Help Under-Resourced Church Leaders in Muslim West Africa
During the last fifty years, the global church has focused on the goal of personal conversion to the neglect of discipleship and societal transformation. As a result, the church is losing its transforming impact on the world.
At the same time, the global center of Christianity has shifted away from the West to the developing world. With this shift, the next generation of aspiring church leaders now find themselves with no realistic option for obtaining a high-quality seminary education.
They have a critical need for the essential training and tools to develop strong churches that transform lives and communities. But they can’t afford to leave their families, churches and communities to learn in a new language and culture. That’s the problem Pathway Learning wants to solve.
Thomas Friedman wrote, “Big breakthroughs happen when what is suddenly possible meets what is desperately necessary.”[1] We’ve seen what is desperately necessary. What is suddenly possible is a global revolution in learning.
The emergence of open-source educational platforms, through organizations such as Coursera and edX, has enabled near universal access to some of the world’s best teachers and courses in the sciences, arts, and business.Pathway Learning is applying this same breakthrough in learning to under-served church leaders around the world. With a platform that enables an innovative blend of online and onsite learning methods, our goal is to provide universal access to a practical, seminary-level education taught by world-class subject matter experts.In partnership with leading churches, seminaries and organizations, Pathway Learning opens a door never before available to under-served church leaders—the opportunity to receive the strong biblical and practical education they desperately need, while continuing to serve the congregations and communities where they live.What makes Pathway Learning courses different from most online courses that have been available for church leaders for a long time? Here are some unique benefits:
Practical Focus: Our courses focus not only on biblical and theological education but also practical education that equips students for effective ministry and lifelong learning.
Proven Methods: Our courses are based on proven teaching methods so students learn better and faster with less passive listening to long lectures and more active learning.
Cultural Customization: Our courses are customizable to adapt the curriculum not only to the student’s language, but also to the unique culture where they live and serve.
Blended Learning: Our courses blend online and onsite learning in cohort groups, led by certified facilitators, using both formal and non-formal learning methods.
Measurable Competencies: Our courses measure not only a student's knowledge, but also the character and skills needed for success in ministry – verified by certificates.
The church is the only institution on earth that Jesus promised to build and to bless for the sake of the nations. Nations rise and fall. Governments and educational institutions rise and fall. Relief and development organizations rise and fall. But the church of Jesus Christ continues in every generation.So why are so many churches today having such little impact on lives and society? It’s primarily because of their leaders. History has proven that the health of the church in every generation is directly linked to the health of its leaders. When church leaders flourish, churches flourish. When churches flourish, people and societies flourish.
This is why our progress as a global church can be no faster than our progress in educating church leaders, especially among developing and unreached nations. To put the education of church leaders first is to put society first.
For the first time in history we can successfully provide quality education for church leaders wherever they live and serve.
Using an innovative online platform, Pathway Learning can now bring affordable, practical, seminary-level courses to students where they live, in their language, and adapted to their culture. Working together, we can make the quality education of church leaders worldwide a reality.During the last few years, almost 200 students have successfully completed our first 6 pilot courses in English – Evangelism, Discipleship, Church Planting, Church Renewal, Missions, and Church Leadership. This year more than 50 indigenous church leaders in Asia completed our first pilot course in Chinese.We are now launching pilot courses for under-served church leaders in Asia, North America, and West Africa.
We’re looking for partners to help us bring this solution to more than a million church leaders in the next ten years.
Few, if any, investments are likely to pay higher returns over time.
Beginning June 2017, we’re launching a church planting course
for under-resourced church leaders in Muslim West Africa.
FOR THE SAKE OF THE NATIONS,
P.S. - The generosity of friends like you is key to our mission. We need your help to raise $15,000 by May 15 for the West Africa Project.
[1] Friedman, Thomas L. “Come the Revolution.” New York Times, May 15:2012, Op-Ed