Our Story
A ministry shaped by years of pastoral friendship.
Pastors with Pastors did not begin with a marketing idea or a single conference. It grew from years of serving alongside pastors and churches in Ecuador and from a simple conviction: faithful pastors are strengthened by faithful friends.
Serving alongside pastors in Ecuador since 1998.
Pastor Russell Wagoner began serving in Ecuador in 1998. Over the years, ministry in Ecuador has been shaped by relationships with pastors, churches, and communities along the coast, including rural areas in Guayas and Manabí.
Those relationships form the foundation of Pastors with Pastors. The ministry exists to come alongside local pastors with biblical training, prayer, trusted resources, practical care, and friendship that respects the calling and responsibility God has already entrusted to them.
We listen before we assume.
A pastor is more than a participant at a training event. He is a shepherd serving a real church, a family, and a community. That is why personal conversation, prayer, home and church visits, shared meals, and honest listening are part of the ministry—not extras added after the “real work” is done.
Training can open a door. Relationship is what helps the ministry endure.
A founder, pastor, and friend.
Russell Wagoner is the founder of Pastors with Pastors and has served in Ecuador since 1998. His role in the story is not to stand above local pastors, but to stand beside them as a fellow pastor—teaching Scripture, listening, praying, encouraging, and inviting other pastors and churches to build the same kind of Gospel-centered relationships.
One Gospel across languages and cultures.
Israel Rodríguez currently serves as translator, helping biblical teaching and pastoral conversation move clearly between English and Spanish. Translation is practical, but it also serves something deeper: genuine conversation, mutual understanding, and relationships in which people can hear and respond to one another well.
Watch
Pastors with Pastors — Our Story and Invitation
Hear Russell share the heart behind Pastors with Pastors, his long relationship with Ecuador, and an invitation for other pastors and churches to come alongside this work.
Christ, His Word, and healthy local churches.
Our mission is to strengthen pastors and local churches serving rural communities across Ecuador through Gospel-centered biblical training, pastoral encouragement, trusted ministry resources, and lasting relationships.
We envision biblically grounded pastors, healthy pastoral families, and faithful local churches advancing the Gospel in underserved communities throughout Ecuador.
Build a relationship that can last beyond one trip.
Churches and pastors can participate through training trips, ongoing partnership, prayer, giving, and invitations for Russell to share the ministry with others.