Stewardship
TMAI provides a return on investment that is unmatched. Consider this: It costs nearly $60,000 to bring one pastor from Africa to the US to study for a year. However, for the same $60,000, TMAI can provide one year of training for thirty students in Africa. There is no question which is the wiser stewardship of the Lord’s resources.
Multiplication
By training one local pastor, we are strengthening an entire church congregation. That body, in turn, will be fully equipped to faithfully preach Christ to its surrounding community. With over 6,200 graduates teaching in thousands of churches, gospel witnesses are multiplied exponentially. An investment into one pastor’s life brings a harvest of many.
Impact
Given the proper training, indigenous church leaders are more effective at planting and pastoring churches than foreign missionaries since they are fluent in the language, have an innate knowledge of their culture, and are intimately connected to the people to whom they minister. Because our graduates face no cultural or language barrier, ministry impact is maximized from day one.
Presence
Our faculty live in the country where they minister. This allows them to thoroughly invest in the lives of their students, discipling them and their families as they apply what they’ve learned through ministry in the local church. Full-time presence means full-time discipleship.
Maturity
Our training centers take seriously the call to equip pastor-teachers for the work of the ministry. Far from teaching mere church growth and administration techniques, TMAI grounds men in the Word of God and gives them the skills to powerfully exposit the Word and shepherd the flock. In short, these are approved workmen who accurately handle the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15).
Longevity
Because our students are trained in their own countries, they are not subject to the visa issues and diplomatic volatility that sometimes plague missionaries. Rather, they are equipped for a lifetime of ministry in their home country even after the missionaries leave. Furthermore, TMAI’s commitment to indigenous leadership means that ultimately, each training center will be put into the hands of these capable local leaders. This is true ministry.
