Leadership Development
Imagine… Nineteen students discipling and training others to become leaders…because you cared.
By partnering with International Interns’ Leadership Development Institute you could enable these students by…
- Buying a student books $300
- Supporting a student for a month $155
- Paying for a student’s yearly tuition $1860
Despite the economical turmoil and financial instability of Moldova, the poorest country in Europe, Christians continue to plant the hope of God’s love in the hearts of others. International Interns’ goal is to equip these Christians with the necessary tools to plant churches through its Leadership Development Institute.
The LDI classes provide practical experience and a strong Biblical basis for students. They equip students to evangelize in villages without a church and to establish Bible Studies which will eventually become church plants. After three years of Biblical studies and practical experience in evangelism and discipleship students graduate and continue to work diligently applying their knowledge to expand local church ministries.
How the Leadership Development Institute Got Started
In 1997, Walt Shearer, President of International Interns, was approached by the missions coordinator of the Baptist Union of Moldova. “Brother Walt,” he said, “please consider providing a training program for our missionaries.”
“What kind of missionaries?” Walt asked.
“Missionaries! Missionaries to Moldova! To our people, to our villages…missionaries who will plant churches that last and win more for Christ…”
With that, Walt returned to the States and gathered a group of highly experienced men of God to brainstorm the possibilities of creating such a program, and, a year later, the Leadership Development Institute was born.
The Leadership Development Institute (LDI) exists to equip Christian leaders through mentor pastors to establish, edify, and rapidly extend the local church. The men who are chosen to participate in the LDI meet 3 times a year for 2-week segments of intense studies for 3 years. Professors from distinguished seminaries teach these men NT & OT Survey, Church History, Foundations for Missions, Apologetics, Worship, and other foundational elements of being an effective church planter. All students are required to plant a church in their first year, allowing them to use the skills they learned in class. They also participate in evangelism and church planting campaigns with American teams during the summer months.
The first class graduated in 2001—all had planted a church; some had planted more! As of this date, there are at least 22 new churches with more in different stages of the church planting process.
Originally, the request was to train these men to be missionaries in Moldova, but God placed a burden in their hearts of reaching not only their country for Christ, but the world! Couples and graduates have gone to Turkey, Crimea, and other central Asian nations to reach the lost for Christ.
Everything I learn at the LDI, I invest in the youth ministry at church.
-Vladimir Borzin, Class of 2007
Without love for people we will never achieve anything in the mission ministry.
-Vladimir Kruglenco, Class of 2009
In church, when there was an altar call, some people came forward having tears in their eyes. This is the clearest evidence of His presence and power – the total humbling of a heart in repentance.
-Gheorghii Sarandi, Class of 2009
The LDI program helped me better understand God’s will for my life. I now have a clearer vision of the work to which I have been called.
-Leonid Botnari, Graduate, Class of 2001
The LDI program prepared me in many ways—it changed my perspective and helped me understand the processes involved in planting a new church.
-Sergiu Rutcovschii, Graduate, Class of 2001
I was inspired to join the LDI through the testimony & witness of one of the graduates, Sergiu Rutcovschii. I am now planting a church in the Straseni District of Moldova.
-Valeriu Nistor, Class of 2004, Missionary to Scoreni
First of all, I want to say that before attending the LDI, I had no training whatsoever. I had been thrust into the ministry with no idea how to plant a church. The LDI helped me learn how to become an effective church planter.
- Mihai Taran, Graduate, Class of 2001
