The glow of thousands of faces lights up the room, a powerful testament to the spread of the gospel from generation to generation. 

This was one of the many special moments from The Navigators 2023 National Staff Gathering.

Last month, over 1,300 Navigator staff came together in Irving, Texas. The theme of the weekend was Heartbeat: A Vital Movement of the Gospel, focusing on 2 Timothy 2:1-2: “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (NIV).

The gathering held five plenary sessions, which were designed to inspire, uplift, and challenge staff attendees to continue the work to which they’ve been called. Staff heard insights on the Lord’s vision for grace, necessary aspects of prayer, and how He works through each and every one of us to reach the nations and spread His mission.  

Staff members also enjoyed times of fun and laughter, along with encouraging ministry stories from new and old friends, breakouts to equip and multiply disciplemakers, precious times of prayer and worship, and motivational messages from fellow Navigators and international leaders. 

For many, the National Staff Gathering was a reminder of why they became Navigators — to be a part of a vital movement of the gospel by connecting, resourcing, and developing everyday disciplemakers. 

Though this conference looked back over the past four years since our last National Staff Gathering, we also took time to look forward to the work that is ahead of us as a ministry. You can partner with us as we continue this work for years to come! 

Pray that the Lord works through The Navigators to reach the unreached and create new disciplemakers. Come alongside us to spread the gospel and disciple those in your circles, from family members to coworkers to neighbors and beyond.

Whether you serve on staff or through your everyday life, we are excited to see how the Lord moves through this next season of ministry!

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV).

Discipleship Tip:  

Pull out your phone and find a photo of someone you’re discipling or have discipled. Pray for that person and reach out to offer them encouragement.

During our recent time together, Jasmine recounted, “I knew about discipleship because my sister was discipled within The Navigators, so I came in looking for it for myself. I was interested in discipleship because I wanted to grow more in my relationship with God and just have someone who was ahead of me and able to walk alongside me. Being discipled by an African American woman was also something I thought of and thought it would be encouraging to have someone in my life who has gone through similar things such as not really being understood in certain experiences. The churches I’ve been part of are predominantly white, so I thought being discipled by someone who looks like me would also be important.”

I’m eager to continue meeting with Jasmine throughout her time on campus, encouraging her in her faith and identity. Having been on my own journey the past several years of growing in my faith and my ethnic identity, I’m excited to pass along the many things I’ve learned along the way.

Life-to-life^® discipleship opportunities are incredibly important to help believers grow in our relationship with God. It can also be important to incorporate diversity within these relationships by meeting with someone who is not like you. We have so much to learn from one another!

However, there are many groups of people who have not had the opportunity to be discipled, led, or trained by someone who looks like them. Being discipled by someone with a shared ethnic identity, who has similar experiences, or someone who can understand experiences without elaborate explanation, can be a rare gift for some believers. Majority culture friends can take this simple source of comfort for granted without realizing it. Representation matters—more than some of us realize.

As we move forward with igniting disciplemaking movements, may many nations and peoples be reached, included, and represented.

Eric, a BSU alumni, captures the whole-life transformation that took place during his college years. “The Navigators not only taught me how to walk with Christ, but you also taught me how to study for school! The Bible study skills you gave me were transferable to my school study habits. My grades got better as a result of being involved. I still remember when you [Osaze] approached me while you were doing evangelism in the game room. You all were relatable—close enough to my life that I could relate and old enough to be mentors. I really want to say thank you!”

Eric had just decided to follow Jesus when he met Osaze. Now, several years after graduating from college, Eric is a law enforcement officer, husband, and father, and continues to grow in his relationship with God and disciple those in his sphere of influence.

“This kind of life change for the long term builds the credibility of our ministry,” shares Osaze. “The Navigators are not necessarily well known in the African American church community, so the ability to demonstrate how discipleship makes a difference in young men’s spiritual condition and ability to contribute to their community is important.”

Many Bowie State alumni remain in the local area and stay involved with campus ministry to disciple the next generation of students. Daniel who is now part of EDGE Corps (a Navigators Collegiate internship), graduated in 2016. He was one of the first student Bible study leaders at BSU. Now, he is giving back to the next generation of leaders as he disciples Chris, who is the student president of The Navigators at BSU. Chris, a junior, in turn invests in underclassmen.

Even in the midst of disappointing cancellations this spring, when student leaders who had planned to attend the African American Network conference in Chicago had to adjust to a virtual conference instead, the good news still is going out and students are growing in their relationship with Jesus.

The pandemic has brought out deep questions from students and those in their sphere of influence. Justin, who has been discipled by Osaze for the past three years, is friends with a martial arts instructor. With many martial arts classes cancelled, he has had more time to think and spend time asking Justin spiritual questions. One night Justin’s friend asked, “How can I be saved?” and after understanding the gospel, he decided to follow Jesus. Now Justin has the joy of discipling his friend to start his growth in Christ.

During the last school year, the students at BSU studied 2 Timothy. As they studied Paul’s exhortation to a young disciple, they also lived out the message of this epistle: “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2)

Praise God for the generations of disciplemakers who have graduated from Bowie State University. Pray for ongoing ministry to equip young men and women to live out their faith and engage in lifelong disciplemaking.

Reverend Maurice Winley is a third-generation minister who serves as Associate Minister at the Soul Saving Station church in Harlem, NY. He has been active as a youth development specialist for over 25 years helping youth and families in Harlem and in cities throughout the U.S. such as Washington DC, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Houston, San Diego, Chicago, New Jersey, and throughout the Greater Capital Region of New York.

Maurice’s passion for helping at-risk youth came from a vow he made as a young adult when he received a second chance that turned around his life forever. His turning point came at age 17, when he chose a path that would lead to either death or life in prison. But God gave him a second chance.

Maurice grew up in a Christian home. His goal during high school was to attend medical school to become a doctor and he received numerous academic scholarships to fulfill his dream. However, a series of life-changing incidents and circumstances changed the course of his life—leading him to enroll in “Street University” instead of accepting the scholarships and attending medical school.

This critical life choice led Maurice, at the age of 17, down the path to the State Department of Corrections. Maurice had been afforded an employment opportunity to manage two stores selling compact discs. But one day, during an attempted robbery at one of the stores, the assailant was killed and Maurice found himself facing a grand jury with a new charge that carried a sentence of twenty-five years to life.

On the day he appeared before the grand jury, his father prayed a simple prayer over him that God would judge his heart. With his father’s prayer fresh in his mind, Maurice stood before the judge. In his testimony to the grand jury, under heavy conviction recalling the impact of the words the victim’s mother spoke to him, Maurice expressed deep remorse for his actions and made a life-changing vow. “If you give me a second chance, I will dedicate my life to seeing that other young men do not come down this path!”

What happened next changed the trajectory of Maurice’s life. Miraculously, after his testimony the grand jury and the judge decided to throw out the case. Maurice’s surrender to God launched his call to impact vulnerable young men, particularly of African American and Latino descent, who were the most at risk to take that destructive path.

This moment of surrendering his life to God led him to becoming the man he is today, faithfully serving God and fulfilling his vow. Since then, walking by faith, God has opened many doors enabling him to help those in need of the gospel to find hope.

Fulfilling His Calling

Later down the road, Maurice met Andy Puleo the former New York City Director of The Navigators who intentionally mentored Maurice. The Navigators Life-to-Life^® discipleship model had a profound impact on him, his call, and his ministry. Maurice credits Puleo’s discipleship and influence on his ministry philosophy to his successes in ministry, youth, and community work. Puleo’s mentorship helped him crystalize the vision for the movement God had placed on his heart. The fruit of Puleo’s discipleship is further evidenced in Maurice’s recent launching of Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub.

The combination of Puleo’s discipling and mentoring, and the relationships he formed through The Navigators became a source of encouragement Maurice needed for the next stage of his ministry.

Maurice shares, “Puleo’s mentorship and my training with The Navigators through the emphasis on deep relationships and Life-to-Life discipleship, seeing discipleship as a leadership paradigm, are the footprints Puleo left on my heart.” Puleo modeled discipleship to Maurice, “The Navigators became an oasis in my wilderness of discovering, hearing, and responding to God’s call.” Being in this environment of grace enabled Maurice to continue the healing process in a healthy way, having his call affirmed as he continued to work through internal feelings of guilt and shame.

The Navigators I:58 ministry is part of Maurice’s team’s work today, as they intentionally disciple and mentor those youth who come through the doors daily at Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub, which is housed at the Soul Saving Station church where he was raised and rededicated his life to the Lord.

“Our Redeemer is opening doors through His mighty power in our personal testimonies—we work with youth, school systems, government, and ministries to help stop the cycle of brokenness. Our ministry focus is Life-to-Life discipleship for young people. We are there to give kids hope, speak truth into their lives, and walk alongside them as mentors and advocates.” Maurice shares.

But now, in the midst of the global pandemic where NYC became the COVID-19 epicenter—the normal, everyday needs of the Harlem community escalated—now many need emergency resources such as food, cleaning supplies, and encouragement.

Maurice shares how his team partnered with other parts of the community to provide food and supplies. “Our church and ministry has partnered with a local food pantry to help provide food and basic essentials to those in the community twice a week. The team serves an average of 1,000 people each week. Since we started, we have fed a total of 15,554 souls, and the need continues to grow.”

Coming out to serve in a high risk area, such as NYC is a risk their team is willing to take in order to reach those in need of hope. Beloved, who works for Living Redemption Youth Hub as a Credible Messenger shares, “My daughter is worried when I come in to serve, because of health issues, but I trust that God will protect me and will help me to do His work. We provide more than just food, we provide hope and love that God shows through acts of service.”

“We serve those who are in our youth program but also, kids and families,” shares Maurice “We deliver food and supplies to elderly folks who can’t leave their homes. This has expanded our outreach into the community to care for those who are most vulnerable.”

“In an effort to adapt and expand our ministry during COVID-19, we have developed our website to share information about when food supplies are offered, provide encouraging content and resources. Our plan is to continue partnering with those in our community to help not only with COVID-19 issues, but also continue helping at-risk youth to overcome the hurdles of growing up in harder times. Our prayer is to show them that they can succeed and they are not alone. “

God has called us to be disciplemakers, to make a way for those in need and be the catalyst that transforms lives by serving others as Christ loved us.

Watch a snapshot of serving others in Harlem:

BIO:
Rev. Maurice Winley is Founder and Executive Director of Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub, a community-based initiative launched in 2017 in Central and West Harlem funded through the Manhattan District Attorney’s Criminal Justice Initiative in affiliation with The City College of New York (CCNY) and is housed at the Soul Saving Station For Every Nation. Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub provides one-stop, comprehensive support for justice impacted youth and young adults, specifically African American and Latino males age 10-24 to prevent them from becoming involved in the criminal justice system. The Mission of Living Redemption Youth Opportunity Hub is Saving Lives and Healing Communities One Relationship at a Time. Maurice also serves on staff with Navigators I:58 in Harlem, NY.

“When we had to make the decision to cancel the conference, we could have just stopped at that and closed the door,” shares Dexter Johnson, director of AFAM. “But we had a conviction that there was still a need for the conference and there was still a way to accomplish God’s calling.”

The conference team quickly mobilized and adapted the ministry plan to create a shorter online conference. They had to adapt their communication technology, video components, speakers, schedules, slides, online platforms, and get the word out within 24 hours! Everybody was passionate about adapting to change their ministry to an online session that would still serve and equip disciplemakers. The program included powerful testimonies, teaching, and spoken word poetry. Within 24 hours the team pulled together a meaningful opportunity for training and encouragement.

God clearly worked through all the components of the conference—affirming that the gospel is unstoppable, and God will accomplish His work through people who boldly serve!

After the online session, the team debriefed and realized that there were many innovative approaches they could incorporate into their ongoing ministry. Dexter shares, “I sense the Lord leading us in the direction of offering more online training and connection, to bring resources to people who need them. We are creative when we come together, using all of the gifts God has provided.”

In the coming months, the AFAM team plans to offer additional workshops, both live and recorded, so that the ministry of disciplemaking continues despite the obstacles we are all facing.

Even as it is clear that God accomplished His purposes and disciplemaking is going forward, there was a longing to be physically together and experience face-to-face fellowship. God’s Spirit can fill this gap and provide ways for those who are physically distant to be connected.

Dexter’s wife, Patriece Johnson, also encourages us to see how God is moving through the ministry during this uncertain time: “Don’t underestimate the power of the body of Christ. When we come together and God gives a vision, we see God do amazing things. Even if our plans don’t go the way we thought they would, nothing will stop or interfere with the work that God wants to accomplish.”

Praise God for those who are furthering God’s work among African American Navigators to experience God’s favor. Pray that the coming days will offer more opportunities to invest in disciplemaking—in new ways like these!

Watch AFAM 2020 Online

Booker T. Washington, the founder and president of Tuskegee University in Alabama, was convinced scientist George Washington Carver would add significant value to the young people at his school. Washington hired Carver to run the school’s agricultural department in 1896. But the value Carver added went well beyond the classroom. Unbeknownst to Washington, Carver was also a renowned Bible teacher who taught a group of 70-80 students every Sunday night in the 1930s.

While serving at Tuskegee, Carver was a much sought-after speaker at white and Black colleges and church conferences. He also became a favorite speaker at YMCA conferences in Blue Ridge, North Carolina. When The Navigators asked my wife, Jane, and me to begin a discipleship ministry at Tuskegee in 1970, we knew nothing of the prayers, faith, and fruit of George Washington Carver decades earlier. Only after meeting two elderly women from Carver’s Sunday night study did we realize that we were about to stand on the broad spiritual shoulders of a true disciple of Christ.

Knowing very little of how to develop a campus ministry, we simply began to evangelize and follow up with the new Christians and get the students involved in Bible study growth groups. We recruited Charlie Speight and a few others to help with the work of discipling students for Christ. We attended the campus Sunday school led by the school chaplain. While the chaplain was doing the best he knew how, I knew the class needed student leadership. We were convinced that the best way to serve the campus was to encourage students to attend the Sunday school, teach, and then encourage students to come. Before long there were almost 100 students who were growing and connecting with each other.

For The Navigators, the 8:00 a.m. Sunday school was the meeting place. During the week, students began meeting in their dorm rooms to study the Scriptures and being led by other students. The students soon assembled a prayer group who committed to meeting three times a week at 5:30 a.m. to pray for the new converts. Every Friday evening was evangelism through the dorms and on Saturdays there was a gathering at our home appropriately called a “Jesus Rally.”

The ministry reached its highest level in 1972 when the late well-known evangelist Tom Skinner preached for three days on campus and three hundred persons were saved. The Tuskegee Navigators group initiated the Design for Discipleship (DFD) studies and followed up with around 100 of the converts.

We served at Tuskegee for only three years and then Charlie Speight took over the Sunday school ministry. Eddie Broussard eventually assumed leadership of the ministry who then passed it on to Alex Anderson (Intervarsity). Finally, Alex passed the baton to Byron Johnson with Campus Outreach. We believe it was about 27 years that the Sunday school ministry continued with evangelism, follow-up, and discipleship through the DFD. Today there are about 90 persons in a group on Facebook who grew in Christ because of the ministry. They are missionaries, pastors, elders, deacons, and Sunday school teachers. We also believe the people, the families, the churches, and the ministries who have been impacted by the Tuskegee ministry cannot be numbered.

The Compton Summer Intensive (CSi) was led by Armando Madrid (Navigators Church Ministries) and Alicia Garcia (Navigators Collegiate), in partnership with the Navigators of Los Angeles City Team and local Navigator ministries within the city.

Each CSi team member gave up part of their summer to serve at the Compton Navigators I:58 ministry hub out of a desire to deepen their hearts for urban outreach. Each CSi participant trained in Life-to-Life^® discipleship, learned and taught everyday life and job skills, and mentored kids in camp and internship settings throughout the city. They lived locally, serving churches and faith-based non-profits in the heart of Compton.

“Getting to work in partnership with Navigators from our other local ministries was a highlight for us,” says Susan Combs (I:58), who led the service project portion of the program with her husband, Bob. “We all have so much we are focusing on in our local ministry context. It was meaningful to me to get to know the other Navigators and be united in a common goal.”

Navigators Los Angeles City Director Carl Camp served on the CSi planning team.

“It was great to see Navigators from all our ministries in the Los Angeles area work together to plan CSi,” Carl says.

This program was particularly unique in that 13 people in the group were ethnic minorities, and many were from urban areas similar to Compton.

“This is the third summer we have run our internship for mentoring high-schoolers, and having the CSi participants this year was a highpoint,” Susan says. “Although we have ongoing relationships with the high schoolers, our staff are all middle-aged or older, and five out of six of us are white. The high schoolers are African American, Latino, and Samoan, growing up in Compton. We will never be able to relate fully to their challenges and struggles. The CSi team was able to speak into the students’ lives and encourage them in their faith in ways we never could.”

CSi also made a powerful impact at a summer camp they helped lead. When volunteers fell through at the last minute, the CSi team stepped in to run the program for 96 kids.

The way God provided for each person to attend CSi was also a profound answer to prayer.

“All of the participants fundraised through a group funding project,” co-director Armando Madrid says. “The only thing we asked was that each person try to invite 50 people to support the project, not necessarily the individual. As a group we raised about $13,000—about a third of our budget. Our budget also included a stipend paid to them at the end of the program. It was a great statement of value to the team.”

“We had to learn from one another and see God come through,” co-director Alicia Garcia says. “One of the most exciting things has been seeing some of the guys who joined us from other cities grow a heart for discipleship. All of us came together to serve and grow with the gospel as our guide. We entered as strangers, and because of Christ and shared experiences, came out of the summer as family.”

Serving alongside the Butlers on full-time staff are Mark and Emma Sumrall. Emma disciples a student named Cuza, who joined NavCompass her freshman year in 2014.

“Coming into college—joining a ministry and giving my life to Christ were the last things on my mind,” Cuza says. “I loved the welcoming spirit of the ministry, but it wasn’t until I got more involved that I started to seriously consider a relationship with God. During that time, I gave my life to Christ. I started my discipleship with Emma Sumrall in my junior year, and not only did I fall more in love with Christ, I also began to see how much He loved me even more. With Emma, I get to see an example of Christian living, and I am continually allowing Christ to help me heal and become a stronger person.”

Student Ozzie Araga was discipled by Dustin, and also feels that deep transformation.

“I was in a place of depression and darkness,” Ozzie says. “But praise God for holding onto me and connecting me with a loving ministry that welcomed my brokenness. I had so many questions about God’s existence, but Dustin was there to answer it all with the Bible, and boy was I ready to surrender my life to Christ. I am so blessed and thankful for meeting Dustin and being discipled by him. He was loving, caring, understanding, and spoke from his heart. That really made me want to pursue Jesus wholeheartedly, and The Navigators ministry allowed me to do that. It has been three years now and my life has dramatically improved. I see hope, I’ve found peace and joy, I see light and no darkness, and more important, I have faith in Jesus Christ who loves me and died for my sins. I am devoting my life to doing ministry for God’s Kingdom.”

Rejoice with us at the work God is doing in the lives of students like Cuza and Ozzie, and please pray for the ongoing, fruitful work among AfricanAmerican students at the University of Georgia.

We want to raise up an army of next generation Kingdom laborers, particularly young African Americans, as the population within the city limits is 85 percent African American. The alternative is that our ministry will be a “Big White Donut” with the city in the middle. We are seeing slow but intentional progress in this shift, with our Collegiate ministry at Wayne State and in our new model for workplace ministry.

Detroit:
… lost two-thirds of its population and 80 percent of its tax base and wealth in the past 50 years. Detroit NavCity ministry has a unique opportunity to share the Gospel with this city in need of hope.
… is the poorest major city in the United States, yet it is also the most generous. The per capita percentage of income given to charity is higher than anywhere else.

“Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.”     – 2 Corinthians 8:2

When Trey Souder sat in a ward room eating lunch he wasn’t trying to stand out. But when a fellow officer commented on Souder’s plate of fruits and vegetables—with all eyes trained on him—Souder said he was fasting. And he stood out.

“When you’re around people who don’t know Jesus, you have to be intentional about knowing Him better yourself—and showing Him to the world around you. You have to be counter-cultural without looking down on others,” says Trey.

Standing out is something he’s experienced before. Souder, an African American, was raised in an Atlanta suburb where there were few African American families. After high school, he attended the predominantly white U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

But shortly after arriving at the academy, he met upperclassman Jake Owens, who told him about a ministry The Navigators had recently started, one geared specifically to African Americans. Trey then met Mike Slone, the Navigator staff member who led the group, and began to be discipled by him.

“I was pretty inconsistent—just going through the motions,” says Trey. “But Mike and Jake were persistent, consistent, and faithful. They never gave up on me.”

“I really got excited about my faith, about living for God,” says Trey. He was amped up about sharing the Good News and the lessons that were transforming him daily. But after graduating from the Academy, life wasn’t exactly what he had envisioned.

It was harder to make connections. He felt alone and struggled to live the life he was called to while surrounded by dozens of different faiths and lifestyles. Still, he worked hard to establish trust with his shipmates where close quarters demand authenticity. That authenticity also made it impossible to keep his newfound passion a secret.

Trey worried about standing out and being judged. Yet he wanted to invest in others, to share his hope, and to disciple others. He wanted to love his neighbors.

One neighbor was Devon*, an older officer who was the son of a Muslim extremist. Devon began to notice subtle differences between Trey and the other sailors. “He was intrigued by my faith,” says Trey. “We talked a lot, and even began praying and reading the Bible together. I was vulnerable. I listened. I just wanted to offer him Christ.”

Devon later came to faith in Jesus. “It was awesome to be part of that,” says Trey, “and to see how God’s plan keeps working even after we’ve done our part.”

Trey’s life looks different today than it did as a Naval Academy student or as an active duty officer. Although still in the military as a recruiter for the Army, his primary community these days is young African American men living in his neighborhood in New Orleans’ Third Ward. These young men wander with no direction. Still, he disciples them with the same intentionality with which he was once mentored. The lessons he learned all those years ago serve him well in every ethnic and social context.

“Every encounter, every person, every challenge, has made me who I am today,” says Trey.

And that is something that makes Trey Souder stand out.

*Not his real name.