Our Founders
From small beginnings, healthy lives—and ministries—grow, learn, and blossom to be what God intended. We know this because [simple_tooltip content=’
Luke 2:52 (NIV)
And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.’]Luke 2:52[/simple_tooltip] tells us it was true of Jesus. This is a good place to start.
Chester and Betsy Kylstra have been growing, learning, and applying all that God has been showing them in their lives and ministry. From brokenness, Chester and Betsy lived through and experienced the healing and restoration of a loving God. When the time was right, God began using them to share what they learned and experienced with those around them.
Chester and Betsy are gifted and caring teachers. Chester’s professional experiences in aerospace, and Betsy’s in the mental health professions, led them to teach at colleges and universities. God used these experiences to grow them personally and to grow Restoring the Foundations (RTF). As God began to show them patterns and principles to bring freedom and healing to themselves, they naturally shared their hearts with friends, and the body of Christ. What a wonderful beginning.
Since 1990, when Chester and Betsy entered full-time ministry, God has continued to grow their hearts, lives, and vision. This favor moved their hearts to pursue healing in the lives of God’s children. In addition to personally touching the lives of many through ministry, Chester and Betsy have extended their touch to empower local churches to bring healing to their community. Chester and Betsy conduct frequent seminars and conferences throughout the world to share the heart, principles, and application of Restoring the Foundations. As a result, there is a significant and growing family of ministry teams and trainers throughout the world.
Chester has degrees in Mechanical (BS) and Nuclear Engineering (MS, PhD), Betsy in Minister Education (MA, EdS). They both earned their Masters Degrees in Theology at Liberty Bible College, Pensacola, FL.
Our History
Restoring the Foundations was birthed in the heart of God. He desires that you live a joyful and abundant life! As our loving heavenly Father walked Chester and Betsy Kylstra through healing, He nudged them along the way to build a ministry to share His heart and healing touch with others.
In 1992, the Kylstra’s felt encouraged to establish a covering ministry for those that would be joining them to bring healing to the body of Christ. Many resources were developed, including the Kylstra’s groundbreaking book, Restoring the Foundations: An Integrated Approach to Biblical Healing. In the years that followed, the healing initiative became known as Restoring the Foundations (RTF). By 2000, over sixteen ministers and trainers, as well as office staff, were working with the Kylstra’s to bring healing to the Bride of Christ.
In January, 2001, the RTF Healing House Network was established as the new covering membership organization for qualified professional ministry teams. The Healing House Network provides a nationwide (and international) referral center for individuals and couples to receive personal ministry. As well, Healing House Network trainers provide quality training and oversight to help others to become qualified to bring healing to the body of Christ. They work with local churches, communities, and the various RTF training centers.
As the reach and effectiveness of the ministry grew, the Lord providentially arranged the purchase of Echo Mountain Inn in Hendersonville, NC, in July, 2004. The Inn facilities became the home of Restoring the Foundations International, the RTF Healing House Network, and the newly established RTF International Training Center. Chester and Betsy, along with several other Healing House Network team members and staff, moved to Hendersonville to operate both the Inn and the Training Center. The first class arrived on August 1, 2004. Seven nations were represented.
Restoring the Foundations International has continued to develop comprehensive training programs, numerous seminars, conferences, and specialized topics classes to equip others in ministry.
In 2014, the Lord led Chester and Betsy to begin the transition of the RTF ministry to their successors, Lee and Cindi Whitman. At the annual RTF International Advanced Conference, September, 2015, the ‘official’ passing of the baton occurred. We expect the ministry to continue to flourish under the leadership of Lee and Cindi, as they carry the vision of a healed Bride to the next generation.
In 2018, the Lord led Lee and Cindi Whitman to move the headquarters of RTF to Nashville, TN. You can see them sharing the leading of the Holy Spirit to this move.
Our Leaders
Lee & Cindi Whitman carry a message of healing. Having walked through brokenness in their own life and marriage, they have been pursuing healing for themselves for many years. Now as the Executive Directors of Restoring the Foundations, they are taking the revelation of God’s healing and freedom given to Chester and Betsy Kylstra to the world.
Lee and Cindi have been in ministry most of their married life. Cindi is a gifted communicator of the things of God. She has a deep desire to see people experience the healing and freedom that is theirs in Christ. She teaches from her experiences as a wife of 37 years, the mother of three grown children, and now as a grandmother. She served at two churches as the Pastor of Women’s Ministry and many volunteer and lay positions in the school system and in the church. These experiences along with being a Pastor’s wife has given her a broad perspective of the inner workings of the church and the people that are a part of them. Cindi has a hunger for the Word and the presence of God. She has a unique ability to take the deep things of God and bring them to life in a very practical life giving, challenging way.
Lee was a Pastor for 6 years and then became a part of a Christian Counseling ministry. During the 18 years as a Christian Counselor he began to see a frustrating pattern. People would come to counseling and receive wonderful ministry and leave free from the struggle for which they came. Then 2, 3, 4 years later they would return needing help with a similar issue. He began crying out to God for answers as to why these sincere Christians could not keep their freedom. God answered his prayer by leading him (and Cindi) to Restoring the Foundations.
Lee is an excellent communicator. He is relational, funny, authentic and vulnerable. People are drawn to Lee as a person and as a leader. He brings life wherever he goes.
Lee and Cindi were introduced to the ministry of Restoring the Foundations by a friend of theirs, James Goll. When they heard Chester and Betsy Kylstra present the four ministry areas of Restoring the Foundations, The Holy Spirit said to them, “This will work!” From that moment they left everything else behind to spread the ministry of RTF because it really does work!
Our Venues
Restoring the Foundations has many venues. Our Healing House Network has ministry teams located throughout the world. In addition, there are many churches which provide RTF ministry.
Restoring the Foundations International makes its home in the worship city, Nashville, TN.
You can locate a ministry team or venue closest to you on our website in the Ministry Section under Ministry Teams. Of course, you are always welcome to contact us at any time and speak with our ministry coordinator. Our contact information is located at the top and bottom of each page on our website.
Ministry Friends
Restoring the Foundations has strong friendships with a number of ministry networks. We are here to serve them, to help them better fulfill their calling and vision. As we serve them, we are able to carry out our vision by providing RTF personal ministry and training.
Cleansing Stream Ministries is committed to partnering with pastors and churches in teaching and training leaders and maturing believers in personal cleansing, deliverance, and spiritual warfare so they can be released to serve, minister, and disciple others in the Body of Christ.
We are blessed to be supporting Cleansing Stream Ministries. Restoring the Foundations is providing Issue-Focused Ministry as the advanced training for Cleansing Stream Discipleship.
Fatherheart Ministries, founded by James and Denise Jordan, and Restoring the Foundations complement each other, like two sides of the same coin. Fatherheart Ministries’ call is to ensure that every saint has a living relationship with the Father and that he knows the scriptural basis for this personal relationship. RTF’s call is to ensure that all hindrances and blockages attempting to prevent this relationship are removed, setting the stage for the ministry receiver to connect to his Father.
We support Fatherheart Ministries by bring healing to their leaders, and providing personal ministry to who attend Fartherheart schools and events.
Fire International is the full-time missionary sending arm of FIRE (Fellowship for International Revival and Evangelism) based in Concord, NC. Their purpose is to exalt Jesus Christ as Lord by impacting this generation with the fire of revival by raising up an army of radical, Spirit-baptized laborers committed to taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth – By Life or By Death.
The Great Commission is their vision. Fire International provides oversight and pastoral care for their missionaries wherever they serve. Fire International missionaries have established bases in various countries in order to reach the un-reached peoples of the world. They also serve as training grounds for new missionaries going out. Later these new missionaries may launch out to plant new churches and new works to reach more people for God’s glory.
Several Fire International missionaries have become RTF Healing House Network members. They are now taking the Restoring the Foundations ministry and training to the missionaries on the field.
Go To Nations is a missions sending agency that is passionate about sharing the Gospel with every living person on the planet – every tribe, every tongue, every nation. They are people with a burning desire to take the truth of Jesus Christ’s redeeming love to the lost, the hurting, and the broken, and to see that love transform their lives. RTF Healing House Network ministers have brought increased healing to the missionaries of Go To Nations, as well as training them in Issue-Focused Ministry so that they can better serve those they go to.
Iris Global Ministries founded by Rolland and Heidi Baker has a heart for the lowest of the low. They accepted God’s call to Mozambique, rescuing abandoned children from the dump and taking in street beggar children. The power of the Holy Spirit has forged these into a closely-knit national family of thousands of churches and a broad ministry encompassing Bible schools, children’s centers, church-based orphan care, primary education, medical clinics, constant evangelistic and healing outreaches, farming, well drilling and much else. This ministry has expanded into multiple nations, empowering the outcast to become a member of God’s family.
We are excited to help the staff, missionaries, and students attending the Iris Global schools become more healed and equipped in Restoring the Foundations ministry. They are taking God’s healing principles to the world.
Partners In Harvest is the church and ministry oversight organization for all impacted by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Toronto, Canada, that started in January 21, 1994. John and Carol Arnott were the senior pastors that had the privilege of hosting Holy Spirit. Restoring the Foundations has been a partner of Partners in Harvest for many years, as well as serving the leaders of the network through personal ministry and training of their people.
YWAM (Youth with a Mission) is the outgrowth of a vision given to Loren Cunningham as he was finishing his Bible college preparation. It has been equipping and sending young people as missionaries throughout the world for over 50 years. We are pleased to be sharing about how to receive Father’s healing in Discipleship Training Schools and Foundations for Counseling classes at University of the Nations in Kona, Hawaii, as well as training their ministry center staff.
What We Believe
What you believe motivates and animates your life. It is not different for a ministry. What we believe at Restoring the Foundations guides all of our ministry. Please take a moment to read and ponder our beliefs asking the Holy Spirit to guide you.
- We believe the Scriptures to be the inspired and inerrant Word of God, and as such, they are revelation from God to man, the infallible rule of faith and conduct.
- We believe in the Trinity of one God, eternal and self-existent, self-revealed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
- We believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and shed His blood as a sacrifice for our sins; He rose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God, the Majesty on High.
- We believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit to glorify Christ, to convict men of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to empower the believer.
- We believe that man was created in the image of God, but fell into sin.
- We believe that man can be justified only by grace through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
- We believe that water baptism identifies us with the death and burial of Christ, and that we should arise to walk in newness of life.
- We believe in the personal, literal, second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to judge both the quick and the dead.
- We believe that the Holy Spirit is at work today within the Church through His gifts, fruit and anointed ministers.