The Power of Local Leaders: Church Planting in Unreached Areas with Ray and Linda Noah

In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay talks with Ray and Linda Noah about their work to fulfill the great commission by going to the ends of the earth and sharing Jesus with unreached people groups. They first talk about how God prepared them throughout their lives for the work they’re currently doing, the word God spoke to Linda that required her trust, and their first international trip to Sri Lanka. Ray and Linda share the story of planting 1000 churches in two years, and discuss how they orient their missiology and their process of empowering and resourcing indigenous leaders to plant churches and address upstream issues within communities. 

Ray and Linda Noah have been serving in pastoral ministry for over forty years. Ray has a Master of Arts in Theology from Northwest University and a Doctor of Ministry from the Assembly of God Theological Seminary. Linda has been involved in leadership development in faith and business sectors and is currently completing her Master of Arts in Leadership Studies.

For the past twenty years, Ray and Linda have planted churches in East Africa. In 2012, the success of this church planting effort led the Noahs to form the Petros Network, a ministry dedicated to planting churches among unreached people groups and equipping these churches and leaders to be catalysts of transformation in the villages in which they are planted.

Show notes: 

Register for Vineyard USA’s 2025 National Conference: Melody and Harmony 

Petros Network 

Vineyard History and Identity Resources: 

The Way It Was by Carol Wimber 

The Quest For The Radical Middle by Bill Jackson 

Empowered Evangelicals by Rich Nathan and Ken Wilson

“I’m a Fool For Christ”– John Wimber’s testimony 

March 12, 2025