The growth of the African church in recent years has been phenomenal. It is estimated that the number of Christians in Africa increased from 9 million in the early 1900s to about 380 million by the end of the century. While such rapid growth is encouraging, it brings with it the urgent need of leadership training for the local churches. It is estimated that 90 percent of all pastors in Africa have no formal biblical, theological, or pastoral training. As a result, false doctrines and syncretistic expressions of the Christian faith are rampant throughout Africa. Furthermore, though biblically based Bible schools and seminaries exist in many African countries, such institutional approaches to pastoral training cannot keep pace with the rapid growth of the church and its need of pastoral leadership. It is estimated that even if the presently established Bible schools and seminaries were filled to 120 percent capacity, they could only train 10 percent of the remaining 90 percent of pastors that desperately need such training.
In responding to this need, The Thompson Bible International Institute (TBII) plays a crucial role. The TBII pastoral training is thoroughly biblical. We believe that the Thompson Chain Reference Bible is the single best study Bible on the market today. The Thompson Bible can be described as a miniature theological library or a mobile Bible institute. While many study Bibles offer a commentary (often with a particular theological orientation) to help interpret a particular verse or passage, the Thompson Bible presents a unique approach to the study of Scripture. Offering more than 4200 biblical topics that link together more than 100,000 verses of the Bible, this unique study Bible encourages an inductive approach to biblical study and interpretation by comparing scripture with scripture. Furthermore, more than 600 pages of reference material in the indexes provide a wealth of information for understanding the historical and contextual background of the biblical passages.
The TBII program of pastoral training is also very practical. The well-known adage proves true in Africa: “Give a man a fish, you feed him a meal. Teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.” Certified trainers with TBII not only teach pastors and church leaders how to “fish” for the truths of God’s Word, but they also help them prepare nourishing, biblically based “meals” for their local congregations. While many types of pastoral and biblical training are urgently needed, the uniqueness of TBII is its emphasis on the transmission of foundational tools that equip the pastor for a lifetime of study and preaching. Our three-day workshop focuses on acquiring three fundamental tools:
A thorough knowledge of how to use the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible in personal and group study of the Scriptures.
The understanding and practice of basic inductive Bible study methods.
Foundational principles of developing biblical, expository messages that contribute to the spiritual health of local congregations.
Beyond this, the training offered by TBII is transferrable. Much of the formal and informal approaches to pastoral training in Africa depend on the presence of academically qualified pastors and professors who teach biblical content and pastoral skills to those being trained. While this is certainly needed, the uniqueness of TBII is its emphasis on the rapid multiplication of the training through the establishment of national teams of certified teachers who in turn are teaching others according to the model of 2 Timothy 2:2. Thanks to this emphasis on multiplication, to date more than 21,000 pastors and church leaders have been trained through the ministry of TBII since the year 2009. Looking ahead, we could potentially train through our teams of certified national trainers 10,000 pastors/church leaders annually who in turn are equipped to train the members of their congregations. The ministry of TBII is presently represented in sixteen African countries and we have standing invitations into thirteen additional countries on the African continent.
Not only is the training offered by TBII transferrable, but it is also cost effective. Taking all expenses into account, we can train an African pastor in the above-mentioned foundational skills for only $60.00. Can you think of a better investment in view of strengthening the African church?
Here is a video that gives a glimpse into the training offered by African Pastoral Training and the Thompson Bible International Institute:
How can you help? Here are several ways:
If you would like to contribute to the training of an African pastor through the Thompson Bible International Institute (TBII) and its African partner African Pastoral Training (APT), click here.
If you would like to contribute through prayer and giving to our personal support so that we can continue to establish teams of national trainers for the Thompson Bible International Institute, click here.
If you would like me to share in your church or small group the vision of TBII and APT Ministries or to teach a mini-workshop on the use of the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible, please contact me at dstevens@paraclete.net.