the need
Around the world, pastors who shepherd the Lord’s church are in urgent need of on-the-ground equipping for the ministry to which they have been called.
Providing Theological Training Worldwide
Global Pastor Training exists to bridge the chasm between pastors who have some form of preparation for their work and those who have none.
Data source: Source 01-01-23 (1)
The Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) estimates:
5 million pastors (all Christian traditions) currently serve worldwide.
5% (250,000) have academic theological training.
That means 95% have little or no training for their work!
The need to provide in-service equipping for pastors is substantiated for the global church generally and East Africa in particular, in an anecdote related to Dr. David Jones by a respected Ugandan Church leader. As Dr. David Jones states:
“Several years ago, Pastor Andrew Mwenge, of Kampala Baptist Church, described various levels of theological education within the African church. At the top are those few individuals with certified theological training, which number about 5% of the pastors. Still other pastors have Bible School education. Yet, Pastor Andrew estimates that nearly 60% of African Pastors are functionally illiterate and could benefit from simplified training that is designed to be very interactive. Because this is the least resourced group, how they lead their churches inevitably will impact the future of the African church.”
The need to equip serving pastors exists not only in Africa, but wherever the Lord’s church is growing rapidly. It has been estimated that the global church requires 300,000 new pastors every year to keep up with the growth of the church in the global south. This is one reason the vast majority of contemporary church leadership in the global south is under-equipped. The demand for new pastors is simply too great for the academies to supply. This shortage is most noticeable among the poor, which make up a huge proportion of believers in the Lord's Church in Africa and the global south generally. Wherever we have looked, we have found an urgent need for effective non-traditional, non-institutional pastoral training of the kind Global Pastor Training provides.
Sources:
1) CSGC website: https://www.gordonconwell.edu/ockenga/research/Quick-Facts-about-Global-Christianity.cfm#pastors
2) David Jones, “Partnerships for Training Pastors,” accessed July 7, 2016, http://partnershipsfortraining.org/. See the 2015 year end newsletter.