A pastor should be “holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound

doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”  Titus 1:9

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Equipping the Saints

 

       Pastor Alfonso leads a church in a village near San Salvador, El Salvador. He has been a pastor for 14 years and leads a small flock of poor, but dedicated believers. The only Scriptures that Pastor Alfonso owns is a ragged New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs. Despite serving faithfully as the church’s only pastor, he had never had any formal training in theology or Bible doctrine. His small flock cannot financially support Alfonso and his family, so he works full time as a field hand at a local farm.

       When the pastor heard of an inexpensive, two-day theology class for church leaders being held in San Salvador, he jumped at the chance to attend. Taking time off from work, Pastor Alfonso rose at 4 o’clock in the morning to make the four-hour bicycle ride into the city. There, for the first time in his life, the eager pastor learned vital doctrinal truths from the Old Testament. Later that day, through an interpreter, he told the teacher, “Many of the mysteries of God’s Word have finally been unlocked for me today!”

       Surprisingly, Pastor Alfonso’s story is like that of hundreds of pastors in developing countries throughout the world. 

In the States, a formally trained minister is not unusual. About 95 percent of all mainstream denomination pastors have had formal Bible training. However, when you leave the boundaries of the United States,  that number drops to around 4 percent. Living Faith Ministries International partners with organizations like Global Networks for Theological Training and North Central Mission Center to provide quality training for overseas pastors and church leaders. They enable church leaders like Pastor Alfonso, who must work a separate full-time job to support their families, to be able to get formal Bible training. 

       Living Faith Ministries International helps to facilitate classes in communities that have no access to seminary training. Local church leaders attend two-day intensive classes such as Old Testament Survey, Theology of God, Biblical Counseling, and Church Planting -which are offered once a month. For those who complete all twelve classes, diplomas are presented at a special graduation service. 

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