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Over forty years ago, in May 1966, six Presbyterian ministers joined together at a retreat to pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Presbyterian churches.
From that humble beginning, today there are more than 13,000 lay and clergy households – 600 from fifty-nine nations outside of the United States – and from each of the U.S. fifty states, Guam and Puerto Rico in the ministry of Presbyterian Reformed-Ministries International (PRMI).
The ministry was led by Rev. Dr. George C. “Brick” Bradford from 1966 to 1989, and since 1990 by Rev. Dr. Zeb Bradford Long.
The Ministries of PRMI
The Dunamis Project
PRMI’s Dunamis Project for leadership development has been equipping hundreds of spiritual leaders throughout the United States, in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Korea, Brazil, Haiti, the United Kingdom, Indonesai and Nigeria since its inception in February 1991 at Lake George, New York.
A series of six, two to four-day retreats involve teachers working through a teaching manual, which includes chapter outlines, a guide for further study, and is a resource for equipping others for ministry. Each day there is lab time to allow the laypeople and clergy to be in supervised prayer ministry. The day concludes with a debriefing session to evaluate what has been learned, observed and experienced.
PRMI’s vision for the Dunamis Project is to cultivate spiritual leaders with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a firm grounding in Scripture, and the maturity to minister in the gifts and power of the Holy Spirit.
Video and DVD Resources
Since 2002, in an effort to make the Dunamis Project teaching more widely available we have produced some elements of Dunamis on VHS and DVD for use by congregations and small groups seeking to grow in their understanding of the Holy Spirit in their lives and ministries. However, Dunamis is not merely a TV program to watch - it is a dynamic combination of teaching, testimony, worship, ministry and debriefing. Those who facilitate the Video Course are trained and equipped for leadership to help ensure that the ethos and distinctiveness of Dunamis is not lost.
PRMI began video taping Dunamis, Advanced Ministry and other conference teaching in 2008. These teachings are gradually being made available online. For an up-to-date library, visit the Institue page of this web site or contact the PRMI office.
Dunamis Fellowship International
The Dunamis Fellowship International, was established in August 2002 to mobilize, equip and deploy Spirit-empowered witnesses for Jesus Christ. It is a unique combination of elements of a missionary society, a seminary faculty, and an intentional prayer community that enables us to meet the challenges of working for renewal and advancing the Gospel in the world today. These three aspects of the Fellowship are expressed through a variety of programs and ministries. Members of the Fellowship make an annual commitment to basic tenets that define the mission and character of the Dunamis fellowship. There are a variety of membership categories honoring and encouraging the diversity of gifting and calling in the Body of Christ.
Community of the Cross
The Community of the Cross is a place of prayer and equipping and the location of the PRMI office. It is located on 24 acres of land in the mountains of Western North Carolina and provides the spiritual support base for our involvement in the worldwide advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Programs are offered at the Cojmmunity of the Cross throughout the year and are led by members of the Dunamis Fellowship. In addition, many persons and groups have simply come to pray in this pristine setting - strolling through the wooded pathways and alongside the clear flowing mountain stream.
Advanced Ministry Courses
The Advanced Ministry Courses were developed as a place for more in-depth training on topics including spiritual leadership, healng and deliverance ministry, and intercession. The Rev. Cindy Strickler directs these courses.
Healing Week
A week of prayer ministry at the Community of the Cross. Prayer teams are prayerfully paired up to pray with those who come to receive. Numerous miracles of physical and inner healing have been recorded.
Conferences
Other conferences, such as Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit, are offered at the COC as led by the Holy Spirit.
Upward Challenge
Upward Challenge is a week-long event that focuses on introducing youth to the person of the Holy Spirit, encourages them to seek a deeper walk with Jesus Christ and nurtures a growing relationship with God the Father. During the week, youth participate in interactive teaching sessions, small group discussions, personal solo times, one-on-one prayer ministry, powerful times of worship, group games, a challenging field trip, and times of wonderful fellowship and service.
Ignite!
Ignite! provides opportunity for a congregation to catch the Holy Spirit’s flame and grow in faithfulness to Jesus Christ. The content and length of each event (which may be as short as a day) will be tailored to meet the individual needs of the participating church, and will include worship, teaching, testimonies, practical application of the teaching, prayer and community building.
The Walk of Prayer
The Walk is a simple but powerful form of engagement with God that combines verses of scripture with movement in a way similar to the Stations of the Cross. The Walk may be done by an individual or groups as a form of personal meditation or intercession. Used extensively at the Community of the Cross, various versions of the Walk are available for download to be used in your own location.
Mission Outreach
Our unique calling in taking part in fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission is equipping Christians to cooperate with the Holy Spirit who is the director of church growth, missions and evangelism. The primary way we we engage in Mission Outreach is through responding to Macedonian calls that come in from around the world. Often these come from those contexts where the Holy Spirit is moving to bring awakening and Kingdom advancement in churches already established. Our approach is to discern a kairos moment in a country and discern if the Holy Spirit is calling us to step into it and how. Often our response is sending a short term mission team to teach about the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has been moving around the world. Churches in Africa, Asia and South America – many of whom are the fruit of Presbyterian and Reformed missionaries – have come of age and are being touched by the power of the Holy Spirit. They are experiencing the Lordship of Jesus Christ through signs and wonders and dramatic church growth.
Publications
Moving with the Spirit has become the ministry’s leading publication to the public and supporters, having succeeded the original Presbyterian Charismatic Communion’s Newsletter (1966 – 1979) and Renewal News (1980 – 1999). This publication is now also sent out electronically via email newsletter and also incorporated into Dr. Brad Long's Blog.
Dr. Brad Long has published since 1990 the following books:
- Passage through the Wilderness
- Collapse of the Brass Heaven(with Douglas McMurry)
- Receiving the Power(with Douglas McMurry)
- Prayer that Shapes the Future(with Douglas McMurry)
- Let Jesus Heal Your Hidden Wounds (with Cynthia R. P. Strickler)
- Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit (with Cindy Strickler and Paul Stokes)
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