‘And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.’ 2 Timothy 2:2
Currently, it is estimated that there are over 2 million pastors in the majority world who have received no training for the role and who have barely any resources. The need for training is huge.
Part of the vision of EPW is to follow Paul’s instructions to Timothy. If the gospel is going to be faithfully passed on, then it must not remain the preserve of the few, but rather it is the responsibility of all who are currently entrusted with it to be on the lookout for faithful men who can themselves be trained to pass on the gospel to others.
Our “Train the Trainer” initiative was born out of this vision and is something that will be at the core of EPW’s training work going forward. The travel restrictions imposed by Covid only emphasised the importance of equipping local people to undertake the training work, and we were blessed during this time by a handful of local people we have previously trained who were able to continue the training activities, notably in Uganda and Ghana. We are now aiming to significantly increase the number of local people who are able to train others.
Last month we held our first Train the Trainers conference in Nepal, where we were encouraged by the dramatic impact it had on those attending. From 17th – 21st April Simon Percy and James Stileman will be conducting the training for 30 pastors in Ghana, assisted by two hosts in the country: Macdouglas Ampadu and Henry Parker. After the initial week of training, the plan is for local Ghanaians to take what they have learnt and train others in two new locations in the country.
Later this year, we are planning to run a similar conference in the Far East, to train people from Myanmar and Thailand.