World Impact has been expanding its partnerships with local ministries and church organizations nationally since the addition of new president, Efrem Smith. Efrem has been reaching out to multiple denominations as well as local pastors and leaders to strengthen communication and expand ministry potential. Right now, through the efforts of World Impact, existing churches and pastors are being equipped, united and revitalized.
Nate Andrade is a bilingual pastor / church planter from Long Beach, CA. He began attending World Impact Men’s retreats and church planting schools to assist with his calling. While attending, he met Efrem Smith and Curtis Flemming (Bay Area Director), and shared his heart and vision for his church. Efrem was so impressed by Nate’s ambition, that arranged to fund his church for a year as a World Impact Associate.
During the same time, Efrem had reached out to a very prominent African American church denomination known as the African Methodist Episcopal Zion denomination, or AME Zion. At a meeting with Bishop Stattaco Powell and Rev. Kaloma Smith, Efrem and Curtis presented to them the TUMI curriculum, and the associate pastor program. Bishop Powell was excited about the possibility of partnering with World Impact. Typically AME Zion’s congregations are African-American. However, in Los Angeles, one of their flagship churches is among a heavily growing Latino community. Bishop Powell asked if they knew of any qualified bilingual Latino pastors, and immediately Curtis thought of Nate.
Pastor Nate Andrade was flown up to Sacramento, where he meet with Dir. Curtis Flemming and Bishop Powell. After much prayer, Bishop Powell agreed to hire Nate as the new pastor of the Zion church needing latino leadership. Typically AME Zion only recruits from within their own organization, so this is a monumental transition for them. But this is also a monumental moment for World Impact, because they hold churches in key urban locations all over the country.