From our experiences in Romania, Uganda, and Malawi (R-U-M), we know that many pastors have limited resources; we also know that pastors who have been well shepherded, and who continue to receive care, are able to shepherd their flocks well.

A Romanian picture:

• Romania has a population of approximately 19 million, 1-2% attends weekly worship;

• Due to the legacies of the communist era, many Romanians are resistant if not hostile to the Gospel;

• Of that 19 million, 3% are “Reformed” or Protestant, their congregations small and struggling;

• Even though a European country, Romania is near the bottom of the European socio-economic ladder;

• Romanian pastors have very limited opportunities for further education/training, and few resources in Romanian.

A Ugandan picture:

• Northern Uganda, still suffers from the consequences of civil war and the horror of child soldiers;

• Of approximately 35 million people; 2.5 million are orphans, or 7% of the country’s population;

• 48.1% of the population is below the age of 15; the average laborer earns $1US/day;

• In this “young” nation, clean water is a luxury; malaria, yellow fever, and Ebola are ever-present concerns;

• Many pastors in the north are seldom compensated for their labors.

A Malawian picture:

• Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world—if not the poorest;

• The population of Malawi is approximately 15 million; 3.6 million of them are Presbyterian;

• The ratio of pastor to congregant is 1:7,000;

• The average pastor might shepherd two to four congregations of 2,000 to 4,000 members, with 7 to 8 prayer houses having 400 to 800 members each;

• During the AIDS pandemic, the average pastor, conducted four to five funeral services per week;

• The average pastor, if blessed, has a bicycle.

To his pastoral students, Professor Julius Swinda noted:

"Twenty years ago, if I had had what Stan has placed in your hands, I would have had all I needed."

Really? I thought.  All that you would have needed?  But I knew he was serious.  The pastors of Malawi have few resources, and given the demands upon them, even if they had the resources, they have little time for reading, writing, thinking, and praying.

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