Passion2Plant Launches Inaugural Cohort of Urban Church Planters Training

MIAMI, FL – June 11, 2021 – (NOTICIAS NEWSWIRE) – The Passion2Plant Network (P2P) launched its first cohort of justice focused church planting training for planters and pastors in May 2021. P2P supports church planters seeking to start justice-oriented churches right from the start. P2P is a church planting organization founded and led by Dr. Elizabeth Rios, a woman of color in the United States. P2P is committed to discovering, developing, and deployingBlack and Brown leaders discerning the call to plant in urban communities with justice focused training. Additionally, P2P is fully egalitarian, affirming the role of both men and women as lead pastors and authorities within the church. Upon completion of the training, planters are introduced to P2P partners for assessment and funding or can choose to affiliate their church plant with the P2P network through the credentialing partnership with the Council of Holistic Christian Churches and Ministries.

“PSP has been a timely gift for me in my early stages of church planting. I have been in several church planting conferences and cohorts, but none of them have been spaces designed especially for Black and Brown church planters. It is so meaningful to feel ‘en casa y entre familia’ as we take bold steps towards where the Spirit is at work,” said Sarah Gautier, J.D., Lead Pastor, Living Stones

The P2P church planting model is structured on five foundational pillars: Christ centered, Holy Spirit filled, women affirming, justice oriented, APEST fivefold ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, teachers). P2P service platforms include education, encouragement, empowerment, credentialing, research, and coaching.

“Passion2Plant had an auspicious beginning in the middle of a worldwide pandemic exacerbated by increased racial tensions in the world and even in the “church”, making our focus on planting urban churches with a ‘justice from below’ perspective even more important and relevant. Our desire is to inform, inspire and instruct men and women of God to be the catalysts for transformation in the urban communities they are called to serve by focusing on justice from the start of the church planting process.A church that follows Jesus will always be led to advocate for justice and will operate justly. It is important to have them both in the DNA of the church right from the start.This is also reflected in our egalitarianism as an organization, and it is a joy to see a strong representation of women in the inaugural cohort. We are grateful to the visionary partners, trainers and advisory board who support the work we are doing,” statedDr. Elizabeth Rios,President& Founder, Passion2Plant Network.

Inaugural Cohort Roster of Training Team Experts:

-  Dr. Roberto Chao Romero, Author and Associate Professor, Departments of Chicana/o Studies and Asian American Studies, University of California at Los Angeles

- Rev. Dr. Orlando Crespo, Author and National Director, InterVarsity Latino Fellowship

- Dr. Drew Hart, Author, Activist and Professor of Theology, Bible and Religion Department, Messiah University

- Rev. Jose Humphreys, Author, and Co-founder/pastor, Metro Hope Covenant Church, New York City

- Emanuel Padilla, President and Founder, World Outspoken, Professor, Bible and Theology, Moody Bible Institute

- Bishop Rev. Dr. Raymond Rivera, Author and Founder, Latino Pastoral Action Center (LPAC)

- Rev. Dr. Efrem Smith, Author, Pastor, Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Global Influencer

- Donecia Smith, Inspirational Coach, Consultant, Marriage Coaching Director, Passion2Plant Network

Advisory Board:

- Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, Robert Munger Professor of Evangelism, Fuller Theological Seminary

- Lisa Trevino Cummins, Author and Founder, Urban Strategies,

- Bishop Rev. Dr. Raymond Rivera, Author and Founder, Latino Pastoral Action Center (LPAC)

“Passion2Plant has created a space for me to listen, to heal, and to be challenged, in community, as ‘familia.’ It has quickly become one of the most powerful experiences of my ministry life, and I know the lessons learned and conversations had will be guiding me for the rest of my time on this earth. I am humbled and grateful to be able to call the men and women in this cohort my brothers and sisters, and I am so inspired and convicted by the gracious and tenacious leadership of Dr. Liz Rios. We need more laborers like Dr. Liz and we need more spaces like P2P,” declared Chuck Armstrong, Planter/Pastor, Hope Hell's Kitchen,NYC 

About Passion2Plant Network:
Passion2Plant Network (P2P) was founded by Dr. Elizabeth Rios as a bridge-building support network providing a bridge to church assessment organizations, education from a Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) perspective, equipping planters and/or pastors to plant in urban communities utilizing knowledge and scholarship directly from marginalized people, offering credentialing, and providing on-goingsupport through cohort training and events for planters and pastors. P2P is an urban and social justice church planting training organization founded and led by a woman of color in the United States. http://www.passion2plant.com