Jerusalem lay in ruins. The walls, once strong, were broken. Stones toppled, gates burned. The people were defenseless. Enemies laughed. The city of God was a joke. The men had returned from exile, but they had no leader, no plan. Fear settled in. The task was too big, too much.
Then Nehemiah came. He saw the wreckage and felt the weight. He didn’t talk much. Instead, he prayed, he planned, and then he worked. But he did not work alone. He called the people to rise up. Not just warriors. Not just builders. Everyone. Priests, merchants, goldsmiths. Fathers, sons, even daughters. They picked up stone and hammer and built.
One man could not do it alone. Neither could ten. But when the people stood shoulder to shoulder, the wall rose. Nehemiah did not look for experts. He found willing hands. They were not builders, but they became them. Fifty-two days. That’s all it took. Because Nehemiah built more than walls, he multiplied leaders.
The Acts 2:17 Initiative was a grassroots initiative to identify where we can serve you best. We listened as you spoke. The need is clear: there aren’t enough leaders. Churches are ready, but the workers are few. So to combat this, we’re building a leadership multiplication pipeline with these seven core strengths that’s designed to raise up and send out leaders.
- A Network That Lifts Everyone
We want to forge a network where ministers and lay leaders sharpen each other. The wisest teachers are already in the field, and when we bring them together, we can learn and grow together.
- A Plan Fit for Every Church
No two churches are the same, so no plan should force them to be. Our model conforms to urban, rural, large, and small. After meeting with churches, we are aiming to build a pathway that fits every church. But we want to make it clear that though the method changes, the mission does not.
- Training Built for the Individual
Every leader is different in gifting, passion, and calling. We train leaders for who they are by assessing and discovering their strengths to sharpen what God has given them.
- Multiplication, Not Just Addition
We don’t simply add leaders — we multiply them through scalable resources and adaptive training, sending them out and mentoring them in a forge of transformation.
- Developing the Whole Leader
A broken leader cannot lead. A man may build a strong wall but crumble himself. We do not train leaders only for what they do but for who they are through spiritual depth, mental clarity, and physical endurance. We train men and women to stand not just in the pulpit but in life.
- A Path That Leads to Real Impact
Every stage of our training involves real-world ministry where interns lead, residents serve, and lay-leaders step up under clear expectations and firm accountability, ensuring no time is wasted and every leader knows their purpose.
- A Door Open to All
God calls every believer to the work of ministry, so every believer should have the chance to answer. We make sure of this through offering free resources, scholarships, and grants. In this way, the body supplies what it needs.
Nehemiah couldn’t do the work alone. Neither can a single church.
In our churches, leaders are waiting. The vision adopted by the Tennessee Baptist Convention is for every church to have growing leaders called to ministry … until every Tennessee hears the gospel. We need you on the wall to get there. There’s more to come on how you can get involved. B&R