Catch The Fire Speres: Updates and Movement
North America Sphere
Across the North America Sphere, there are encouraging signs of growth and ongoing development, alongside some areas requiring continued leadership support.
Catch The Fire Raleigh recently hosted a conference titled “The Fear of God,” which was well attended, particularly by young adults. The presence of God was tangible, and the Holy Spirit stirred a passion for a fresh move of God. The church is also progressing toward a planned building renovation, reflecting both its current needs and future vision.
Several churches are reporting increased engagement among younger demographics. This is reflected not only in attendance but also in reports of new salvations and baptisms, indicating a meaningful spiritual response and ongoing discipleship opportunities.
In Toronto, the annual Freshwind Conference brought together more than 700 young people. The gathering saw several salvations and strong engagement, with follow-up reports of students actively expressing their faith in their schools, including initiating Bible studies. The event also reflected healthy collaboration between CTF Toronto and Jubilee Church.
Harvest Church Broken Arrow marked an important milestone by breaking ground on a new church facility. This followed a conference with Isabel and Thráinn Skúlason that was well received by attendees.
The movement continues to expand gradually. Murray and Ash met with the leaders of The Shield Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where Jaque and Marcelo Orsi serve as associate pastors after spending several years at CTF Raleigh. The church is on the path to joining as a partner church.
In addition, Stand Out Ministries, led by Jungle Jen and her husband, John, has joined as a partner ministry. The organization has planted churches in the Amazon. Leadership capacity is also being strengthened through the appointment of Jess and Aaron Ninaber as Cluster Leaders overseeing churches with more than 200 attendees in the United States.
In Canada, Hamilton Christian Fellowship has raised approximately $600,000 toward a $1 million restoration project and is planning to break ground this summer, demonstrating strong local participation and financial momentum.
There is increasing collaboration among churches, particularly through the sharing of resources, ministry frameworks, and training materials. This has been especially evident in the strengthening of inner-healing ministries across clusters. The Atlantic Canada Leadership Retreat at the end of April provided a valuable opportunity for relational connection, encouragement, and alignment among pastors and leaders.
At the same time, several churches are navigating leadership-related challenges. CTF Boulder is in a rebuilding phase following difficulties at the eldership level, with Murray, Ash, and Jon Pignatelli providing ongoing support. Bethel Church Halifax is also working through leadership transition dynamics, with Trevor and Lesley offering guidance. In both cases, attendance has dropped significantly, and the focus is on stabilizing leadership structures and supporting healthy governance moving forward.
International engagement continues, including a recent mission trip to Mexico led by Connie and Jeremy Sinnott. The trip combined practical service initiatives with ministry partnerships alongside local churches.
More broadly, many churches are continuing to re-establish and strengthen their ministry programs in the post-COVID context, with a particular emphasis on inner healing and overall ministry health.
In summary, the Sphere is experiencing gradual progress, increasing collaboration, and signs of growth while also addressing leadership and structural challenges as they arise.
Latin America Sphere
We have already held one Leaders Day this year, with two more planned before the end of the year. These gatherings, along with our Zoom meetings, have centred on three key themes: leadership, discipleship, and what we call the “generational” focus. This involves passing Kingdom values from children to young adults, with a strong emphasis on the 0–24 window. It has been a significant priority as we continue to strengthen the culture and vision across the Sphere.
We are also looking forward to our Catch The Fire Conference on June 19–20. We expect it to be a strategic and catalytic time for our churches and leaders.
Additionally, most of our pastors are planning to participate in Advance this October, and there is a great deal of excitement surrounding it. They are genuinely looking forward to being there and engaging with what God is doing through this gathering.
In terms of leadership structure, Bolívar Ramón continues to serve as our National Leader in Ecuador and for the Spanish-speaking nations. In Brazil, we do not currently have a formal National Leader, so I continue to help fulfil that role. At the same time, I am grateful for the Cluster Leaders who help lead the Sphere with me: Geraldo Schimitzhaus, Rodrigo Dutra, and Francisco Catalunha.
We are also encouraged that several churches near Catch The Fire Novo Hamburgo have expressed interest in learning more about Catch The Fire. In addition, a church in São Paulo has begun engaging with us and will participate in Advance as a way of getting to know the family better.
Overall, we are grateful for the momentum we are sensing and for the ongoing connection and support. Thank you for your leadership and investment in Latin America.
Europe, Middle East, and Africa Sphere
The region recently marked a significant milestone with the first-ever EMA Leadership Retreat in Sunderland, United Kingdom, hosted by Ken and Lois Gott. This gathering of core leaders, including the Longs, Birds, and Slade, resulted in two pivotal strategic outcomes.
First, there is a clear move to expand AAT membership within EMA, with invitations extended to the Wastalls, Boxalls, Nicholsons, and Tatneda Gunguwo.
Second, the team has proposed a new three-year rotation for major gatherings: a focus on the Brazil Advance in 2026, a shift to regional national retreats in 2027, and an EMA Retreat in 2028, tentatively planned for Jordan.
European Conference Cycles and Summer Events
Our European hubs are currently in the midst of a robust national conference cycle. Following a successful event in Germany in March, we are looking forward to gatherings in France in April and Ukraine in May, featuring various members of our global leadership team.
Although the United Kingdom is not holding a national conference this year, Germany and France remain highly active throughout the summer. Germany is set to host its first Family Camp in July, alongside an ILSOM in May, while France is preparing for EDEN, a young-adult initiative, and a three-week Leaders School.
African Expansion and Regional Resilience
In Africa, we are seeing both rapid growth and profound sacrifice. Steve Long recently led the inaugural West Africa Retreat in Liberia, bringing together leaders from Sierra Leone and Togo.
However, this season has also been marked by solemnity. We recognize our first Catch The Fire martyrs following a tragic attack in Niger, which also prevented Pastor Alio from attending the retreat.
Despite these hardships, the movement is growing, with new churches recently added in Kenya and Sierra Leone. Ten additional churches are currently in the process of joining across East and West Africa. Steve is maintaining an intentional rhythm of bimonthly group and individual meetings with these leaders to ensure that their motivations align with our core values as they journey toward joining the movement.
Organizational Transitions and Challenges
Growth and change naturally bring points of friction. Victory Church in Kosovo recently departed from Catch The Fire, primarily because of differing views regarding how tithes should be allocated toward outreach.
Additionally, as we look toward the upcoming Advance, we anticipate lower attendance from the EMA region. High travel costs and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East have created significant budgetary and logistical hurdles for many leaders who wish to attend.
Asia Sphere
This year, our focus is on going deeper as we establish CTF Asia in each of our countries. At the end of 2025, we installed and commissioned the following country leaders:
Japan: Ray and Tsukasa Grondin
Taiwan: George and Aria Li
Philippines: Don and Barb Arney
Pakistan: Wilson Masih, Dan Lambert, and Robyn Lambert
India: Suresh and Jiss Abraham
Sri Lanka: Rhuani Rambukwele
Gatherings
Training: The CTF Asia team meets every two months for training. This year, we are hearing from country leaders who are teaching on specific topics related to leadership in Asia.
Intercession Team: A prayer team with representatives from each nation meets every other month to pray and intercede for all the work taking place throughout CTF Asia. Team members regularly share their prayers and prophetic insights with the leaders and distribute email updates.
Japan
We began the year with the New Year Conference, where Christopher and Rachel Bird were the main speakers. The prophetic theme was “New Beginnings,” and there was a genuine sense of excitement and expectation about the new beginnings taking place in Japan.
In February, we celebrated Ron and Teddy Sawka’s 50 years of ministry at an event hosted in Tokyo. This was a significant celebration of everything they have built and established in Japan and throughout Asia.
CTF Japan’s leaders meet once a month on Zoom, hosted by Ray and Tsukasa.
Japan will host a Healthy Christian Seminar with Stu and Lynley in Sano at the end of May.
Taiwan
The CTF Taiwan leadership team attended the New Year Conference in Sano, Japan, in January. Before the conference, they spent several days prayer-walking around Sano. A group of young people also attended the conference.
The CTF Taiwan Conference will be held in Hualien in May, with Stuart and Lynley serving as the main speakers.
One new partner church has joined from Kaohsiung. Although it is a new church plant, its leaders wanted to connect with CTF and plant the church as part of the movement.
Taiwanese leaders continue to work in mainland China through online gatherings and in-person visits whenever possible.
One Taiwanese leader has also been visiting Nepal and building connections with a ministry there.
Hong Kong
The group meets weekly at a hotel in Hong Kong and will begin holding small groups in April.
India
CTF India has three partner churches with signed agreements, as well as one school. Another ministry is preparing to join after holding 57 baptisms in a single day last month.
This year, the leadership transition from Faustin to Suresh was completed. Suresh is now building relationships with other leaders and churches throughout India.
In April 2026, a team of three people from CTF Sri Lanka travelled to Bengaluru and Coimbatore for a ministry trip, where they joined Suresh and another pastor from Chennai. They held children’s events, women’s events, a pastors’ retreat, and a leadership day for 60 local pastors.
The ministry trip was very successful and provided an excellent example of the CTF family working together across national boundaries.
Another ministry trip is planned for the end of April. A team of CTF India partner leaders will minister to 200 young people who have registered for the school in Andhra, in northern India.
The CTF India Foundation is working toward transferring its board and registered address to Suresh in Coimbatore.
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lanka team continues to build strong connections and work closely together. One of the young men will begin working full-time for CTF Sri Lanka, with a specific focus on youth ministry and hosting short ILSOM weekends aimed at younger people. His salary will be supported monthly by CTF Asia.
The Sri Lanka team had a wonderful trip to India, and it has been encouraging to see everyone working together for His Kingdom.
Pakistan
CTF Karachi hosted a Fatherheart School in early March. CTF Pakistan had planned a medical and dental mission trip in partnership with CTF and Impact Nations. However, because of events in the Middle East, it was decided that the international teams would not be able to travel there.
The teams on the ground decided to proceed with the Journey of Compassion. They visited six different camps in northern Pakistan, as well as the homes of people who were sick in Sialkot. A total of 1,255 patients received ministry, and 391 people made decisions to follow Jesus.
We will continue to pray for effective follow-up. CTF Pakistan is also developing a training school to raise up leaders who can plant churches in these villages as quickly as possible.
Following the mission trip, the plan was to hold an ILSOM in Karachi with Sanna Warren. Because Sanna was unable to attend, the team decided to proceed with the ILSOM using its own local team.
The team received training and guidance from Sanna online and was able to conduct the entire school in-house, with most of the teaching delivered in Urdu. We have heard wonderful testimonies of people encountering the Father and receiving greater freedom.
Philippines
Our God Reigns Ministry will celebrate 33 years of ministry in May. Duncan and Kate, along with Mike and Rachel, will attend the celebration conference in the southern Philippines.
Advance
Many people from Asia will be unable to attend Advance this year because of travel challenges and financial constraints. We are encouraging those who are able to attend to book soon.
Oceania
The Oceania Sphere continues to enjoy strong relationships across our churches, with leaders who are committed to serving one another and building healthy local churches throughout the region.
Our focus is on supporting leaders through pastoral care, leadership development, governance support, and practical encouragement as they navigate both opportunities and challenges. We are also investing in identifying and developing emerging leaders while strengthening communication and connection across the Sphere.
As we look ahead, we remain expectant for opportunities to welcome new churches into the Oceania family and to see the Sphere continue to grow in both strength and reach. We are grateful for all that God is doing across Oceania and look forward to what lies ahead.
Catch The Fire at a Glance
During the first quarter, we saw growth in some areas and decreases in others. CTF Asia brought some of its smaller churches under CTF Sano, reducing its overall church count. A few churches and ministries also closed, and one church in EMA left the movement.
We currently have 138 churches, 42 ministries, and three networks that have signed agreements with Catch The Fire.
Catch The Fire Partners
Catch The Fire in Development
We also have approximately 13 groups that are either currently planting a church with Catch The Fire or are in relationship with us and expected to join.
Our churches in Ukraine have officially signed the paperwork to join Catch The Fire, and our German churches have been integrated. Several ministries that have joined us are also working to bring their networks of churches into Catch The Fire.
