Contact: Brittany Thoms, 678-409-8140

LAREDO, Texas, April 24, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- The global leadership nonprofit founded by leadership expert, coach, and bestselling author John C. Maxwell, EQUIP Leadership, is underway on a 2,400-mile expedition to the nation of Guatemala. EQUIP CEO and President John Hull and a team of supporters left Atlanta, Ga., on March 4 and have traveled nearly 1,200 miles so far as they approach the U.S.-Mexico border this week.

The team is walking approximately 20 miles of road each day and will reach Guatemala City within a 120-day timeframe. Having walked the majority of the route, the team will cycle across the border as they pass the baton to partner leadership organizations, Lidere and Guatemala Prospera, who will walk the remaining distance to Guatemala City. The EQUIP World Relay continues to gather leaders from across the world for global transformation and to tackle issues like poverty, malnutrition and injustice through servant leadership.

"EQUIP has spent the last 16 years training millions of leaders in 177 nations on Biblical servant leadership," said Hull, "As the largest leadership development organization in the world, we are uniquely positioned to take what success the Guatemala efforts teach us and replicate them into not only the rest of Latin America, but the rest of the globe."

During a recent trip to Guatemala City, John Maxwell, John Hull and members of the EQUIP team met with 400 elected officials, 1,400 local clergy, 700 educators, 5,000 young leaders, 200 various press outlets and the Guatemalan President and Cabinet members about the needs and opportunity within the nation.

"Everything rises and falls on leadership," said Maxwell noting his realization back in 1976 that spawned his life dedication to training and equipping leaders. John Maxwell has sold more than 21 million books, is a New York Times bestselling author, and each year speaks to Fortune 100 companies, international government leaders, and organizations such as the United States Military Academy at West Point, the National Football League and the United Nations.

"We become transformational when our 'why' becomes bigger than ourselves," said Maxwell. "When people in all streams of influence learn and live out positive values, it will lift up the country as a whole. True transformation hinges on great leadership within each of these streams."

The EQUIP World Relay leverages the seven streams of influence present in any society -- business, government, education, media, entertainment, church and family -- for positive impact in the nation of Guatemala and around the globe.

Several U.S. events were held along the route to gather leaders and rally supporters around the vision for global transformation. The final event will be held in Laredo, Texas, on April 26. Other events were held in Columbus, Ga.; Montgomery, Ala.; Mobile, Ala.; Baton Rouge, Louis.; Houston, Texas; Victoria, Texas and Laredo.

To learn more about EQUIP's efforts in leadership development across the globe, visit equipworldrelay.org or iequip.org.

About EQUIP Leadership, Inc.
EQUIP Leadership® is a non-profit, global leadership development organization specializing in the development of effective international Christian leaders. Founded by Dr. John C. Maxwell in 1996, EQUIP® is dedicated to developing servant leaders who shoulder responsibility, meet challenges with courage and creativity and never relinquish their God-given dreams. Training leaders around the world through live conferences, biblically-centered resources, technology and partnerships, EQUIP is committed to changing the leadership landscape. Whether it is through the EQUIP Leadership Million Leaders Mandate leadership training process, partnership with other organizations, or EQUIP's Leadership Moment® radio program, EQUIP believes the highest privilege and responsibility of any leader is to train other leaders.