Far Reaching Ministries

Far Reaching Ministries (FRM), founded in 1998, is an evangelical Christian missionary and humanitarian 501(c)(3) organization. Ongoing funding and support is provided by individuals, churches, businesses, and private foundations.

In 1996, Pastor Wes Bentley, Founder and CEO of Far Reaching Ministries (FRM), began serving as a missionary in the war-torn regions of Bahr El-Ghazal, Western Equatoria, and the Nuba Mountains (Southern Kordofan). Two years later, FRM began working with South Sudanese refugee camps, primarily in Kiryandongo, Uganda. Offering love and hope to orphans and widows who had lost their families, FRM served the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of those most affected by ethnic and religious cleansing.

In July 1997, the Sudanese People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) met with the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC), in the historic Kejiko Dialogue. The SPLA recognized the fragmenting of its ranks due to tribalism, crimes of violence against civilians, and other abuses of power. The SPLA called upon NSCC (now integrated with the Sudan Council of Churches and referred to as SCC) to establish a chaplaincy program. The NSCC agreed and began searching for partners and donors.

In 1998, FRM began working with South Sudanese refugee camps, primarily in Kiryandongo, Uganda, offering love and hope to orphans who lost their families through genocide, famine and disease. Being displaced by decades of violence, FRM serves the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those most affected by decades of ethnic and religious cleansing.

That same year, Pastor Bentley trekked into the Sudan bush with a Captain in the South People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). Over a hundred and fifty soldiers responded to an invitation to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to be born again, and the vision for a chaplaincy program was born.

In 1999, FRM launched their first chaplaincy training program in Nimule, South Sudan, after meeting with the Governor of Sudan’s South Kordofan (Nuba Mountains), Abdul Aziz. By February 2000, FRM was mandated the official Biblical training arm of the SPLA Chaplaincy Program by the Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SRRC). As of August 2011, nearly 350 men have been trained and deployed as chaplains.

Chaplains are taught verse-by-verse through the entire Bible. The Bible training curriculum is instructor led by senior chaplains and pastors from America volunteering to go to Sudan each year to teach these brave men of God.

Upon graduation, chaplains are deployed to front line battle unit, as well as non-combat units. Chaplains deployed to front line combat zones promote human rights, ensure the well-being of prisoners of war (POWs), serve as clergy to wounded or dying soldiers, evangelize, disciple Christian soldiers, teach Bible studies, conduct church services, as well as serve as spiritual mentors and counselors. Chaplains are responsible for advising commanders, when called upon, for religious and ethical issues. Chaplains also function as clergy in villages, assist wounded and dying civilians, assist in humanitarian efforts, plant churches, teach bible studies, hold evangelical outreaches by showing the Jesus Film, and conduct church services.

Currently we have over 70 chaplains deployed to the Nuba Mountains region. Nuba Mountains has been a hotspot for decades and is known for some of the most severe fighting in Sudan. The terrain is rugged and undeveloped so we developed a Camel Corp program to better enable chaplains to travel throughout the Nuba region.