Hope Builders Ministries (HBM) developed from The Calling (2 Timothy 2:2) received by four men, one of whom was Johan Gous, working with Open Doors in Southern Africa in 1984. This began the "Timothy Project" to address the acute shortage of trained pastors in Mozambique. The "Timothy Training Institute" was established in 1990. In 2002 Johan began work with Hope Builders. Since 2010 Johan serves as the President of Hope Builders Ministries with headquarters in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Since its inception, Hope Builders, in partnership with the Indigenous Church in Africa has established 11,000 village churches with trained pastors in eight African countries since 2001.
HBM has enrolled pastoral leaders in a three-year Pastor Training Program, a diploma course completed by 25,000 graduates (over and above the 13,000 students served between 1985 and 2001 by Timothy Training Institute).
In 2013 Hope Builders began working with two Indigenous Missionaries in India along with their dedicated co-workers are coordinating pastor training and Disciple Making in over 4000 local churches. There have been over 1000 new churches established through the HBM India ministry.
HBM is also training indigenous missionaries in Pakistan and Bangladesh.