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- What is PTI’s Vision?
- Where Is PTI Initially Focusing its Activities?
- Why the Need for Pastor Training?
- What Research has PTI Undertaken?
- What Part Do Books Play?
- Where Does PTI Stand Doctrinally?
- How is PTI Distinct from Other Organisations?
- How Does PTI Ensure the Suitability of its Training and Materials?
- What Are PTI’s Immediate Plans?
What is PTI’s Vision? 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.
PTI’s vision is 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.
Top Where Is PTI Initially Focusing its Activities? African Church Leaders and leading trainers versed in that continent's spiritual needs have urged PTI to recognise the crying need for increased Bible based Christian work across the whole of West/Francophone, Central and East/Southern Africa. This region comprises many of the poorest and most deprived countries in the World.
PTI is concentrating its activities initially in the poorest areas of this region.
Top Why the Need for Pastor Training? Many new churches in Africa are being led by men with little or no formal pastoral training. They are responsible for multiple churches, are often involved in other ministries. Only a handful has even the most minimal support, from evangelists and other church workers. 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.
Under the guidance of trainers with acknowledged African experience and expertise, PTI is seeking to increase the depth of these pastors' teaching. This is being achieved through its own training programs and in partnership with other like minded Christian organisations.
If these pastors are to receive the training essential to disciple their flocks, realistically it has to be done where they live and work – so PTI must come to them. They do not have the resources, neither is it a practical option for them to travel far from their home district. The scale of the need is vast. (It is estimated that there are currently 150,000 'lay' church workers in Francophone Africa alone).
Top What Research has PTI Undertaken? PTI has conducted extensive research in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa as to how best to help, train and equip these churches. Numerous African Church leaders from a variety of denominations have requested PTI's further assistance as a direct result. Various Christian organisations with expertise in the field of mission and training have been involved. Many have confirmed the need and offered helpful advice. Top What Part Do Books Play? We believe there is a vacuum created by the lack of suitable books to assist those who minister the Word. Some new and second-hand publications can do more harm than good, either because they are not true to the Bible or because they are culturally irrelevant to the recipients.
False teaching is a poison in the life of any church, and it is imperative that those who desire to teach the Word should be trained to expose error as well as expound Truth. Recognising this, the greatest care is taken to send only the best and most suitable publications to those who want and will use them.
Books, at locally affordable prices, are provided as an integral, ongoing part of all and every training module. They are chosen for their doctrinal soundness, exegetical accuracy and expository nature. They therefore serve as practical aids to study and preaching.
Click here to read more about the literature work. Top Where Does PTI Stand Doctrinally? PTI holds to a doctrinal basis which is in line with other conservative evangelical statements.
Click here to view the full text. Top How is PTI Distinct from Other Organisations? Many church leaders across the denominations in Africa do not have good role models on how to expound or teach the Bible. The most serious lack is an understanding of proper Biblical Theology. That means the tendency is to read the Bible in the 'flat' with little understanding of it as progressive revelation fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Experience shows one of the greatest needs in the African churches is for the thousands of local pastors to be equipped to preach the Word of God to their congregations by being taught how to handle the basic task of studying, expounding and applying Scripture. This is not primarily a matter of academic education - but practical training in good, basic Bible-handling skills in dependence on the Holy Spirit. It is in this sphere of training that PTI is concentrating most heavily.
PTI sponsors trainers (who are themselves pastors or theologians with a teaching gift and international experience) to conduct regular, short term teaching courses in overseas locations. This develops national pastors' teaching and preaching skills. It is achieved primarily through practical 'Training Workshops'. In due course, additional training will be offered to pastors who show a willingness and ability to teach others, the ultimate aim being to secure a permanent supply of indigenous trainers. These would then be encouraged and resourced to conduct similar workshops in their own areas for fellow pastors.
Click here to read more about what makes PTI different.
Top How Does PTI Ensure the Suitability of its Training and Materials? A Ministry Board ensures spiritual 'quality control' by overseeing the selection of literature and trainers, thereby safeguarding the testimony of historic biblical Christianity from being compromised. The Board comprises theologians, pastors and teachers fully sympathetic to the aims and doctrinal basis of PTI.
Members of the Ministry Board have the necessary knowledge and people skills to identify and ensure that only expatriate trainers with the appropriate experience and communication skills are sent out to train indigenous trainers. They also possess the breadth of reading knowledge to identify the most suitable books for each area of training and ensure that only literature that totally meets the needs of indigenous trainers and pastors is provided, e.g. an otherwise excellent book, doctrinally speaking, where the author was prone to use over long sentences, would be considered inappropriate for PTI's use.
Click here for further information about the current Ministry Board members. Top What Are PTI’s Immediate Plans? The major focus of PTI’s ministry is on the development of its “Teach to Preach” training conferences, which started in mid 2005. Conferences are led by trainers who know the needs of the local pastors and who integrate the teaching with practical group work. At the end of each conference, pastors receive a carefully selected, totally relevant package of books. The current personal tuition and mentoring work is being extended to provide follow-up support to all conference students.
Current training conference programme
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