Pastors training pastors in Uganda

By January 27, 2014
(Photo courtesy AMG International)

(Photo courtesy AMG International)

Uganda (MNN) —  It’s no secret that national workers are the hands and feet of AMG International wherever they have partnerships.

AMG President and CEO Tasos Ioannidis explains, National pastors are extremely effective in reaching their people. They know the country, they know the language, and they know the culture. It’s very easy for them to be used to spread the Gospel among their own people.”

However, in developing nations, this poses a unique challenge. “What happens a lot of times is: they don’t have even basic training. Their education level may be very low, they may have had no formal training  whatsoever. They may completely lack resources.”

Problem number one: “When you look at the pastors in Uganda, 50% of them have only basic education. 38% have no training whatsoever. 50% lack even basic knowledge of the Bible.” This is especially true in Uganda, Ioannidis says.

Problem number two: another issue they face is very similar to one facing the Chinese Church. “You have a country where there is a lot of hunger for the Gospel, where people are very open to the Gospel, so the Gospel has been spreading very quickly.”

(Photo courtesy AMG International)

(Photo courtesy AMG International)

By some estimates, 85% of churches in the world are led by individuals who have no formal training in ministry (David Livermore, Serving with Eyes Wide Open). To leave new believers without the tools to study God’s Word and grow in maturity is to leave the work of mission half-done.  Many nationals only have access to a portion of God’s Word, not an entire Bible. They have never seen a concordance or Bible dictionary and have no idea how these resources could help them.

Because national workers are especially crucial to their projects, AMG decided to come alongside the pastors  to help equip them to be more effective. Ioannidis says, “We teach them the methods of how to study the Bible. We give them some resources on how to study the Bible. In turn, those people are going to train other pastors in their area; it’s a knowledge that keeps being passed on to help equip more and more people.”

Over the year AMG has been training in Uganda, over 200 pastors benefited. Another training session in Uganda is slated for next month. The impact can be far reaching, too. “We just concluded some training in Uganda. We’ve trained more than 200 national pastors over the past year in Uganda.”

Ioannidis says what it boils down to is pastors mentoring pastors. “We are partnering with pastors and other Christian leaders in the United States. They travel abroad basically, on a short-term mission trip. They go and train the trainers.”

(Photo by AMG International)

(Photo by AMG International)

Ioannidis goes on to explain that “the training takes place usually over a week period. Pastors will come from a variety of places, from hundreds of miles away, even. In the latest training we had in Uganda, we had people come from as far away as Rwanda and Burundi.”

Many of AMG’s nationals are directly involved in equipping pastors for ministry. And for those who are ready for higher education, AMG has  a formal seminary in Indonesia.

Will you pray for volunteers to go with AMG to train pastors and for local pastors in other countries to be receptive to that training? These partnerships help breathe new life into churches around the world, sharpening and strengthening the witness of the Gospel in cultures very much in need of transformation.

 

5 Comments

  • Jim Bentham says:

    We have a seminary (Uganda Baptist Seminary) in Jinja Uganda that has several levels of degree programs available depending on the English proficiency of the student and the educational level of the student. We have “bridge” programs out in the village areas all across Uganda for those that need to get remedial training to be able to handle the basic program at the seminary, There is a level for anyone that wants to learn. There is no need to go to Indonesia to study when there is a highly accredited seminary in country like UBS. This school has met all the accreditation requirements with the government education ministry to offer degrees recognized in the USA and the world. Contact Augustuv Odonyo the dean of students

  • Terry Sparks says:

    We have been since 1990 extending basic, non-formal theological training to the world’s untrained pastors and church leaders. We believe Bible Training Centre for Pastors (BTCP) 10-course curriculum is the irreducible minimum training needed by pastors to shepherd their church. Our training is church based and available in 85 countries including Uganda. Our manuals are available in 32 different languages. We work with 200 + implementing partners that include a variety of denominations and organizations. Please contact us if you are interested in learning how we can help you.

  • I am going to Uganda in April at the request of a few pastors who want training in Bible Study. Now there may be as many as 80 leaders attending. Would you be willing to share your training materials with me so I may not teach over their heads and meet the needs of local churches?

    Thank you.

  • Greeting in Jesus Name
    may i know how to join the school
    and how much for the payment of the fee
    the school have the accommodation
    is for ladies and gentle
    Thank
    Richard

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