LFM Appeal Letter: March 2025

Imagine being in a season of deep exhaustion— feeling alone, burned out, and unsure how to move forward. Now imagine discovering a group of like-minded leaders who come alongside you, offering encouragement, wisdom, and the presence of God in a new way. That’s exactly what happened to Homero Aziz when he joined the LFM God is Great (G.I.G.) group in 2016.

“Joining the group was a life-changing experience for me, because I was facing burnout and living a very hard season of life after a miscarriage and a lot of struggles in ministry. I was depressed and felt alone and abandoned. I was so busy doing many things and was not caring about myself, my family, and the future. By God’s grace, and through the support of my LFM mentor and mentoring group, I was able to reflect, think differently, and start changes that helped me to not only overcome the season, but to start flourishing again.”

Led by Roland Werner, a member of LFM’s original Point Group, the G.I.G. group formed following the Lausanne Movement’s “Younger Leaders Gathering” in 2016 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Since then, the G.I.G. Mentoring Group has met for almost ten years. The Bible says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another,” (Proverbs 27:17 NIV), and Homero certainly experienced that reality with this band of brothers.

Homero pastors a church in Jordan, leads a missionary association, and has planted several churches in his region. In 2023 he took a sabbatical, when he says “the Lord put on my heart that it was time for me to extend this mentoring experience to others.” He reached out to Anne Grizzle and Mark Slaughter, both deeply connected to Leighton Ford Ministries, for coaching and support.

With their encouragement, he contacted nine Brazilian Christian leaders, from business people

“I personally felt during our mentoring gathering that I was doing what I am called to do. It was a unique experience. If there was any fear in the past to mentor a group, it is all gone. Thank you for supporting my requests and all you did to make this happen. May God keep using LFM to bless the nations.”

– HOMERO AZIZ

to pastors and missionaries, spread across the world. “Like me they were feeling alone in their own journey and lacked a group of support. Now, with the help and guidance of LFM, we started our own Brazilian Band of Brothers (B3) Mentoring Group.”

Your generosity allowed Homero and his new Brazilian Band of Brothers to have their first retreat. Because of your support, they are now mentoring leaders in Jordan, Indonesia, Brazil, France, Japan, Bolivia, Portugal, and the USA.

In early 2025 they experienced their first mentoring retreat in Northern Ireland. Homero says, “To see God move during our first encounter was something I will never forget. Thank you, Mark and Anne and LFM, for inspiring all of us, and for all of my new LFM family.” Group members share what an amazing time they enjoyed together:

“Living these days with experienced servants of God was something wonderful and transformative. Seeing the devotion, service, love and anointing of each one helped me grow and become a little more like our Master.”

– Pedro

“I have been deeply touched by the hospitality and welcoming environment we experienced together. The deeply shared vulnerability has been incredible. I’ve been able to see God clearly at work in the lives of each of my brothers. These moments renewed my heart. I’m excited to see what is going to happen next.”

– Maycon

“This model of journey of life together – ‘missionary blessing missionary’ – was spectacular. This little break from all the rush came at a good time to recharge my batteries so I can start my new year with enthusiasm in the Lord. Thank you, LFM, for all the support and initiative that made this possible.”

– Ricardo

“Having a group where we can be vulnerable without fear of criticism is healing. God was so present.”

– Allan

“These days with my new friends were so refreshing. It was clear how much we care for each other and how necessary and fruitful it is to spend quality time with brothers that share our same vision and heart for serving. I am already praying for our next encounter.”

– Gabriel

This spring, Homero will be working together with Anne Grizzle at an LFM gathering to equip Lausanne leaders from Eurasia to form new mentoring communities. How exciting to see the ripple effect continue impacting lives – from Leighton, to Roland, to Homero, to the new.

Brazilian Band of Brothers, to leaders from Eurasia. God’s kingdom continues advancing around the world through healthy leaders.

A Global Reach in Nigeria

My father, Leighton Ford, was deeply instrumental in the foundation of the Lausanne Movement, serving as its Chair for years and later being named Lifetime Honorary Chair.

In January, Dr. William F. Kumuyi invited Mark Slaughter to speak in Lagos, Nigeria, at their annual Global Leadership Strategy Congress.
Representing LFM, he shared with 17,000 church leaders from around the world, representing 120 countries, about the ways the Lord restored the prophet Elijah when he experienced a low point in his life and ministry. He explained to them how, like Elijah, ministry leaders today need to avoid isolation and, instead, reach into the power of soul friendships.

Expanding Mentoring Networks

Mark also led a workshop for several thousand in attendance, where he shared about LFM’s mentoring principles, the vision of starting mentoring communities, and challenged pastors to start their own groups
when they returned home. Numerous people asked Mark questions about how to start their own mentoring communities in their regions for deep, soul friendships.

Dr. Kumuyi, who was named by Foreign Policy Magazine as one of the world’s top 500 leaders, started a Bible study in his home in 1982 that led to a huge evangelical, global movement, including churches all over the world. He shares a huge passion for unreached groups and taking the Gospel to others through collaborating with like-minded believers.

The Lausanne Legacy Continues

Leighton impacted Dr. Kumuyi at the 1983 Amsterdam International Conference for Itinerant Evangelists, sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, where representatives from 133 nations gathered with an audience of 4,000 evangelists.

Mark met with Dr. Kumuyi in January, when he brought greetings from LFM and presented him several of Leighton’s books. Dr. Kumuyi beamed and described Leighton’s influence on him: “Though I haven’t been in one of his mentoring groups, he has mentored me from a distance. When his book, Transforming Leadership, was released in the 1990s, I led our staff through that book.” He then began naming each chapter title from memory and shared how vital the material was in developing their own ministry.

Our mission at LFM remains to be a catalyst for mentoring a new generation of healthy leaders who sustain thriving ministries for the sake of the Gospel. We nurture soul friendships, providing safe times, safe places, and safe people for ministry leaders.

We’re excited how God is sovereignly making connections and intersections all over the world for this Kingdom work. You are touching the lives of leaders in places like Nigeria, Brazil, Indonesia, Canada, France, and Portugal through your prayers and gifts.

Thank you for your partnership as we “testify about our Lord” (2 Timothy 2:8 NIV).

Grateful,

Will you consider investing in the lives of kingdom leaders?

Praying daily for this ministry and the lives it reaches.

• Sharing $100/month to help support our ongoing mentoring groups around the world.
• Investing $2,000 to train and equip a leader for one of these mentoring communities.
• Giving $5,000 to cover the first year of a new community.
• Donating $8,000 for Anne and Homero’s Eurasian mentoring training.
• Providing $15,000 for the three-year launch of a new community
• Offering $30,000 to cover the costs of a three-year church cohort for church planters, small churches, and churches in communities of color.

Check out LFM’s new giving pages, where you can watch video
testimonies of God’s work around the world.