

Transforming by Prayer.

We want our work to be conceived, birthed, and carried out in prayer.

Training in 71 Nations

Global Disciples makes it possible for the local Body of Christ in 71 nations to reach their nations. We currently have 1,922 training programs in Africa, 1,075 in Asia, and 202 in Latin America. And our model has proven flexible and adaptable in areas where visible Gospel activity is restricted or opposed. 

Our Statement of Faith

Global Disciples serves to connect and facilitate cooperation within the global Body of Christ among clusters of churches that are engaged in discipleship, mission, and leadership training ministries and share our commitment to:

  • Glorify God, the Creator and eternal Lord of the universe
  • Exalt the only Savior and risen Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son
  • Rely on the Holy Spirit to teach, convict, comfort and empower
  • Accept the Bible as the divinely inspired, authoritative Word of God
  • Demonstrate love for those in the church, the Body of Christ
  • Show love for those without Christ through lives of compassionate service, righteous living, and evangelism
  • Celebrate the sanctity of human life from conception to death, understanding we are created male and female, in the image of God
  • Live in sexual purity, whether single or in a marriage covenant between a man and a woman
  • Pray and work diligently to see the Gospel spread to all peoples in anticipation of the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ

As grateful recipients of God’s grace, we always seek to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). In each area of responsibility, it will be our goal to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Our theological understanding flows within the believers’ church tradition and we embrace the Lausanne Covenant and the Manila Manifesto.

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 3:11)

Our History

It was November 1995. Leaders from several discipleship and mission training programs had gathered for a day of prayer and fasting. Drawn together by a common mission, they shared a common desire: to respond to the need expressed by churches worldwide to provide discipleship-mission training for their own young people.

As the Holy Spirit moved, these leaders began seeing how the barriers separating them and their ministries from each other had prevented collaboration. Through confession, brokenness, and prayer, God birthed Global Disciples and the initial training model now known as Global Disciple Training (GDT). Since then, Global Disciples has added training for trainers in small business development (SBD) and leadership development (LEAD).

Today, Global Disciples serves in partnership with more than 1,600 groups of churches fellowships or denominations, in 71 countries, providing training enabling them to equip and send out mission workers to multiply Christ-like believers and plant locally-sustainable fellowships and churches.

Global Disciples Canada was established in 2013 as a federal not-for-profit corporation with CRA registered charitable status. We see ourselves as one small part of a big thing God is doing. We pray that we’ll see spiritual renewal here at home as we partner with others who are following Jesus, often at great cost. We work closely with the international Global Disciples team to accomplish Jesus’ Great Commission. 

1996

Global Disciples is launched by Galen Burkholder in partnership with 5 discipleship-mission programs in Canada, Ethiopia and the USA.

1998

Small Business Development Training Begins.

2002

Leadership training launches to assist indigenous churches in training leaders in character, skills and knowledge.

2005

15 training programs multiply to 57 training programs

2006

Discipleship-mission and leadership training programs grow to 64 programs operating in 24 countries.

2008

16,681 people come to faith in Jesus Christ and 1,108 churches are planted as a result of our Discipleship-Mission training programs.

2009

Our 1st National Foundation launches in Indonesia to provide leadership and funding for national ministry. 18,412 people come to faith In Jesus Christ and 895 Churches are planted in this year.

2010

Our 2nd National Foundation launches in Ethiopia. 15,078 People come to faith In Jesus Christ and 723 Churches are planted in this year.

2011

18,190 New Believers come to faith in Jesus Christ and 607 Churches are planted in this year.

2012

The Canadian Foundation, Global Disciples Canada, is launched alongside the National Foundation in Kenya.

2014

Our National Foundation launches in India.

2016

10,363 Disciple-Makers trained in this year and now operating in 43 countries.

2017

2,037 Churches Planted as a result of our Discipleship-mission training programs. 13,021 Disciple-makers Trained.

2018

77,560 people come to faith in Jesus Christ and 3,213 Churches planted in this year.

2019

Our National Foundations launch in Nigeria & Zambia. 83,515 people come to faith in Jesus Christ and 3,507 Churches planted in this year.

2020

Our National Foundation launches in Mexico. Global Disciples training programs now operating in 62 countries.

2021

Our 25th year Anniversary of Training Leaders.

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Our Pledge

I am a global disciple of Jesus.

My allegiance is to Jesus Christ. He is the Living Word of God, as revealed by the Holy Spirit and through the Bible.

I want to do my part so everyone has the opportunity to hear the Good News of Jesus and to choose if they will believe and follow Him. My desire is to see each person experience the transforming love of Jesus, live in the fullness of the Spirit and enjoy God forever.

As a participant in a local expression of the global Body of Christ, I am united in heart and purpose with sisters and brothers of many nations, ethnic groups, languages, and churches to glorify God and to make Him known.

I believe my part as a global disciple of Jesus Christ is to:

  • Pursue Intimacy with God as my Creator, Provider and Father, through Jesus my Saviour, Lord and Friend
  • Love others as Jesus loves them, relating and serving as witnesses in word and deed, loving even enemies
  • Pray diligently for people who do not yet know Christ, especially those unreached with the Good News
  • Live generously as a steward of all God has entrusted to me, being an ambassador of our generous Master  
  • Rely on the Holy Spirit and the Bible to lead, guide and empower me to live, love and serve for God’s glory

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The task of reaching the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ is huge, and the number of traditional mission workers and resources are limited. That’s why we take a different approach to the Great Commission, providing clusters of churches with a training model that is reproducible and locally sustained.

Since 2008, we’ve seen 23,962 church plants and 539,014 people make decisions to follow Jesus Christ. We serve 2,385 discipleship-mission, small business, and leadership programs, and out of these programs we have seen 122,760 disciple-makers and leaders trained and sent out to plant churches in least-reached areas.

What an amazing 15 years it's been, and we are excited to see what God does next!
Simon* was described as a “dangerous witch doctor for 20 years.” A group of disciple-makers training through a Global Disciples partner program in DR Congo came to Simon’s community to preach the Gospel of Jesus.

Simon wanted to test them. So, as they preached publicly, he sent evil spirits against them to block them and any miracles they may try to do. After the preaching, Simon saw that—despite his best efforts—many people received Christ as their Savior!

So he went to the disciple-makers and said, “You people! I see that your power is stronger than mine. Tell me what kind of power can block mine from top to bottom?”

The disciple-makers answered, “Our unique power is the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Stunned, Simon said, “I need your Lord too.” Wasting no time, he dropped to his knees. The disciples laid hands on him and prayed with him. And Simon, the witch doctor, received Christ as his Lord and Savior. His life was changed and redeemed in that moment.

But the Lord wasn’t finished yet. A week later, in conversation with Bauma the ex-witchdoctor, they discovered he had been the one to curse this woman. God released them both from the bondage of Satan’s power and gave them healing and freedom.

*Name and photo have been changed*
If you want a Christian mission organization to partner with to become a better disciple and help make disciples, visit globaldisciples.ca to connect with us today!
Thank you for your incredible generosity and unwavering commitment to spreading the message of love and hope to those least reached with the Gospel. We are immensely grateful for your support, and we invite you to stay connected with us as we continue this incredible journey together.
Our September prayer focus is North and Central India.

We want to lift our prayers up for our Global Disciples leaders serving in both these countries. These leaders face mounting danger from political and religious persecution as they develop training programs to equip and send out disciple-makers. If you are convicted of converting a Hindu, it can lead to fines, beatings, and imprisonment. Pray for boldness and peace in this challenging environment.
Meet Joseph*, a discipleship-mission trainer from Cameroon. He reported on how his church cluster was making disciples and planting churches among the least-reached.

“Just a few years ago, I was the only one directing a discipleship training program in our region. But I thank God that now we have 8 programs, and 2 more small business development trainings. Today, we can count at least 21 new churches planted through these trainings.”

Church planting, equipping disciples, and using small businesses to support these efforts accounted for only part of Joseph’s excitement.

“My greatest joy,” he said, “is that unreached people are receiving the Good News of Jesus.”

At Global Disciples, we’re so blessed to be a part of what God is doing through Joseph and others like him–in Cameroon, across Africa, and around the world–as they fulfill their passion and vision to share Jesus with least-reached people.

If you would like to partner with us, in seeing more stories like Joseph be written, you can give financially at globaldisciples.ca/give. Thank you for generosity!

*Name and photo have been changed*
Global Disciples currently works with 49 church clusters and 120 active training programs in the regions near Burundi and the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Out of these training programs, more than 2,000 newly baptized believers were added to God’s family last year!

This wouldn't be possible without your continued generosity and support. Thank you!
Our September prayer focus is North and Central India, and Sri Lanka.

There are 1.3 billion unreached people in more than 2,000 people groups in the country of India. In Sri Lanka, three million people are unreached in this small island country to the southeast of India. Both countries greatly need prayer and witness.

Our regional team is working with 40 groups of churches and 92 training programs. Last year they trained 396 workers who led 1,684 people to Jesus and planted 205 churches. We celebrate this amazing work in extremely hard places. Our team is seeking God for 50 more prayer partners in this region to strengthen and support the work there.

Join us in prayer for what God's doing in India and Sri Lanka.
We train ordinary men and women–young and old–to share the Gospel, make disciples, and plant churches among least reached people.

But we cannot accomplish this alone! We need your help. Consider partnering with us to help continue our mission to train up leaders, spread the Gospel and have Jesus' name known globally! Give today at globaldisciples.ca/give
Our Team

The global nature of our ministry is reflected in the 26 nationalities represented in our facilitators, trainers and support staff.

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Prayer

Thank you for your interest in Global Disciples. If you’re passionate about ministering in least-reached areas, we want to hear from you!

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Church Resources

Contact us today to learn how Global Disciples can serve your church communities’ missional vision and give people an opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ.

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Give monthly, reach the world.

Join our community of monthly donors bringing the hope of Jesus to least-reached people groups around the world.