Teaching future pastors and lay leaders is important to church growth and maturity. But without qualified instructors and training materials, it’s difficult to grow the next generation of leaders. That’s why TWR-Venezuela initiated School of the Bible.
In many areas of the world, including Latin America, Bible school training is not affordable, available or within reasonable travel proximity of many believers. TWR-Venezuela seeks to provide such training by means of radio programs and complementary Bible correspondence courses and CDs. Esecuela Biblica (School of the Bible) was initiated in 2004 in response to multiple daily requests for biblical training of local pastors and Christian leaders in Venezuela. “Thousands of pastors and evangelical leaders in Venezuela credit the Bible teaching of TWR with their discipleship for the last 40-plus years,” says TWR-Venezuela Director Annabel Torrealba. “Many continue to look to TWR for this teaching.”
As of May 2007, 50 Christian leaders are formally registered to receive Escuela Biblica lessons on CD and in print in addition to the radio broadcasts. The program is aired from TWR’s facilities in Uruguay and on Bonaire as well as from local stations in Venezuela and Chile. Escuela Biblica also began airing in Cuba in May, and requests for registration of pastors in Cuba and Colombia has since increased. “We anticipate rapid expansion as the program is heard at better times and in more locations,” says Torrealba.
About 30 percent of those who registered for the first course have continued to the second course. Some take longer to complete the first course since it is designed to accommodate the registrant’s learning pace, and many pastors have little formal education. The fourth Escuela Biblica course was recently completed and now all four courses are available. These lessons often become the primary source of sermon material for local pastors. Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive a certificate from RTM-Venezuela. Many respond that the training they received is invaluable.
“It’s good to have the material from the School of the Bible. It has been a great help for my spiritual life,” wrote one listener. “I do this course with my family, and it is a great blessing to all. I have learned more from the Word of God on a higher level. I give thanks to God for Trans World Radio and especially for what these studies mean in my life.”
And José wrote: “Finding myself in such an isolated place, it was difficult for me to have access to a course as marvelous as this, which has been a great blessing for my life. Through the School of the Bible I can prepare myself to help and teach others.”