Hong is a pastor in East Asia, where the so-called prosperity gospel seriously threatens to undermine biblical preaching. The sad reality is that in many countries around the world perversions of the Christian gospel proliferate while sound theological resources are almost nonexistent. Wolves thrive in these places because the sheep are without shepherds and the shepherds are without support. But God is opening up doors for pastoral training in these regions, and we are eager to do whatever we can to aid those faithful pastors with theological resources, classes, friendship, and support.
Hong is a student at one of our training centers in East Asia. He is one of around 20 church leaders who travel from around the region to attend our modular classes offered every other month. One of our faculty members there reports, “Hong is a faithful pastor who has been fighting to stem the tide of prosperity teaching in his region, but his church essentially forced him out. He came to us seeking counsel and support, and we have helped him plant a church that has already grown to about thirty members.”
Not all the pastoral training that TMAI offers looks exactly the same. The unique challenges that face particular regions must necessarily shape the forms and methods—though not the content—of instruction. Hong pastors his church full-time, but travels to our training center for a couple weeks every other month for intensive, all-day classes. On top of that, he has humbly expressed the desire to send a recording of every sermon he preaches to our faculty so that they might provide additional evaluation to help him grow in his service to Christ.
Wolves thrive in these places because the sheep are without shepherds and the shepherds are without support.
In fact, Hong and the other students in East Asia represent some of the most passionate gospel defenders one could ever find. One faculty members explains, “A few months ago I taught on the doctrines of salvation and witnessed in my students a growing zeal for the purity of the gospel. As they understood the issues more clearly, there was a remarkable earnestness that developed among them to return to their regions and proclaim with greater precision and boldness the pure gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Please pray for Hong and his church plant in East Asia. Pray that God would protect them from both physical and spiritual dangers in the region. Pray also for wisdom in our faculty to serve these church leaders well so that they might in turn minister well in their churches for the sake of Christ.
