Episode 87: Reaching Souls with Mischelle Manis

Circle 31 International Women's Ministry Podcast

Believing there is no time to waste when it comes to reaching people for Christ, Reaching Souls International™ is proud to announce they have added the support of women National Missionaries as part of their strategy to spread the Gospel around the world.

For more than 35 years, Reaching Souls has provided evangelism training, ongoing discipleship and other essential support to empower thousands of National Missionaries around the world to reach their own people with the Gospel. For a long time, cultural barriers and denominational stereotypes that exist in some countries hindered the ministry from formally including women as National Missionaries but it has been a goal to do so for many years.

“Everything has its time and recently the idea of women National Missionaries was met with applause by the ministry’s Latin American and African leaders,” said Director of Women’s Ministry for Reaching Souls, Mischelle Manis. “In January of this year at our annual Summit in Africa, the feedback we heard was, ‘We’ve witnessed the women in our communities doing the work of the ministry for many years. We are ready!’ There is universal agreement that this is the right time to come alongside women and support them as they reach their own people for Christ.”

It was during her first trip to Africa in 1990 that God placed a passion for women in Manis’ heart, but the doors were still largely closed for women missionaries at that time. As God has steadily positioned Reaching Souls to be able to offer more support to local women evangelists, it has affirmed her vision and confirmed that His timing is always perfect.

The ministry believes that partnering with indigenous leaders who are relationally and culturally connected to their communities is not only the most effective way to share the Gospel, but also the most efficient. Across the world, Reaching Souls works diligently to identify local evangelists who have a passion and calling to reach their people for Christ.

Reaching Souls has trained women in evangelism for over two decades.

“I’m excited to be able to begin supporting the work of women National Missionaries in this new way,” shared Manis. “I have walked together with thousands of godly women to the streets, villages and countryside with the Gospel. Women are strong, bold, and effective evangelists. Women across the globe understand what it’s like to feel unseen. Especially those in compromised environments. This gives our women National Missionaries a powerful connection to the most vulnerable in their community.”

Reaching Souls recognizes that women are uniquely gifted for the work of the Lord. Often women are the ones ministering to kids in the streets, to those who have been orphaned, and to those who have a mistrust of men. In those situations, women are welcomed.

“Women are seen as nurturers and as mommas,” said Manis. “There are places where women can minister that men simply do not have access. As a ministry, we're missing an opportunity to reach people that we could if we add women.”