In this edition of my Top 10, I want to write about Shepherding the Nations (STN). Some of you may remember that I wrote a Top 10 article last year about STN. But in this article, albeit with some overlap, I mention some different aspects of STN, and I answer some different questions you might have. Also, those of you who are new to The Bridge in the last year or two may not be as familiar with STN. So here are the Top 10 things you may not know about this important ministry of The Bridge called STN.
- What is STN?
STN stands for “Shepherding the Nations.” It is a missions organization whose mission is to provide training for local pastors, evangelists, church planters and church leaders, currently in Asia and Latin America, to reach their own villages and people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God. - How did STN begin?
In 2004, Pastor Paul was invited by Pastor Ryder Kumar to travel with him to India to train some local pastors. The following year, Ryder brought another team (including Susan and me) to India for the same purpose. During those trips, we saw the incredible hunger for God’s Word that existed among the men and women that we ministered to. Most of these men and women were from very poor villages and tribal areas.
In 2007, we were thrilled to be able to return to India and minister to hundreds of people in North and South India. Once again, we were struck by the incredible need for good Bible training. The believers we met were rich in desire and passion for the Lord, but they were lacking proper biblical training and resources. The level of poverty they lived with made it impossible for them to gain access to the kinds of resources that we who are living in the United States have in abundance and sometimes take for granted. So after we returned home, we began to pray and seek the Lord to see if He might be leading us to begin such a training ministry. He was! And STN was born. - What is the relationship between STN and The Bridge?
At roughly the same time that Shepherding the Nations was formed as a Non-profit 501-c3 corporation, The Bridge Bible Fellowship (The Bridge) was formed by the merger of two churches, Shepherds Community Church and Heart of the Valley Community Church. One of the important requirements of this merger was that STN, although technically a separate organization, would always exist as a ministry of The Bridge. And it has existed that way ever since; both organizations were born in 2007!
Pastor Paul is both the founding Sr. Pastor of The Bridge Bible Fellowship and the founding President of Shepherding the Nations. - In which countries does STN have training?
In 2009, we began our first official Bible training program in North India and South India. We provided this training to 80+ men by travelling to India many times over the next five years, and in 2014, we had our first set of graduates from India and Nepal.
This training has continued since then all over India and Nepal. It has recently expanded in Southeast Asia to Bangladesh, along with plans for Pakistan.
Through the efforts and contacts of Pastor Eddie Bueno, STN has also been able to provide this training to various countries in Latin America, including Bolivia, Honduras, Panama, El Salvador, and Mexico. The Lord is allowing STN training to expand year by year. 
What curriculum does STN currently use for its training?
The training program we have used since 2009 is called Bible Training Center for Pastors, or as we call it, BTCP (www.bibletraining.com). This program has been in use for 35 years, in 100+ nations, with over 180,000 graduates, in more than 40 different languages. Wow! I think that is impressive.
BTCP consists of 10 books, of which we have used to train some of our current elders, and which we have been using during the past year and a half to train about 30 more men and women from The Bridge (currently ongoing).- How many students have graduated from STN? How many current students are there?
Last year, STN surpassed 1000 graduates from its ministry! This is amazing when you understand that Pastor Paul, myself and other trainers from the U.S. only directly trained the first 80+ men, who graduated back in 2014. Since then they began training their own people. Can you say MULTIPLICATION!? This is exactly what STN hoped for – graduates from Shepherding the Nations to shepherd their own people! Even more exciting than this is that there are currently another 1000+ men and women who are being trained in the nine nations mentioned above! - What are these students like who are being trained?
Most of these men and women who have graduated, or who are currently being trained, live in very poor areas. Often they experience physical and dangerous persecution for their faith in Christ. Without a ministry like STN, they would have no opportunities to receive the kind of training that would allow them to preach the Gospel and teach the Bible effectively to their people. It is our hope that the men become church planters and/or effective leaders within their own churches. For the women, we hope they are being trained to do something that is often completely lacking in these churches – women teaching other women! - How can I help fund the training of one of these students?
During our training program, we provide our ten-volume set of curriculum from the Biblical Training Centre for Pastors (BTCP) in their local language. We also provide essential resources such as a Bible Concordance and Study Bible. We have been able to provide these books to all of our pastors through the generous donations of our donors. These books can be purchased for about $10 each/$100 for the set. (see item #10 below) - Mega 25 Conference
STN has not sent any teams to India since 2019 due to COVID and persecutions. But Ryder is putting together a 3-day conference in Hyderabad, India, called “Mega 25,” with more than 400 participants. We’re planning to send a team of 10-12 people to teach the men and women attending this conference. - How can I learn more about STN?
STN has a great website that provides more information about STN, its history, its accomplishments, its people, and its future plans (www.shepherdingthenations.org). You can also find more information about how you can participate and help this ministry of The Bridge.
If you would like to know more about STN please feel free to come talk to any of us who serve on the STN International Board – Pastor Paul, Diane Brown, Pastor Marc, Amber Boeker, Jerry Bruno, Karen Bruno, Tammy Werth, Susan Leinen and her husband.