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Dr. Leon

A brief overview of the ministry of Dr. Leon van Rooyen

The ministry of Dr. Leon van Rooyen has spanned over thirty-five years and five continents. As an apostolic leader, he has served as a missionary, pastor, teacher, evangelist, church planter, and relief worker throughout the globe. In both his public and private life, Dr. Leon strives to promote a love for God, a loyalty to the Church, and a passion for souls. In this case, he is committed to raising up servant-hearted leaders within the Body of Christ. From this vision, Global Ministries and Relief (GMR) was born.

A vision for the masses and the individual

As Founding President of GMR, Dr. Leon exemplifies that one can have a global vision without losing sight of the individual. Although reaching the masses is never far from his mind, specific and individual needs are undoubtedly close to his heart. As a result, much of his time is spent mentoring pastors, apostles, and developing leaders. In this case, he stands firm in his conviction that empowering these individuals through training is the greatest investment he can make. Every year, Dr. Leon travels to several nations to conduct leadership-training seminars in which he imparts powerful Biblical truths into thousands of eager spiritual leaders. Ultimately, he desires to foster maturity in these individuals and to see them reach their full potential by impacting their communities.

Although Dr. Leon now resides in Florida, he was born in Zimbabwe and grew up in South Africa. As an African, he understands the diversity of cultural needs and social concerns throughout his continent. Moreover, he is a compassionate man who has committed his life to aid the suffering. In this case, he has lived and worked in troubling areas, such as refugee camps, affected by civil war, famine, and flooding. Through these experiences, he has learned how to communicate effectively with people from all walks of life, from presidents and high-ranking officials to rural villagers. With this in mind, not only has Dr. Leon facilitated medical teams and equipment throughout the globe, he has also built numerous orphanages and fed thousands in their heartbreaking fight for survival. His ministry is ever-expanding and currently operates in the USA, Canada, India and the UK as well as in various parts of Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Unsurprisingly, Dr. Leon uses the motto of David Livingstone to describe his passion for the global harvest: “Anywhere, provided it be forward!”

Together with a united ministry team, Dr. Leon is resolved to train one million students. Thus far, he has launched over one thousand locally operated, church-based Bible schools or Schools of Ministry. In addition to having written numerous Bible training materials and books, Dr. Leon has developed an online Diploma program as well as an accredited Theological program. In an attempt to further expand his influence and accessibility, he has translated his training materials into a variety of languages such as Spanish, Telugu, Romanian, and Chichewa. With this in mind, GMR is currently committed to continue translating all training programs into even more languages including French, Urdu, Russian, Portuguese, and Swahili. Most recently, River Bible Institute the online Bible Training program was launched in almost every African nation.

Dr. Leon understands that global evangelism fundamentally begins with individuals who have experienced the healing, maturing, and equipping power of the Holy Spirit. With this in mind, Dr. Leon endeavors that every believer be equipped and mobilized for the purpose of the harvest by building the glorious Church.