PLI is all about training and developing multiplying missionary leaders all over the world! We serve six regions: Africa, Asia, Eurasia, Latin America, USA/Canada, and Western Europe.
We believe God is raising up pastors and leaders for His church across the world. God has promised to do this and is answering the prayers of His people. These pastors and leaders yearn to effectively lead God’s people, to bring people together to work in unity to make disciples and start evangelistic communities for the sake of fulfilling God’s mission. And they need leadership Learning Communities and fellow, experienced Christian leaders who are willing to come alongside them and their spouses. They need to be encouraged, equipped, and empowered in their missional leadership development.
This is why we provide the training we do. We believe that through PLI’s training and an equipped and transformed pastor or key leader, baptized believers can be released into and empowered for their participation in the Mission of God, together!
Let’s take a look at PLI’s work in Latin America.
The Latin America region is under the direction of our Latin America Development Leader, Rev. Rony Marquardt. Rony was a participant in PLI from 2008 to 2012. Since 2013, he has provided leadership and introduced the PLI movement in Brazil and throughout Lutheran Churches in Latin America. He has been a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brazil (IELB) since 1984 and was General Secretary and Vice-President of Theological Education on IELB’s National Board. He currently lives with his wife Anica in Portugal, where he serves as a pastor in addition to his role with PLI.
“En PLI pude reafirmar y aprender a ver el discipulado de una manera diferente. En estos cuatro años mi fe en Cristo creció y ahora tengo más herramientas para ayudarlo a cumplir su misión. Siento que sus enseñanzas me renovaron las fuerzas. Me siente muy feliz de haberlos conocido y le pido a Dios que bendiga sus vidas.
“En estos años durante los que hice el PLI pude mirar a ciertas personas e intentar discipular las. Se que todavía me falta aprender, pero las enseñanzas del PLI son las que quiero para mi vida, para mi familia y para poder compartirlas con otros. El Señor Jesús está en esta barca llamada PLI. Los quiero mucho.”
Rodolfo Vidoni, Argentina
“In PLI I was able to reaffirm and learn to see discipleship in a different way. In these four years my faith in Christ grew and now I have more tools to help Him fulfill His mission. I feel that your teachings renewed my strength. I feel very happy to have met you and I ask God to bless your lives.
“In these years during which I did PLI, I was able to look at certain people and try to disciple them. I know that I still need to learn, but the teachings of PLI are what I want for my life, for my family and to be able to share them with others. The Lord Jesus is in this boat called PLI. I love you very much.”
Rodolfo Vidoni, Argentina
PLI trains in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. The last country PLI added was Mexico in 2023.
In November of 2024, PLI began training four couples from Argentina and two couples from Paraguay to be Local Trainers. These couples have gone through the four years of the PLI training as participants. They have incorporated the training into their own lives and ministries, and are now going through the four years of materials again, one year at a time, in order to be taught how to teach what they have learned with others. The four Local Trainer couples from Argentina are planning to begin training a new group of 20 pastor couples from their church body in November of 2025.
“Ha sido un bálsamo al alma, nos ha brindado herramientas muy útiles para abordar distintas temáticas. Salimos muy fortalecidos y con nuevas energías para llevar adelante la misión de Cristo.
“Desde el primer año sentí que, como esposa de pastor, somos instrumentos útiles y eso debemos poner en práctica para una labor en conjunto. SOMOS PIEDRAS PRECIOSAS en las manos de un Dios amoroso.
“Sinceramente la unión y hermandad que se ha dado es la primera vez que encontramos este espacio. Deseo muchas bendiciones y gracias por todo.”
Ester, Argentina
“It has been a balm to the soul, it has given us very useful tools to address different issues. We came out very strengthened and with new energy to carry out the mission of Christ.
“From the first year I felt that, as a pastor’s wife, we are useful instruments, and we must put that into practice for a joint work. WE ARE PRECIOUS STONES in the hands of a loving God.
“Sincerely, the unity and fellowship that has occurred is the first time we have found this space. I wish you many blessings and thank you for everything.”
Ester, Argentina
We ask for your prayers as we work to expand our training in Latin America in 2025.
Rony specifically asks for the following prayers:
- The Lutheran churches that are developing the PLI program are going through a pivotal moment as they are completing the four-year program and need to make the necessary decisions so that more leaders will be involved in God’s mission.
- In the Lutheran Church of Argentina, the church leadership decided that PLI’s international team would train four couples chosen by them to train other groups of pastors, leaders, and wives.
- Paraguay and Peru conclude the program this year and are evaluating the possibilities of how to train more leaders for God’s mission. Bolivia, Uruguay, and Mexico will have the last conference next year.
- Thus, all these church and leaders need our prayers and our help, so that they dialogue and decide on the most profitable way to continue training leaders who know God’s vision for the mission of saving people through faith in Jesus.
Contributors: Rika Beckley, Rev. Rony Marquardt, and Sherrah Behrens
*maps made with mapchart.net
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