We began Truth Centered Transformation (TCT) nearly 15 years ago. It is a five-year church training program with three goals: 1) Glorify God, 2) Strengthen the church, and 3) see communities move out of poverty. We were stunned when we graduated the first few hundred communities because many declared that their communities were no longer poor! It had actually ‘worked’! Obedience to God and loving their neighbors had been effective in moving entire communities out of poverty. But we were still unsure—perhaps this was something God did only for a specific group of people that were especially on His heart.

Since then, we’ve expanded to more countries, and are seeing the same results again and again. Late last year we graduated hundreds of churches in the second country where we started (for the safety of our staff and churches, we can’t name it). Two thirds of communities reported that they had moved out of poverty, one third had made progress. Unsurprisingly, the difference between the two groups seems to be follow-through. If they actually applied what they were learning, they moved out of poverty.

As we met with the leaders, we asked them to share some of the changes they have seen in their communities since beginning the program. Here are some of the responses:

  • “People focus on education more. In the past when they were challenged to send their children to school, the parents would always say, “No, our children need to work in the fields with us.” After starting the program, now they understand the value of education. Some youth have even passed their 10th standard exam.”  
  • “There’s great reconciliation between two communities who used to fight with each other. Before the training, they had to each have their own leader, but now they have just one. Now they always go to church together.”
  • “In this year, 15 new families converted to Christ in one community. The whole community is now Christian. Whenever any of those families had a difficulty, the church was there for them, and the families came to really trust the church.”
  • “Most families are improving in their lifestyle. Before they just raised chicken and pig just for their own food (1 pig, 2-3 chickens). Now they have more business sense and raise multiple livestock (5-7 pigs, more chickens).”
  • “There are two families who almost divorced. After teaching Marriage and Family their marriages were restored and they were reconciled.”
  • “The youth are improving in their behavior. Before they had a problem with drugs and alcohol, but the problem has decreased.”
  • “From the very beginning we’ve seen a lot of change…We can’t talk about a single big change because everything has changed so much—building new roads, getting electricity, new church building, new schools…Before the denominations would fight, but now they have unity.”

In addition, the trainers and pastors told us many stories of how they had seen God at work among them. Here are two of our favorites:

“The first thing that really changed was their beliefs. Before this program many people weren’t really concerned about the community and others. The villagers and church members just thought that, to make our community good, someone had to come (probably from the US) to make us good and developed. Now for sure we know God has made us the ministers of reconciliation. Within our district, my village was the worst. People said my village was the dirtiest village full of waste and manure. After module 4, the whole village has toilets now, even with water pipe. They made a fence around the whole village, so larger cattle and buffalo can’t enter and wander through the streets. Then the women’s groups, every first Saturday of the month, work to clean the village. Now we are considered a Most Clean Village by NGO and government. They are really happy and glad and enjoy cleanliness. Because the village is far from the main town (35 miles) they don’t have enough to buy and eat. The TCT team leader had an idea to start their own market, so people don’t need to go all the way to the town…They collected money from the village to buy goods from town and transport them to the village. They use the profit as a community fund to help the poorest and most vulnerable…The church also organized to repair the road that goes to the main road.”

“Our church, when we finished learning TCT lessons, we wanted to do something in obedience to God. Our village is on a mountain, and there is difficult transportation between two communities. We decided to make new motorbike road. With 30 people, we finished within two weeks. The communities are very happy for good transportation now with their bikes, especially in winter and summer seasons. The government took notice of this good work, and decided to support the village with a water pipe, cement, and tank. We do believe that it is surely God’s blessings for the community as we obey God in practice…The people made water system together. Before, it was a half hour trip to get water. Now we easily get water. Surely when we walk in obedience to God, He wonderfully does great things for our community.”