Schools of Evangelism

The church's exponential growth in recent years around the world demands an exponential growth in leaders who can properly meet the demands of the Church and her new believers. Schools of Evangelism are helping to meet this need. 

The church at large needs to know that it exists to know God, to worship Him, and to make Him known. Evangelism is the best way to fulfill the Great Commission, yet most churches do not have effective programs dedicated to reaching the lost for Jesus Christ. Schools of Evangelism train international leaders who have been selected by heads of their denominations, having demonstrated a heart for spreading the gospel. After training in a School of Evangelism (SOE) that person is inspired to make evangelism a day-in, day-out way of everyday life As they return to their churches, SOE graduates challenge every believer to do the same!  Click here to read the testimony of an SOE student.

The first School of Evangelism (SOE) was started in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1985 by Willys and Thelma Braun. It was the natural outcome of 32 years of missionary work in that country which could best be described in two words: evangelism and training. This first SOE trained 466 evangelists, representing approximately 90 different denominations from over 30 nations of Africa in a span of fifteen years. From an initial class of eleven students, SOEs have now trained approximately 6,000 leaders on two continents. From the Congo, SOEs moved to Nigeria in 1991, then to India in 1993, and eventually in the late '90s to Myanmar and Bangladesh. Schools in Nepal, Angola, Ivory Coast and Ghana were added in more recent years. In India, where the current number of SOEs is 20, one School of Evangelism director said, "We got nowhere here for a decade until our SOE graduates opened up the villages."

Click here for a link to a printable brochure for our newest venture, an International School of Evangelism in Kolkata, India. (This is a large file, 1.5mg).  If you would like to view the brochure on-screen in a lower resolution (121kb), click here.

For a link to a general brochure on Schools of Evangelism, click on the button below.

THE STRATEGY

In nine months of training, School of Evangelism students are taught to think in five ways:

• BIBLICALLY  Courses offer a study of the Biblical foundation of Church growth and its principles.
• HISTORICALLY  A study of missions, church growth, and movements of evangelism through the ages sharpens students' historical perspective on ministries as they learn from past failures and victories.
• STRATEGICALLY  The study and application of projects to mobilize and train the laity prepare students to evaluate church growth and reach the unreached. Five-year plans of action are developed to be presented to denomination leaders after graduation.
• DENOMINATION-WIDE  Students learn how to preach evangelistically, how to hold open-air meetings, how to lead people to Christ and how to disciple them. Training is also given in church planting and organizing a department of evangelism in the denomination.
• NATIONWIDE AND WORLDWIDE  Plans to reach the whole nation and beyond are developed, based on ongoing national movements of evangelism such as the All-India Decade of Advance.
  Other Classroom Distinctives
• TEACHERS are Bible School graduates, SOE graduates, and have a missionary vision for the world.
• TEXTBOOKS include the Bible (both Old and New Testaments), and Courses on Church Growth, Volumes I and II, published by Evangelism Resources.

THE CURRICULUM

• First Semester:
  The Life That Produces Growth
  History of the Expansion of Christianity
  Research and Interpretation of Church Growth Statistics
  Church Growth Principles
  The Training of the Laity
  The Training of Pastors
  Evangelistic Movements Throughout the World
• Second Semester:
  Proclamation of the Life that Produces Church Growth
  The Department of Evangelism
  Presentation of Plans for Church Growth
  Urban Evangelism
  Rural Evangelism
  Denominational Strategy
  National Strategy

The amazing, low cost for sponsoring a student for this training?...  Only $400. 

Click here to find out how you can sponsor an SOE student.

ENDORSEMENTS

"Our students become successful pastors, church leaders, missionaries, evangelists and volunteers for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ, equipping people and strengthening them. During their training they are involved in evangelism and outreach, children's Bible clubs and other ministries. They focus on the areas and people groups where there is no church and no Christian presence. One of the bishops said, "West Bengal's School of Evangelism is the life-line of the state." Anjan Singh, Calcutta, West Bengal.