Leadership Training: The Critical Bottleneck

In the developed world we take many things for granted, including the academic qualifications of our pastors. These days, most pastors have at least several university degrees. In fact, the Convention of Atlantic Baptist Churches has recently recommended that new candidates for ordination have a least a Master of Divinity degree (Regulations Concerning the Ministry, section 2.2.B.1). Yet in places where the Church has seen explosive growth in recent years, there is often a great need for leadership training. In order for the next generation of leaders to be trained, they need people who can teach the teachers.

Operation World claims that leadership training is “the critical bottleneck” in Africa.

In Zambia, leadership training “is a priority in a land where nominalism and syncretism are common. The Evangelical Fellowship of Zambia has sponsored the Theological College of Central Africa in Ndola — the first evangelical, degree-awarding theological institution in Central Africa. […] Pray for spiritually and educationally qualified leaders to be prepared through these institutions.”

In Ethiopia, leadership training “was severely restricted under Communism. Much has developed since 1991. Pray for the following: a) Post-graduate training at the Ethiopian Graduate School in Addis Ababa. […] Pray for the provision of theologians and teachers that are both godly and steeped in the Scriptures.”

Clearly, the need for leadership training in Zambia and Ethiopia is great. The need for theologians who can teach these new leaders is also great.

I have been invited to visit the most prominent schools in these countries to teach theology to the next generation of leaders. This is a great honor, yet also a daunting challenge. Please pray that God will lead Kristina and I to a place where I can help to train a generation of leaders.

Yet we cannot fulfill this call alone. We need others to support us so that we can carry out this work that God has called me to do. God has always intended the Church to work together in this way. For example, John, the Beloved Disciple, calls the church to support traveling teachers: “So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth” (3 John 8, NLT).

By supporting us, not only will you be our partners as we seek to teach the truth, but you will also be helping to prepare a generation of leaders in a country that has great need for leadership training.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support!