When I first heard this idea, I thought to myself: Why would we do that? Don’t pastors here have plenty of resources and training opportunities? That would never work.
Well, I was wrong . . . dead wrong. For the past 12 years, we’ve been equipping pastors in the U.S. and it has proven both invaluable and strategic. Even though many pastors here have been to Bible school or seminary, they find our training to be “simple yet profound.”
Many have expressed how their preaching has been elevated and sharpened because of what they have learned. And many have used the same training process to equip emerging leaders within their own churches.
But there’s even more. Some, like Pastor Justin, take our training overseas . . . on their own. Justin attends one of our training groups in Ft. Myers, Florida. He was heading to India and Sri Lanka to work with pastors and asked if it would be okay for him to use our training materials and methods. Our answer was, “Of course!”
Pastor Justin with an excited trainee
So, this past January, Justin worked with six different groups of pastors, leading them through the book of Titus. Pastors there enjoyed a rich feast on God’s Word. The response was overwhelming. Here’s what one pastor said:
While traveling to this training, my brother and I were discussing how so many preachers only share their opinion and stories . . . they don’t preach the Word. We [get to the] training and it’s all about the same subject we were discussing. Only the Holy Spirit can do that!
The results: 158 South Asian pastors equipped to more faithfully study, teach, and preach God’s Word in 128 different churches. At the end, they were eager for Justin to come back. They want more!
So, does it make sense to equip pastors in the U.S.? Absolutely!
Here are some photos of groups Justin and his team trained:
