The First Presidential Succession in Master Plan History
Over the past 18 months the Master Plan Ministries’ (MPM) board of directors has been talking with me about succeeding Founder Russ Akins as the next President of the ministry. After a lot of prayer, consulting, and patience, the succession became official on July 28th at our annual staff conference at Three Trails Ranch. I was honored and humbled to accept this new position of responsibility to lead Master Plan Ministries into the future of “preparing others to reach and influence the world for Christ”.
Russ and Linda Founded MPM in 1985 in Durango and never looked back. Over Russ’s 38 years of leading MPM, it has had collegiate ministries at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, The Auraria Campus (3 schools of higher education) in Denver, University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, and Adams State University in Alamosa, CO. Over 40 full time staff and interns served during those years. Most of those staff were and still are former college students whose lives were touched directly by MPM. Many thousands of American and international students’ lives were touched directly and indirectly by Russ during those years through the evangelism and discipleship at those campuses. I was one of those students at FLC that was impacted tremendously by the invitation to follow Jesus and the challenge to spread the Gospel on campus to my peers. Though many witnessed to me and prayed for me over the years, I believe I was truly born again and first taught and trained in the Great Commission as a genuine Christian through the efforts of MPM.
Also, during those years under Russ’ leadership, MPM sent multiple teams of staff and college students to various locations in Mexico, Romania, Haiti, Cambodia, East Asia, the Middle East, and more to make an impact for Christ by spreading the Gospel and training students to go and make disciples among the nations. The first international mission trip that I was ever a part of was to Mexico with MPM to reach spring breakers with the Gospel, and to give away Spanish Bibles to Mexicans at border towns. It was life changing for me to be sure.
Russ’s leadership of MPM’s Cascade Lodge and Three Trails Ranch ministry venues near Durango has also been very effective for growing God’s Kingdom over the years. Both venues have been used by many thousands of people and the vast majority have been Church or ministry groups that are using the venues to further God’s Kingdom most notably MPM’s campus ministries. When I was a Fort Lewis College freshman, I went to Cascade Lodge to attend multiple MPM retreats where I heard the Gospel and admired the faith of other staff and students before I finally surrendered to Jesus. Laura and I also had one of our very first conversations at Three Trails Ranch before MPM acquired it, and then we went on to get married at Cascade Lodge.
God has made an absolutely huge impact on countless individuals through Russ’ leadership! I did not even mention the many summer projects, men’s, women’s, marriage, and other ministries that he oversaw. Laura and I are just two of the many lives touched and we have been so blessed to know and to be directly influenced by Russ and Linda for over 20 years!
Russ and Linda Founded MPM in 1985 in Durango and never looked back. Over Russ’s 38 years of leading MPM, it has had collegiate ministries at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, The Auraria Campus (3 schools of higher education) in Denver, University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, and Adams State University in Alamosa, CO. Over 40 full time staff and interns served during those years. Most of those staff were and still are former college students whose lives were touched directly by MPM. Many thousands of American and international students’ lives were touched directly and indirectly by Russ during those years through the evangelism and discipleship at those campuses. I was one of those students at FLC that was impacted tremendously by the invitation to follow Jesus and the challenge to spread the Gospel on campus to my peers. Though many witnessed to me and prayed for me over the years, I believe I was truly born again and first taught and trained in the Great Commission as a genuine Christian through the efforts of MPM.
Also, during those years under Russ’ leadership, MPM sent multiple teams of staff and college students to various locations in Mexico, Romania, Haiti, Cambodia, East Asia, the Middle East, and more to make an impact for Christ by spreading the Gospel and training students to go and make disciples among the nations. The first international mission trip that I was ever a part of was to Mexico with MPM to reach spring breakers with the Gospel, and to give away Spanish Bibles to Mexicans at border towns. It was life changing for me to be sure.
Russ’s leadership of MPM’s Cascade Lodge and Three Trails Ranch ministry venues near Durango has also been very effective for growing God’s Kingdom over the years. Both venues have been used by many thousands of people and the vast majority have been Church or ministry groups that are using the venues to further God’s Kingdom most notably MPM’s campus ministries. When I was a Fort Lewis College freshman, I went to Cascade Lodge to attend multiple MPM retreats where I heard the Gospel and admired the faith of other staff and students before I finally surrendered to Jesus. Laura and I also had one of our very first conversations at Three Trails Ranch before MPM acquired it, and then we went on to get married at Cascade Lodge.
God has made an absolutely huge impact on countless individuals through Russ’ leadership! I did not even mention the many summer projects, men’s, women’s, marriage, and other ministries that he oversaw. Laura and I are just two of the many lives touched and we have been so blessed to know and to be directly influenced by Russ and Linda for over 20 years!
A special moment of the transition ceremony night shown below was when the staff, board members and some special guests prayed for Laura and I and our children. Russ’s shoes are indeed “big shoes to fill” and I am asking for prayer to be able to humbly lead this ministry with the same faithfulness and longevity God has blessed him with.
Russ and Linda are still on MPM staff serving in multiple important roles. I am trusting God to help me lead the three campus staff teams to continue to reach the more than 20,000 students in our scope in western Colorado. I am also working with the MPM board to try to develop new roles and strategies that will help MPM make an even greater impact in more people’s lives with the resources that God has entrusted to us going forward.
Austin Krokos -Master Plan President
Russ and Linda are still on MPM staff serving in multiple important roles. I am trusting God to help me lead the three campus staff teams to continue to reach the more than 20,000 students in our scope in western Colorado. I am also working with the MPM board to try to develop new roles and strategies that will help MPM make an even greater impact in more people’s lives with the resources that God has entrusted to us going forward.
Austin Krokos -Master Plan President
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