Transcript Church-Based Training (CBT)

Church-Based Training (CBT)
With the proliferation of churches
around the globe, the need for
leadership training has far exceeded
the capabilities of existing brickand-mortar institutions
TEE beginnings
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Theological Education by Extension began in
1963 in Guatemala among Presbyterians
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Ralph Winter, Ross Kinsler, Kenneth Mulholland
and Sam Rowen
Designed for rural communities in Central America
where leaders could not leave job, family or church
Quickly spread throughout the world
20,000 web sites today promote and define
With the increased emphasis in RACs some form
of Distance Education was vital to the exploding
church
Reasons for being
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Residential schools have not provided enough
leaders of growing churches
Many people would like to study theology and
leadership, but have commitments to family and
church
Students who go to residential programs are
young, inexperienced resulting in high
percentage who do not continue in ministry
Conventional training isolates from actual
involvement in ministry, thus are ill prepared
High cost of residential studies obligate
dependency on foreign subsidy, further limiting
its potential
Technique designed by Ted Ward
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Three elements essential to the program
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Self-study materials to enable student to learn at
home
Practical work in the student’s church
Regular encounters or seminars to promote
fellowship and motivation to student and teacher
Strengths and presuppositions
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Seeks to correct weakness of residential seminary
by teaching theology in context of ministry &
culture by overcoming elitism
Economic advantage
Presupposition is that ministry belongs to all
people
TEE objectives
Training is programmed for every level
of church leadership
 Training includes knowledge, skills and
character
 Courses are taught not only by outsiders
but also local leaders
 Flexibility is encouraged
 Training integrally linked to the local
church
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Elements of TEE
Module or paragraph of
information
Response question to interact with
information in module without copying
the answer from the module
Immediate affirmation or correction of the
answer somewhere near
Immediate affirmation or correction of the
answer somewhere near
Some concerns for TEE
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Maintain the “split-rail fence” analogy of Ted
Ward: rails: cognitive + practical + fence post:
dynamic reflection and discussion
Missing is the character formation and
spiritual development
Jesus taught spiritual truths through actual
situations – this is theology in context or
culture
Canned curriculum teaches toward canned
answers, not practical applications.
Concerns for TEE: Tension between
proclamation and dialogue
First dimension is the universal truth
revealed in God’s Word.
 Second dimension is the application:
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Proclamation: that which is not open to
debate, applies in every culture and
situation
 Dialogue: variety of applications and
avoidance of paternalism
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Concerns for TEE: Center or
Periphery
Most TEE programs initiated, directed,
funded and managed by expatriate
missionaries
 Often applications are western focused
 Credibility and trust often dictates who
leads the program
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Three Original Models of CBT
Puritans
 Reform
 Congregational
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Puritan
Demanded an educated clergy
 First Theological Seminary in America in
1774
 Liberal education plus theological
 Had to be ordained by a church to be
licensed to receive a salary
 Very strict so most spent a year+ under
a tutor before ordination
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Methodist Plan
Limited ministerial training, but strong
motivation to evangelize and willing to travel
 Circuit-riding preachers (4,000 by 1844)
 In-Service training (not training FOR ministry)
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Expected to study daily 5 hours
 Given specific theological books to know
 Had to study on his own
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Multiplied rapidly
Baptist Plan
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Most gifted became the pastor
Either full-time or part-time
 If he felt the “call” he could begin preaching
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Apprentice system (in-ministry training)
became the norm
 As gifted preachers acquired more
apprentices classroom teaching evolved
 Bible schools developed in key churches,
then Bible institutes, then Bible seminaries
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Problems with Bible
Schools
Motivation for job security
 Often functional illiterates – poor
primary/secondary training
 As late as 1926 40% of American pastors
had not attended college or seminary
 Most Third-World pastors finished primary,
but barely 20% finished secondary and 3%
have college training
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