After COVID pushed most of our programs online for a time, we’ve seen God use our online presence to reach pastors in restricted-access countries.
An encouraging example of this comes from one of our training centers in Asia.
Through a pastor’s invitation, his extraordinary connections, and our school’s digital platform, this school [1] started to remotely train 36 pastors in a Muslim country that’s notorious for persecuting Christians. Despite the dangers these 36 men face for being in ministry, they’re zealous to grow as preachers and teachers of the word.
Two of these students tell of how this online training impacted their ministries and how grateful they are for this opportunity to grow:
Pastor S.
“I reside in a village in *an undisclosed country*.
I am working as a full-time pastor. My city is a major city, and we are facing many challenges. Just recently, another Christian was abused in school.
In our big city, there is not even a single Bible school.
We don’t have resources for Bible studies, and we don’t even have a platform to be equipped. I wish that in my city there would be at least one expository Bible school because this is the need of all the pastors who are in the ministry. I believe one day the Lord will make it possible for us.
I praise God ever since I heard and joined TMAI’s Expository Preaching class. Now I am experiencing an amazing Bible study program. It is an eye-opening experience for me and my preaching ministry. This Expository Preaching class is the answer to our prayers.
I wish that in my city there would be at least one expository Bible school because this is the need of all the pastors who are in the ministry. I believe one day the Lord will make it possible for us. I also want to share my deepest thanks to TMAI for providing such a great program to us here. This is a unique and important program for all of us.”
Pastor A.
“I am Pastor A. from *unnamed region*.
Many decades ago, there was a small church of Christians in this region, but the whole church was slaughtered by extremist Muslims. Only one lady survived. Many years later, on the blood of His martyrs, Christ started to rebuild His church again.
Today, we have only two churches in our region. We are living very far away and do not have any opportunity to learn and grow. I praise God for a TMAI student who helped us even in beginning a prayer movement in our region and started work in evangelism. Now we have a growing church. Before experiencing this training, I was totally unaware and preaching in ignorance. But this program is helping me to understand biblical preaching well-rooted in text and its context.
I praise God for the Expository Preaching program started in my country. In the beginning, I felt like it would be impossible for me to do that because I was living very far away and had many other challenges to come and join. But I praise God for the encouragement of that student and the provision of TMAI to do this program.
I couldn’t even imagine how great this program was until I personally experienced it. This expository study has changed my perspective and thinking. Before experiencing this training, I was totally unaware and preaching in ignorance. But this program is helping me to understand biblical preaching well-rooted in text and its context.
Thanks for your love, training, and encouraging support in this area.
God bless TMAI’s work in Asia.”
Future Plans
In recent weeks, God graciously opened a door for one of the Training Center’s professors to get into this country and train all these men in person. But these 36 are not the only ones who want to be trained. The trip also included two preaching conferences, and when news of this professor’s arrival began to circulate, hundreds of church leaders from around the country risked their lives to come and hear him preach.
He writes:
“It was both sobering and encouraging to be among the persecuted church and to see the Lord at work among them. I was very humbled by the many pastors there who faithfully serve the Lord in spite of the risks. They are so hungry to better know and preach the Word. Over 600 pastors and church leaders attended the preaching conferences with over 200 of them expressing a desire for more training.”
In response to all this, two of the students are considering how to start a TMAI Training Center in this restricted-access country.
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Please join us in prayer as they seek to serve these persecuted brothers in Asia and throughout God’s world.
[1] Certain names and phrases have been changed for security purposes.
