Pioneering with Purpose

For many years the School of Apostolic Pioneering has been equipping men and women across India with the tools they need to launch new ministries and extend the reach of God’s Kingdom. I had the privilege of leading the SOAP in Kanpur, Indore, and twice in Varanasi. Our trusted friend and partner Sunil has faithfully run the school three times in Lucknow.

Over the years, SOAP has become a launching pad for visionaries—those who are ready to say “yes” to the call of God and go where others haven’t yet gone. The school has now run in Kanpur, Varanasi (twice), Indore, and most recently in Lucknow, and the results have been inspiring.

To date, 26 new ministries have been started as a direct result of SOAP. These ministries—many of them church planting teams—have emerged in partnership with local YWAM bases and ministries, primarily across North and West India.

Pictured below are one of the earliest success stories comes from Shivaji and Manisha, who, in 2009, formed a team from their sending base in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. By the end of that year, they had launched their pioneering ministry. Focused on church planting and evangelism, they quickly gained traction. Their bold vision is to start churches in 85 surrounding villages, and they’ve already begun to see fruit in five of them. By 2010, their ministry had expanded to include outreach to women in the local community.

I had the joy of visiting Babloo and Sarika in Gwalior pictured below. They are establishing a vibrant church planting and training ministry, serving as a beacon of hope in their region. Their work represents just one of many dots on the map—each one a testimony of courage, obedience, and God’s faithfulness.

The SOAP exists to train and launch pioneers—leaders with the skills, biblical understanding, and Christlike character to start new YWAM bases and ministries. These aren't just ideas; they are boots-on-the-ground efforts to reach the unreached and bring transformation to communities through the power of the Gospel. Through practical training, intentional discipleship, and strategic mentorship, SOAP alumni are not only prepared to pioneer but to persevere. Their lives are marked by a passion to go beyond the familiar, into the hard-to-reach places that very few are willing to venture.