About ELLS
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our Vision
When we successfully pursue our mission to train and equip church leaders,
- We see uneducated, under-resourced pastors and teachers becoming competent expositors of God’s Word (2 Tim. 2:15).
- We see the Holy Spirit using the faithful, accurate exposition of Scripture to transform lives, churches, and communities into alignment with God’s will and purposes.
- We see tired, defeated pastors renewed like the dry bones of Ezekiel to become a mighty army tearing down the strongholds of evil in our societies. - We see churches susceptible to all forms of deception through ignorance and inadequate training transformed into knowledgeable, skilled, wise proclaimers of gospel truth, bold in witness, loving in word and deed.
- We see forgotten peoples impacting the global church as a refreshing, renewing gift of God’s Spirit to the global church We see the trainers training, the equippers equipping, the empowered empowering.
Our Mission
To serve and strengthen the church in under-resourced areas of the world by equipping its leaders to accurately interpret and effectively teach and preach God’s Word.
The Need
The church in the global south is exploding with unprecedented growth. However, 85% of pastors have no formal training or access to theological education. Because of this, many churches are biblically anemic, suffering from a lack of theological depth and susceptible to false teaching. Many pastors recognize these vulnerabilities and are desperate to be trained and equipped to accurately interpret and effectively teach and preach God’s Word. ELLS International meets this need by providing culturally relevant, educationally appropriate, and academically accredited training for pastors and church leaders in under-resourced areas of the world.
OUR UNIQUE FOCUS
The vision of ELLS International is uniquely focused on three specific commitments:
- First, we do not ask the pastors and leaders we train to come to us, but instead we go to them! At the invitation of local church leaders, ELLS International takes teams to remote regions of the developing world in order to train those who have no access to formal training or theological education.
- Second, we believe that expository preaching and careful application of the text is what builds strong, spiritually vibrant, and Christ-exalting churches (2 Tim. 3:16-4:2). ELLS International helps pastors and leaders grow as preachers/teachers of God’s Word by providing them with the necessary tools for interpreting, communicating and effectively applying the Scriptures in their local churches.
- Third, we seek to establish healthy ministry partnerships between churches in the West and the Majority World. The leadership of ELLS International is intentionally diverse in this regard with members from both the U.S. and the growing global church. In every place we are invited to come, ELLS International partners with a team of regional leaders to help put on our training conferences. This not only enables important mutual learning to take place during the conferences but also fosters a strong sense of ownership for those who are receiving the training.
- Fourth, we believe that God is raising a new generation of cross-cultural missionaries throughout the developing world who will complete the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20; Rom. 15:20-21). Through our training modules and in collaboration with other like-minded networks, ELLS International aims to help nurture and grow the burgeoning national missionary movement around the world.
HISTORY OF ELLS INTERNATIONAL
The vision for ELLS International was birthed out of Emmanuel Bible Church (EBC) in Salem, OR. In 2005, God gave Pastor Stanley Myers a burden for equipping and training pastors in the developing world. As a former missionary to Africa, Stanley knew first hand the struggles and challenges which pastors in the developing world often face:
Underdeveloped economies, turbulent political conditions, and lack of opportunities for formal training.
In 2010, God clearly opened the door to return to Africa to train pastors in remote regions. A year later, a board of directors was formed and ELLS International became an officially recognized 501c3.
Pastor Stanley Myers serves as the Executive Director, and Dr. George Muguro - who was instrumental in establishing ELLS International in Kenya in its early stages - is the Africa Director.
Staff
ELLS International is privileged to have a globally diverse group of spiritually gifted and biblically qualified leaders whose heart is to advance the kingdom of God in Christ by strengthening the global church through training and equipping its leaders who lack formal training and theological education.
Founder and Executive Director
Rev. Stanley Myers has been a teaching pastor for more than forty years and is currently Pastor Emeritus of Emmanuel Bible Church in Salem, Oregon. Married to Mindy since 1980 with three adult children and five grandchildren, Stan also served with Africa Inland Mission from 1994- 1996 and lived in Nairobi, Kenya. Stan has degrees from Biola University and Denver Seminary, and is currently enrolled in the doctoral program at Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY. He hastaught hermeneutics to thousands of people since 1982 and has been actively training and equipping pastors in Latin America and Africa for the last twenty years.
Africa Director
George has had a love affair with the Bible since he began reading, was called to preach at the age of nine, and started preaching daily to his classmates shortly thereafter. Married to Irene, a registered nurse, he has planted and pastored numerous churches in Kenya and the U.S., been the overseer of many more churches, and has been the principal and director of Manna Bible Institute in Nairobi since 1997. For many years he served on the Board of the Kenya Bible Society, and is an award-winning certified chaplain in Florida. He and Irene have one son, David. George has an undergraduate degree in Bible and Theology from the East Africa School of Theology, a Masters of Divinity from International Theological Seminary, a Masters of Arts in Religious Studies from Africa Nazarene University, and a doctorate from Multnomah University.
Assistant Africa Director
Noah has been a pastor since 1985, and until August 2016 served as the General Overseer of PEFA—Uganda, a large denomination in East Africa. He is married to Margaret, a schoolteacher, and has nine children. His passion is to train and equip rural church leadership,and since 2010 he has established seven training centers throughout Uganda. Noah is co-president of Uganda Christian Action (UCAN) a ministry for social and economic development.He is a graduate of Makerere University in Kampala Uganda and has a diploma from Elim Bible Institute in Lima, New York.
Chief Translator and Logistics Coordinator
Charles came to faith in Christ in 2000 while working in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2007, he answered the call of God to return to his home village in Khaunga (western Kenya) to plant the church he now serves as senior pastor. He has also planted nine more churches nearby. Pastor Charles received a diploma in theological studies from Manna Bible Institute in 2016 and has been working with ELLS International as its chief translator since 2013. He has been married to Rexsela Emily for over twenty years, and together they have seven children (one of whom went to be with the Lord in the year 2011).
Program Director
Stephen has been serving the Lord from age 11, including being the Christian Union Pastor both in High school and college. He serves as a volunteer professor at Nations University and Manna Bible Institute and as a pastor at Manna Church. He served as a software developer, Military Police and started a soldier’s spiritual care program while serving in the Kenya Defence Forces. He is married to Grace; a high school teacher and they are blessed with 2 boys. He has a Diploma in IT from Kabete National Polytechnic, Degree in Computer Science from University of the People, Bachelor of Religious Studies, Master of Theological Studies and Master of Divinity from Nations University. He is completing his DMin project (Global Evangelism) from MultnomahUniversity, and DMin project (Leadership) from Westcoast Bible College and Seminary.
Director of Children's Teachers' Trainings
Mindy has been married to Stanley for 44 years and is the mother of three children and the grandmother of five, whom she adores. After graduating from Biola University, she taught in elementary schools for ten years and was the Director of Children’s Ministry at Emmanuel Bible Church for fourteen years. She has been training Sunday School teachers and children’s workers in Africa since 2011.
Project Coordinator
Rev. John was born in a pastor’s family and started serving the lord from an early age. Having served in different churches at different capacities, today he is serving at PEFA Utawala Church under Bishop Dr. Moses Muguro. He is married to Tabitha and are blessed with three kids, two boys and one girl. John has wide experience from different organizations as an accountant and as a manager and today he is a businessman in the transport industry. He is a certified public accountant (CPA-K) and Bachelor of commerce from KCA university, Bachelor of Religious Studies and Master of Theological Studies from Nations University. He is completing his Masters of Divinity from Nations University and also completing another Masters of Leadership and Entrepreneurship from Pan Africa Christian University.
Executive Secretary
Sharon’s burden for children compelled her to begin teaching Sunday School as a teenager. She began her post secondary education by taking courses at Bible College of East Africa, and continued by obtaining an Associate degree at Nairobi Pentecostal Bible College and a Bachelor’s degree at Vision international University. She earned a Master’s degree at International Faith College, and sharpened her children’s ministry skills with courses from several Nairobi based schools. For the last fourteen years she has volunteered as a lecturerand adjunct professor at Manna Bible Institute, and is a sought after specialist in Children’s Ministry. A devoted mother of one active teenaged son, Sharon is currently the executive secretary of ELLS International.
U.S. Office Manager
The daughter of Stan and Mindy Myers, Carly Blue has been missions’ minded since her earliest recollections as a toddler living in Nairobi, Kenya. Having traveled widely and accompanying her parents on many short-term missions’ trips, she has acquired a burden forAfrican pastors who lack training and resources. She briefly attended Capernwray Bible School in Schladming, Austria, and majored in expository preaching at Moody Bible Institute in Spokane, Washington. Married to Cole Rawie since 2023, Carly Blue owns and operates The Blue Pomegranate, a catering business focused on foreign flavors and experiences. She is currently the U.S. ELLS office manager.
Advancement Director
Heather has experienced the transformative power of the Gospel in her own life and is called to share that hope with others. Driven by a love of people and God’s Word, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Ministry from Corban University. Heather and her husband David are heavily involved in their local church, and are passionate about making disciples, both locally and globally. They love including their two children in kingdom endeavors. Heather is honored to share the incredible work ELLS is doing through grant writing and fundraising events.
What We Do
Church Leader Conferences
ELLS International partners with regional and local leaders in remote places of the developing world to conduct large group conferences for practical instruction in biblical and expository preaching. Conference participants are then invited to join a three-year training cohort for more in-depth instruction and training so they will be equipped to become trainers themselves.
Leadership Training Cohort
A Leadership Training Cohort (LTC) is comprised of 25-50 pastors with proven character, heart for Christ’s great commission (Matt. 28:16-20), and a willingness to teach/train others. Each LTC will meet three times a year over a three-year period, covering a total of nine training modules on biblical interpretation, theology, preaching and leadership/mission. Those who finish the training will receive a certificate of completion and will be encouraged to help lead future cohorts with ELLS International. Our hope is to eventually have LTC’s led primarily by nationals.
Missional Cooperatives
Along with our focus on biblical/expository preaching, ELLS International also equips pastors and leaders to understand the role of the local church within the wider mission of God to bring salvation to all peoples of the earth. To that end, we are seeking to develop relationships and collaborate with national leaders, groups, and organizations training gospel workers who will plant churches among unreached peoples.
DENOMINATIONAL OVERSEER IN MALAWI
Where We Go
Past
Since 2012, ELLS International has completed ten 60-hour Level One training courses in 10 regions of Kenya and Uganda, averaging approximately 200 pastors and Sunday School teachers at each conference.
Present
Currently, ELLS International is conducting Level One training in 4 regions in southern Malawi, attended by 800 pastors and 200 Sunday School teachers, three new regions in Kenya with 600 pastors and 100 Sunday School teachers, three regions in Tanzania with 700 pastors and 100 Sunday School teachers, three regions in Burundi with 600 pastors and 150 children’s workers, and two regions in Rwanda with 400 pastors.
Future
Lord willing, in 2025 ELLS International will begin additional Level One training in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Democratic Republic of Congo. Mozambique, Cameroon, Madagascar, and Nigeria have also requested ELLS training as soon as possible.
CLINT DECKER, EVANGELIST
FROM CLAY CENTER, KS | DURING A TRIP TO KENYA WITH ELLS INTERNATIONAL IN 2018