For more than thirteen years, Rev. Justin and Rev. Jacquie Ryan have been committed to serving the Lord as missionaries.
With former backgrounds respectively as church keyboardist and worship leader, the Ryans’ ministry began in 2008 with the bold step of releasing their first worship album. From that humble beginning, God would lead them to much greater things.
Pr Justin shared, ‘We were apprehensive and didn’t know what to do at that time because it was all new to us. The support we received made all the difference, and we found that God was involved in the process throughout the whole time.
‘In fact, we found that this was only the start of the journey God would take us on. About six months after we started producing the album, God directed us to Ezekiel 1:28. In that passage, the prophet Ezekiel had his inaugural vision and heard the voice of the One speaking. We knew that God was telling us something. In honor of that, we took the first steps in establishing the One Voice Ministries and built it on this very cornerstone.’
One Voice Ministries (One Voice)
One Voice would soon grow to encompass a multitude of ministries. However, from its inception until today, its center has remained remarkably consistent, with a direction towards a passion for Missions and Training.
Pr Jacquie shared about the origin of One Voice’s name. ‘We had been Christians for a very long time. We met each other in 1991, and we had been regularly going to church. But there were times we felt so dry, and everything felt perfunctory. Our relationship with God should extend more than the 2 hours we have in church every week. We realized that something was missing in our lives. Starting with ourselves, we wanted to help people to hear the One Voice of the Lord amidst the busyness of our lives.’
Missions and Training as the Heart of a Ministry
The Ryans are missionaries at heart and have an active work among the aboriginal tribes that have been ongoing since 2014. Their extensive outreach includes our homeland Malaysia but also goes to many other parts of the world, including Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. In addition, they have also planted two churches among the Orang Asli.
From this background, God gave them an even larger calling; to train and equip pastors, leaders, and upcoming full-time missionaries. In confirmation of this calling, He would lead them – even in locating the building itself – to establish a Missions Training academy known as Issachar Academy.
‘We realize many people have a preconceived notion of missions,’ Pr Justin shared. ‘They think of all the barriers, challenges, and discomfort and get intimidated. It is human to have this anxiety, but as missionaries who have been serving on the ground for many years, we know by experience there is immense value and reward in mission work. Part of the reason we built Issachar Academy is to break this traditional mold of mindset. We wanted to make missions approachable and develop the skills and potential we know these future missionaries have within them so that they can be an effective force for God.’
Issachar Academy
Named in honor of the sons of Issachar – mentioned in 1 Chronicles 12:32 as a tribe who understood the seasons of God’s timing and movement – the Issachar Academy is a beautiful classical bungalow located within the serene neighborhood of Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur. Founded in 2013 under the Registrar of Businesses, Malaysia (ROB), the academy has enough space to train up to 100 future missionaries at any given time.
The Ryans are trained and equipped with many educational qualifications such as Associate and Bachelors’s Degrees in Business Administration (Association of Business Executives, UK) and Practical Theology (Advantage University, USA); Master’s Degrees in Ministry (Advantage Ministry, USA), and Practical Ministry (Wagner Leadership Institute, USA); and Ph.D. in Practical Ministry (Wagner Leadership, USA).
‘Our main passion is to train pastors and leaders in unreached areas as well as in Bible Schools,’ Pr Justin explained. ‘These are the areas where passionate people are eager to learn and grow but lack the resources.’
In 2018, the Ryans established the Missions Impact School and Ministry Toolbox School, developed to train future missionaries at a personal level. The Missions Impact School helped students discover their specific calling, gifts, and talents for the mission field. The Ministry Toolbox School catered to those who are already active in the mission field and know their calling, intended to provide practical tools for this specific area of ministry.
During the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ryans adapted and switched all their programs online. They have since developed many additional courses, which they have been teaching since 2020. The student base has grown to include those from Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, India, Phillippines, the USA, and the UK. When the pandemic ended, God took Issachar into a new season.
In June 2022, the Ryans formed an affiliated partnership with Advantage University in the USA. Through this partnership, they now offer an Associate Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, and Master’s in Missions and Practical Ministry. The following are basic summaries of some of the content in the courses affiliated with Advantage University.
The Associate’s Degree in Missions and Practical Ministry is a 60-credit course that includes such subjects as Who Am I in Christ (Knowing the Will of God, Finding Your Personality Trait, God’s Toolbox, and Knowing the Tools); Spiritual Disciplines; Kairos Encounter; An Introduction to Missions; and Missions in the Bible.
The Bachelor’s Degree in Missions and Practical Ministry is a 120- cumulative-credit course that includes subjects such as the Miracles of Jesus; Spiritual Warfare; Understanding Dreams and Visions; Dealing with Different People; Walking Through the Epistles; World Religion and Cults; Culture and Missions; and will include two practical hands-on projects.
The Master’s Degree in Missions and Practical Ministry is a 157-cumulative-credit course that includes subjects such as Christian Ethics; World Missions; Managing Resources; Missions Growth; Relationships in Ministry; and will include two practical hands-on projects.
The new degree courses are run both online as well as on campus. They are comprehensive and cover a wide ground in not just theoretical knowledge but also how to exercise them in practical ways. Furthermore, the Ryans are attentive, friendly, and individual-oriented teachers who have conducted training for many years. If God has given you a calling for missions, this is a wonderful opportunity to come and learn.
Note:
To find out more about the courses, including the fee structure and guidelines for online and on-campus learning, they can be reached via email at issacharacademyonline@gmail.com and also visit their website at www.onevm.net or like their Facebook page @onevm.
The Ryans have featured in Christianity Malaysia in the past. You may get to know them more through these articles on our site at https://christianitymalaysia.com/wp/?s=justin+and+jacquie+ryan
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