Portable Bible Schools

In many nations the rural church is not keeping pace with the expanding population. The current number of trained professional church leaders is not sufficient to meet the need of the growing Church. The laity is a vast, untapped resource that holds the key to world evangelization and meeting this lack of leadership in the church today.

Where the laity is being trained, the church is growing inwardly as well as outwardly. Through PBSes, lay pastors/leaders are being trained, and they in turn are training others (II Timothy 2:2). The PBS goes where the needs are, and allows those who can't give up their jobs to receive relevant training.

When Portable Bible Schools (PBSes) began to function in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1987, it was estimated that approximately 60,000 villages were without any sort of church leadership. Much was done to rectify that problem in the years that followed.

More than 20,000 lay pastors have been trained in over 25 different denominations in PBSes. The movement spread to India in 1992, where it was estimated that there were 600,000 unchurched villages. Since beginning in India, approximately 10,000 lay pastors have been trained there. The use of PBSes has spread to other countries as well, most recently to Haiti and Colombia. Plans are currently underway to open Portable Bible Schools in Suriname, with inquiries coming from other nations in Central America.  Click here to read the story of a Portable Bible School graduate.

For a link to a printable brochure on Portable Bible Schools, click on the button at the left.

THE STRATEGY

The strategy of Portable Bible Schools is based on six "E's":

• ENQUIRE....The region is surveyed, and teams search out the spiritual condition of the area, gathering relevant statistics. Prayer is conducted in the villages, which are placed on a map to be targeted.
• EVANGELIZE....42 formerly unreached villages are targeted for two months of evangelism. Three teams minister in 14 locations each, preaching evangelistic messages over a span of 3 days in each village.
• ESTABLISH....A prayer cell is formed, and one of the new believers is chosen to lead the cell, planning later to attend a PBS. Regular times of prayer and Bible reading are scheduled.
• EQUIP....A central village is chosen as a PBS site, three teachers are appointed, and a maximum of 42 students are invited to attend 200 classroom hours over an 8 week period. Evangelism trips are planned on weekends to put into practice skills that are being learned, and a graduation ceremony commissions lay pastors for service.
• EXPAND....The graduate returns to his/her village and begins work as a lay pastor, training helpers and planning evangelistic trips to neighboring areas.
• EVALUATE....Follow-up with pastors is conducted on a yearly basis, if possible. Encouragement is given through prayer, ideas, and literature.

METHODS AND CURRICULUM

The general objective of the curriculum is to train laymen and laywomen in Bible knowledge and ministry skills. There is a threefold emphasis: Bible knowledge (including doctrine and a survey of the Bible); ministry skills (including pastoral care and evangelism); and character development (including personal holiness and spiritual maturity).

• CANDIDATES must be literate and mature in age. They must be recognized by the congregation as spiritually qualified leaders.
• TEACHERS should have Bible training, and should have received at least one week of orientation by the PBS supervisor prior to the opening of the school.
• DURATION of the school is five one-hour sessions daily over a span of 40 class days, leading to a total of 200 hours of training.
• TEXTBOOKS include The Bible (both Old and New Testaments) and Called to Shepherd God's People, authored by Thelma Braun.
• COST is shared by the sponsoring church and Evangelism Resources. And yes, ER's cost is only $20/pastor!

Click here to find out how you can give $20 to train a lay pastor for a LIFETIME of service to Christ.

ENDORSEMENTS

"Portable Bible Schools have trained and equipped lay leaders and mobilized them for evangelism. Now they are able to conduct cottage prayer meetings, prayer cells, and home visits, praying for the sick and troubled people. They are able to do many various ministries, so Portable Bible Schools are a great blessing in India."
- Dr. C. Akbar, India

"Evangelism Resources began a program of planting several PBSes in the Pygmy villages of Cameroon in order to help train lay leaders and lay preachers to take the Word to their peoples in their villages& Because the mission is universal, the vision also means that not only will these people return to within their tribal group of Pygmies, but eventually they will also become missionaries to other people groups."
- Lucién Bale, Cameroon