Equip the Pastor

In many of the developing countries of the world the training facilities available to Christian pastors are woefully inadequate. An emphasis on mass evangelism, and a shortfall in the availability and standard of training for poorer and less educated pastors, impoverishes the church. It is now vital therefore to increase and improve the understanding of Biblical theology and the application of scriptural principles to the whole of daily life.

Through our Equip project we hope to assist and encourage the training of pastors so that, through their preaching of the Word of God, congregations not only become aware of the full implications of being a Christian but are well-grounded in the Faith. Many new churches in Africa are being led by men with little or no formal pastoral training. They are responsible for multiple churches. Few pastors will ever be able to learn at a Bible college or seminary or have access to modern technology for distance learning.

Some Ministers have but a limited understanding of the teaching of God’s Word. As a result they are ill-equipped to disciple believers and their ministries tend to focus on evangelism. Their congregations, therefore, have to survive on a diet of basic evangelistic messages that largely fail to lead them towards real spiritual growth and maturity.

Words of Hope is sponsoring one local pastor each year to go the Baptist seminary in Jinja for Biblical training. We are thrilled to announce that Pastor Begirira Francis of Kibingo Baptist church in Bushenyi is the first pastor to benefit from our Equip project. He is a father of 4 and married to one wife. He has been leading the church for 4 years and we have been part of our several pastors conference in partnership with Brainerd baptist church.

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