The need for full-time leadership of the ministry was apparent and the board considered options throughout 2008. The next year, after praying for provision, John received the news that two organizations would offer six-figure amounts to support the ministry. John left his position with Bible League to provide full-time leadership to Multiplication Network. Along with dedicated volunteers, Tim Maxwell, Steve Chittenden, Corrie Lenting, and Gary Teja came to be part of a core team. “I remember exactly where I was when I phoned Juan Carlos Melo to share the good news and to see if he was up to the challenge of training 300 church planters in the coming year. He said yes and has been a powerhouse for the work in the continent ever since,” John says. Multiplication Network expanded their commitment in Latin America to 14 countries and a growing number of U.S. donors were providing support for work in other places around the world.
John also called co-author in the church planting book, Dr. David Ramírez. He shared his new direction and David spontaneously invited Multiplication Network to come down to address his Church of God bishops of South America who were soon having a special meeting in Lima, Peru. John traveled with Juan Carlos and presented a model for church planter training. The second day of meetings, John and Juan Carlos Melo signed our first serious denominational agreement for the training of 2,000 church planters by 2020. This was the first partnership of what later was going to be a regular part of our way of working.