NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) - More than 22,000 churches in 58 countries have been strengthened in a discipleship initiative by LifeWay International, a division of LifeWay.

In the effort, consultants have been deployed across the world to teach pastors how to strengthen their congregations using resources such as Experiencing God, the MasterLife curriculum and Beth Moore Bible studies.

Since 1998, the Nashville-based consultants - in conjunction with resident consultants in strategic countries and 279 volunteer consultants across the globe - have conducted nearly 3,000 discipleship workshops. Though the workshops have included leaders from 58 nations, training has focused on several areas tagged as "key markets": Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Southeast Asia, Oceania and India.

The workshops utilize LifeWay materials that have been translated into more than 100 languages by LifeWay employees and licensed translators worldwide.