It is not always true that a minister is able to see immediate fruit from his teaching. Often the servant of Christ will work many long, arduous hours, only to wonder if he is making any impact at all. Still, the Lord is sometimes pleased to bless with an immediate sign of the fruit He is producing through the work of the saints. One such case happened recently in the Philippines.
Stanley Dumanig desired to grow in his ability to handle God’s Word and faithfully serve Him in the church. So he contacted The Master’s University (TMU) to inquire about training. After determining that attending The Master’s University was not a possibility for him, Stanley began to (in his own words) “vigorously search for TMU graduates who are now teaching in the Philippines.” That is when he learned about The Expositor’s Academy (TEA), The Master’s Academy International’s member school in the Philippines.
He wrote Sean Ransom, the director of TEA. Stanley poured out his heart, telling Sean that:
I’ve been thoroughly blessed with Pastor John MacArthur and his ministry. I’ve been very blessed how he does expository preaching. I have a very deep desire to preach the same way… I want to honor the Lord by faithfully serving Him through proper interpretation of His word. I feel I’m still unqualified so I need the training.
Stanley began attending classes at TEA. His decision to seek training at TEA immediately exposed many of the false teachings he had learned—and even participated in—at his charismatic church. The leaders of his previous church forbid him to attend any more TEA classes or even read the writings of faithful teachers like John MacArthur. Stanley had a choice to make. Thankfully, he chose to continue his training and leave his church for one that taught sound doctrine.
Recently, Stanley attended a one-week modular course taught by Sean Ransom and a visiting scholar. The subject was preaching prophetic passages. This is the 5th of 6 modules in their Expository Preaching and Pastoral Ministry program, which is offered over 3 years. Eager to hone his craft as a faithful preacher of God’s Word, Stanley took the training and immediately put it into practice. Shortly after the module, Sean received an email from a member of Stanley’s congregation about a sermon he preached from Zechariah chapter 3.
I just want to bring you some wonderful news. Stanley Dumanig preached at church yesterday on Zechariah chapter 3. Our congregation was so blessed to hear him preach. People cannot seem to stop talking about it. In fact, even this morning I talked with a sister who said, ‘if there is any more training he needs after this, people are willing to support him.’ Someone else said, ‘if the preaching is good, it is a manifestation of God’s mercy upon His people.’ Thank you for equipping our men.
People cannot seem to stop talking about it. In fact, even this morning I talked with a sister who said, “if there is any more training he needs after this, people are willing to support him.”
What a blessing to know that God is at work building His church and training up leaders around the world! This is a picture of the fruit of the training ministry of TMAI, the hours of preparation and teaching done by men like Sean Ransom and his co-laborers at TEA, and the hours of faithful study and courageous leadership by students like Stanley Dumanig.
This is also an example of the fruit of your support for TMAI. When you give, you help countless people like Stanley get the tools they need in order to properly teach God’s Word. Stanley’s story is a joyous one—his church sees the benefit of his training and longs to support him. Still, many men are in situations like Stanley’s prior church. Attending training from TMAI training centers could cost them their friends, their congregations, and their livelihoods. By giving generously to TEA and other TMAI training centers around the world, you can provide support for these students. You can help them continue their training. As we wrap up our mid-year campaign, please consider covering the cost of one, three, or five of our students. A gift of $205 will help cover the cost of a single student’s training at one of TMAI’s 17 schools. Will you join us in equipping more men like Stanley? You can support a student by clicking here.
