GLOBAL TRAINING NETWORK 2025
The last week of February into the first week of March, I was part of the Global Training Network (GTN) leadership summit. The first few days brought together the Senior Executive Leaders Team (another acronym, SELT). These are mature, seasoned, and gifted pastors and leaders, who are engaged in equipping and encouraging leaders around the world.
GTN is led by President Paul Madson, who is accountable to GTN’s Board of Directors and collaborates with the SELT team of leaders pictured here.
A SHOCKING BEGINNING
We began our series of meetings by gathering for dinner. We chatted while waiting for Paul and his wife Lisa who were uncharacteristically late. When they arrived, Paul rushed in, brushed by several of us and, visibly shaken, he began to speak. While driving to our meeting, they received word that their eldest son, Jonnie, a father of two, had just been found dead.
They explained briefly, as both Paul and Lisa cried, that they were turning around to go to their son’s house, where his wife and first responders were already gathered. We all cried … and we prayed. (I am choking up writing this).
After Paul and Lisa left, we cried and prayed some more. Paul’s brother Joel and his wife Kathy (Jonnie’s uncle and aunt), and Jonnie’s brother-in-law, Josh—all part of GTN—were with us. After praying, we had an emotional and somber dinner.
PAUL’S RETURN
Later that evening, as fellow SELT leader Hud McWilliams led us in a devotional reflection, Paul and Lisa returned. Still shaken, they updated us. While nonetheless tragic, the first responders determined that Jonnie’s death was not self-inflicted, but was caused by a condition of sleep apnea.
A message was sent to the entire GTN staff scheduled to arrive two days later. Paul joined us with the SELT leaders that next day, and then with the larger gathering on and off. The encouragement of Hud to Paul and Liss was that the best gift to their son was for them “to live.”
GTN: 220 STAFF, 87 COUNTRIES, AND VISION AHEAD
Paul was able to lead us in the days that followed, drawing from Scripture for encouragement and strength. In his President’s address, he reminded us of GTN’s core values such as Doctrinally Sound (Biblical fidelity), Grace Oriented, Kingdom Minded, Spiritually Thriving, Indigenous in Practice (equipping national leaders), and Committed to Multiplying. These are things that drew me to GTN.
Paul also pointed out that GTN has now grown to 220 staff equipping leaders in 87 countries. Part of his challenge to all of us was to “a long obedience in the same direction” (the title of a book by Eugene H. Peterson based on Psalms 120-134).
Paul also put forth the 2030 vision of GTN, which included:
- Training tens of thousands more leaders in 100 countries,
- Equipping hundreds of indigenous leaders to reach other unreached peoples,
- Catalyzing the planting of 5,000 new beach head churches, and
- Multiplying 3 and 4 generations of leaders and beyond.
WORKSHOP
During our staff gathering, Phil Graf, Richard Wallace, and I led a workshop on “Empowerment and Multiplication.” Our tag line was:
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go as (and develop) a team.”
This is an objective we have in our Divine Expedition training (part of GTN). We not only taught this but modeled it as Phil, Richard, and I took turns presenting (as we do in all our trainings around the globe). We also interactively engaged those attending (as we also do in our trainings).
Here is a handout from our workshop showing the 34 team members of the apostle Paul listed in the New Testament:
I especially like that last one. I hope that by God’s grace I can live up to the name.
It is an honor to be part of Global Training Network and the quality of leaders that make up GTN. Even more, it is an honor to train leaders around the world with our Divine Expedition training
Thank you for being a part of it with us.
Because of God’s great grace in Jesus,
Linus for the GTN Divine Expedition Team
On Expedition + 