History (our story)

After many years of serving overseas, we have seen the crushing effects of sin and corruption on developing nations, from young girls forced into sex-trafficking, Christians in prison because of their beliefs, bribery and extortion from many levels, broken justice systems that perpetuate poverty, and college students confused about social issues. With Patrick working as a lawyer, and Kathy as an educator, we had long envisioned the value of educating students in the legal field who can make a difference in their countries. So, we started our journey as Christian educators in our respective fields, full time, in 2005. We served in Christian universities in Korea, Indonesia and several other countries pursuing this goal.

What surprised us most in our international teaching experience was that many of the students we served lacked even a basic Biblical Christian Worldview in important matters of law, justice, and in a variety of vexing social-legal issues (in areas like corruption, abortion, same sex-marriage, sex-trafficking, refugees, rights of the poor, religious liberty, and so many others. How could they make an impact on these issues if they didn’t clearly understand what the Bible teaches on them? They needed discipleship and equipping. The Institute started informally in 2014 to help meet that biblical equipping challenge on a global scale. Since 2017 it has served with a number of Christian organizations and colleges, including several national and international Christian lawyer and student networks, including the Indonesian Christian Legal Society, Advocates International, and others. In 2022, the Institute started serving with the Youth with a Mission (YWAM) missions movement, and its University of the Nations (UofN), adopting its new name as “Isaiah Justice Institute.” This connection with YWAM and UofN affords Isaiah Justice Institute increased access into over 180 countries to help equip others and improve justice in all nations.