International Church Planting Stories

Our church has been blessed with the opportunity to support global workers who are engaged in church planting efforts around the world. These disciples are multiplying disciples, sharing the whole gospel of Jesus Christ with neighbors and nations, embodying our mission to engage people anywhere, anytime, with anybody.

Jennifer and Jason Vanover said “yes” to what God had for them in Toronto, Canada. After serving in Spain, they’ve embraced the unique opportunity that North York presents. “The nations are here,” Jason explains, highlighting how Toronto’s multicultural population allows them to reach communities that might otherwise be inaccessible.

The Vanovers are focused on equipping local churches to become mission-sending hubs. Through workshops and training sessions centered on evangelism and discipleship, they’re empowering congregations to utilize their spiritual gifts effectively. Jennifer notes, “Our goal is to try to train the body to serve in many different ways in the church,” addressing the often-overwhelming responsibilities placed on global workers and their families.

Janice and Kelly Seely are planting evangelical churches in one of Europe’s most diverse cities, Frankfurt, Germany. Since they arrived in 2018, they’ve been cultivating a community of believers in an area that has little evangelical influence. When they first moved to Frankfurt, there was no evangelical church within the city.

Through the ministry of the Seelys, the Lord has nurtured a growing congregation of 70-80 regular attendees across various neighborhood churches. They’re also focused on developing local leadership, creating opportunities for biblical training to sustain the mission long-term.

Winston and Emmy Coulthard, along with their children, are planting seeds of faith in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Their approach includes running a coffee shop as a “tent-making endeavor,” engaging in campus ministry, and preparing for church planting through extensive preaching.

Winston is enthusiastic about the opportunities for disciple making in Zimbabwe, “The door is just wide open for the gospel here.” He sees Zimbabwe as ripe for a spiritual harvest, echoing the biblical sentiment that “the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few.”

These global workers live out the vision of our church by joining in on a church multiplication movement that extends far beyond Middle Tennessee. They are living testimonies to the power of “disciples making disciples” relationships, initiating countless gospel conversations in communities around the world.

Join us in praying for our global workers, that the Lord would multiply their impact and allow for true life change in each of their ministries.