The goal of The Timothy Initiative is to plant a Christian church in every village in the world. I like their vision, their plan, their staff, their resources, and their results. In his Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20), Jesus sends his followers out into all the world to proclaim the gospel and “make disciples of all nations.” Contributing to TTI has been my way of taking part in the fulfillment of that Great Commission.
The Timothy Initiative is a grassroots mission organization. It began in 2007 as a program started by a pastor in his congregation. In only nineteen years, it has grown into an international organization that has planted 268,750 churches in forty-five countries. They are now planting a new church every eleven minutes.
Even though TTI’s organizational structure and staff has grown, it remains a grassroots organization. TTI has a well-organized plan and system, but the system works by spreading the Gospel person to person, one at a time, around the world. Local church leaders, usually pastors (Pauls), are taught how to train and mentor church planters (Timothys). These church planters tell their family, friends, and neighbors about Jesus. They gather 12-20 new believers (Tituses) to form a church; and the Timothys then teach these Tituses to become disciples. In time, Tituses can become Timothys, and are then, in turn, trained by Pauls to go and start another church. Their motto is “Disciples making disciples, and churches planting churches.”
The process works, the training resources are excellent, support for and follow-up on the new believers and churches is tremendous, new believers become new church planters, and believers and churches multiply. A recent TTI publication had a photo of twelve ‘generations’ of new disciples, each one having been brought to Christ by the person on their right, and then they, had brought to Christ the person on their left. Twelve generations! Amazing! One by one, around the world, Jesus is proclaimed. Disciples making disciples.
At a Timothy Initiative mission event I attended three years ago, I met a ‘Paul’ from India. This Paul was from an area in India that is facing intense persecution from Hindu nationalists. One day, he came home from a trip visiting some of his Timothys, and his family was not there. He did not know if they had been kidnapped, killed, or had escaped their persecutors and were in hiding. After three days of anguished uncertainty, they returned. They had run into the jungle to hide from a violent mob. They were safe and unharmed, but very shaken.
Some might think it would be time to leave that area, but this pastor and his family did not leave. With great faith and courage, they remained to continue work on the new church they were building. When the church was almost completed, a group of men burned it to the ground. In that area (and in an increasing number of areas in India), authorities do not make much of an effort to investigate or prosecute crimes against Christians, so the arsonists were never found. The pastor’s discouragement was great, but again he remained.
Several weeks later, the pastor was visited by a man who confessed to burning the church down, along with three other men. The repentant man said, “Since we burned your church, my three companions all had someone close to them die. I am very afraid, and so I have come to you to make this right before any of my loved ones die. Will you tell me about Jesus?” The man became a believer, and then contributed to the rebuilding of the church that he and the others had destroyed. One by one, person to person, people are coming to Jesus.
Churches planted by TTI are not like the Westminster Abbey, the Crystal Cathedral, or the Sistine Chapel. Hardly ever is there any building at all. The 12-20 member churches meet in apartments, under trees, in mud huts, on mountainsides, in caves, on rooftops, or whatever works for them. Churches are small, but they grow and multiply, and at a much faster rate than many churches with huge buildings, large staffs, and big budgets.
I remember hearing the story of a group being given a tour of the awesome Westminster Abbey in London, one of the most amazing church buildings in the world. Since 1066, this has been the location of the coronations of 40 monarchs. It is also the burial site for 18 monarchs and many more famous people. The tour guide had completed his well-rehearsed tour of the magnificent building, along with a summary of its fascinating history. He said to the group, “Does anyone have any questions?” One lady raised her hand timidly and asked, “Has anyone been saved here lately?” An awkward silence followed.
There would be no such silence at a new TTI church. Everyone there would be a recent convert, so all hands would go up; and, they would all soon be out making new converts. That is why I like The Timothy Initiative, and contribute to their work. (They have done the math, and for every four hundred dollars contributed, a new church is planted.)
This video provides an excellent introduction to TTI:
https://ttiglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/TTI-Family-Album-1-1.mp4
For more on the work of The Timothy Initiative, and some great videos, visit their website at:
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Matthew 28:16-20 — (THE GREAT COMMISSION) Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
2 Timothy 2:1-2 – (Paul wrote to Timothy), “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
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Good Shepherd of the sheep, look mercifully upon those who have no one to watch over them in your name. Prepare them to receive your truth, and send to them someone who can tell them about you. Bless those whom you do send, and open the hearts of those who do not yet know you; so that multitudes may be added to those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and become partakers of the salvation you have promised. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
–Bishop Thomas Wilson (1663-1755), Church of England
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