(by Roger Reimer - July 2, 2014)  As a diverse group of men and women gathered from the remote corners of distant countries, there was a heightened sense of anticipation. Each one was an inspiring young community leader, serving in many cases as the sole person operating a community radio station.

Gathering to learn more about this tool to share the message of hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ, they arrived in Indonesia with a spirit of camaraderie, expecting a time of both vocational training and spiritual encouragement.

Complementing this scene was the presence of veteran missionaries Ron and Barb Cline who have served as powerful motivational speakers and effective leaders throughout their three-decade-plus career with Reach Beyond (formerly HCJB Global). Officially retired, they continue to be active as mission ambassadors, serving in training and prayer ministries.

A total of 25 students participated in the Global Voice Leadership Institute (GVLI) June 2-6, again taking place in Indonesia after being held in Nepal for the first time last year.

“This year we returned to Bali where 19 Indonesian men and women plus four visitors from Kenya and Uganda and two from Cambodia were selected by partners to attend and to learn so they could be prepared for leadership,” explained Ron, who serves as the GVLI chaplain.

Topics covered in these sessions included “Habits of a Leader,” “Qualities of a Leader,” “Role of a Leader,” “The Leader as a Manager” and “The Leader as the Leader.”

Additional team members included Derek Kickbush, media manager for Reach Beyond-Australia; and John Brewer, engineering director in the Asia Pacific Region, while local partners provided additional input from a local cultural perspective.

Kickbush said the times of personal reflection and sharing with training participants “led to some deep and meaningful conversations about how to manage creative people—about being transparent as a manager (which is not really culturally compatible) and about the manager being the champion of the staff.”

Describing the impact these students have on local ministries, Ron observed that “they teach what they have learned to their staff, to their churches—some on the radio, others in community sessions—anywhere they can.”

The students are ministering in their home communities, teaching others what they’ve learned, completing homework assignments and preparing to return to Bali for the second half of GVLI in October.

“When they return we will hear where they taught and what happened,” Ron said. “It’s always good. In fact, in the second half, the students actually teach some of the courses for the others. We figure leaders have to be teachers.”

“These classes are made possible because of the vision and gifts of friends in the U.S.,” Ron concluded. “The investment they are making in the lives and ministries of these leaders is changing people’s lives throughout the region.”

Source: Reach Beyond