Training Bible teachers in Timor-Leste
CMS missionaries Chris and Julie Dean serve with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Timor-Leste (EPCTL). Here, Chris describes an exciting week of training evangelists and leaders—the first opportunity to do so in person for some years.
Each year since 2009, Australian pastors (on behalf of Australian Presbyterian World Mission) have visited Timor-Leste to conduct a teaching week and ministry conference for Timorese pastors, elders, evangelists, and other church leaders.
In August 2023, we had our first post-COVID conference with visiting trainers Rev David Burke (Christ College, Sydney) and Rev Rob Duncanson (Ballarat), as well as fellow CMS missionary Chris Adams. We spent five days together with a group of devoted Timor-Leste evangelists and church leaders.
Training evangelists
The program on Monday to Wednesday was for evangelists. These evangelists are not ordained, and haven’t received formal theological education, yet they serve as pastors in many EPCTL congregations, especially in remote areas. Many travelled for hours to get to the training by public transport, along rough and difficult roads. We thank God for them and their ministries.
David, Rob, and fellow CMS missionary Chris Adams team-taught on ‘Basic Christian doctrine’, ‘Biblical interpretation’, ‘Sermon preparation’, and ‘Biblical principles for corporate worship services’.
Julie and I were glad to help practically and logistically by printing and formatting the conference workbooks, preparing conference packs for the participants, and providing transport for our Australian guest speakers. I also did some translating for our visiting Australian pastors, especially during Chris’s (Tetun-language) teaching sessions, and during the participants’ oral presentations.
In total, there were around 35 Timorese participants in the ‘Evangelist Training’ segment. This included 20 evangelists, and other emerging leaders. We had originally met most of them when visiting their various rural, or remote, congregations; others we were meeting for the first time.
Training pastors
The training for pastors on Thursday and Friday focused on expository preaching. In total, 12 Timorese pastors participated. The pastors responded positively to the training, and worked hard in the small groups to sharpen their skills in interpreting and proclaiming God’s Word.
As well as being a great time of Christian fellowship and encouragement, the ministry conference was a wonderful opportunity for us to strengthen relationships with pastors, evangelists, and other EPCTL leaders, which we pray will bear fruit in the long-term. In addition, for the evangelists, the training served as a pilot program for more intensive, non-formal theological training opportunities in the future (God-willing, this will commence in 2024 with a six-week training program, in three two-week blocks).
We are so thankful for this extraordinary annual opportunity to bring together gospel workers from across Timor-Leste, and use it as an opportunity to build God’s churches in this place. Please pray with us!
PRAY
Pray that the pastors, evangelists, and other leaders who participated in this ministry conference will be strengthened in their local ministries through the things they learned. Ask that God will powerfully use them to proclaim the gospel of his Son in their communities.
