If you look closely at any successful long-term organization, you will find that it has an ability to adapt to changes. Think about it. BlackBerry devices were all the rage until the company refused to accept that people wanted to have touch screens instead of keypads. Then it was bye-bye BlackBerry and hello Apple iPhone! Or what about the infamous decision of Blockbuster to not buy Netflix - what are the chances that streaming will be the next big thing? Obviously, the need to adapt is as important for missions organizations as it is with Fortune 500 companies. Adaptability is what has kept Pastor Training School up and running.
When training school began, it was led by Dr. Julio for many years, but than he had to move on to other things. Then for several years after that, Clay Powell administrated it. A few years ago he and his family had to move back to the States and then COVID hit, causing the school to have to switch to intermittent sessions. Thankfully, COVID restrictions have eased up a lot, and the school is starting to meet regularly again! Clay is still helping from afar, but the indigenous pastors have taken over the responsibility of running the program. Remember that the ultimate goal of Sowers4Pastors is to empower indigenous pastors. As Allen says, “Empowering indigenous pastors is one of our core beliefs.”
This year, Pastor Training School is teaching 1st and 2nd year students. The 2nd-year students arrived first. About twenty 2nd-year students are being trained by 3rd and 4th year students. Then, a couple of the 2nd-year students will be staying behind to help the 3rd and 4th year students teach the 1st-year students. This is excellent news! It demonstrates a new level of sustainability for the program. If anything happens and gringo missionaries leave the country, the program can still continue. The pastors are being trained in the Bible and they are being trained in how to train other pastors. Pastors training school can be an Apple instead of a BlackBerry.
Allen uses the term “indigenous pastors” very deliberately. Most of the pastors are primarily of Native American descent. They speak Spanish, but their ancestry is from various tribes. Most of these pastors will be in Honduras for the rest of their lives. They live in the communities and often have extended family within those communities. Indigenous pastors don’t have the cultural inadequacies of gringos. They don’t have to raise funds in order to stay in the country. It is their country!
Pastor Training School and helping pastors get Bibles are at the top of the Sower4Pastors priority list. Working with teams, distributing backpacks, and even feeding children ultimately goes back to a desire to empower pastors. Allen places training school at a higher priority than the motorcycle ministry or putting on new church roofs. Having a church building is great, but it is not everything. As long as there are people trained and eager to spread the Gospel, the Gospel will spread.
When Clay was serving as the school’s director, he started the system of having monthly gatherings, where someone goes out into the villages to meet with the pastors and have a mentoring session. That has continued, but it is also being run by indigenous pastors. The school’s current director and co-director are both Honduran, as are the administrator and each of the teachers. There are more than 2000 villages without a Bible-based church in the area. The most effective way to reach them is through evangelism done within the culture.
Sowers4Pastors asks for your prayer for the financial support of Pastors Training School. As it currently stands, North Americans are largely funding Pastor Training School. The students are giving up 3-5 days of work, covering the cost of their transportation, and giving a small amount toward part of the schooling. As costs continue to rise, Sowers4Pastors share in this worthwhile endeavor has increased. Pray that God will continue to provide the resources necessary to keep this program up and running!
-posted by Christi.
No comments:
Post a Comment