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BIBLE INSTITUTE
THAILAND By Jonathan Ballou
Almost every missionary presentation would
include some form of these three primary
goals of a missionary—win souls, train leaders,
and plant churches. Given that the history and
current state of independent Baptist churches
is different in every country of the world,
the actual methods of accomplishing these
goals will naturally look quite unique. Here in
Thailand, where less than one percent of people
know Christ, there is not a day that passes that
I do not ask some form of this question: “How
can we win more souls, train more leaders,
and strengthen or plant more churches?” Early
on, I began seeking answers from missionaries
who have faithfully labored here before me.

The commonly shared view has been that the
greatest challenge is the development of strong
leaders. After spending our time in language school
partnering with established ministries, the time
came for our family to start a church. God led
in that process in many ways, not the least of
than & Alisa B
Jona allo
u &
F which was providing a national young man to
begin with us as an intern. Just a couple of years
out of high school, the young man had grown
up in a great ministry where he was given a
solid Biblical foundation and worldview. I
witnessed the call of God on his life and found
his partnership a great blessing.

am ily
Instantly, we became the perfect case study
to depict the reality facing many churches on
the mission field. We had a young man crucial
to weekly ministry who needed theological
training beyond what I could personally offer
him. There was no centralized Bible college that
fit the need of the moment. Even if there had
been, our church would have greatly missed
him if he moved away for college. Therefore,
I began to look around for collaboration with
other churches. A veteran missionary provided
the avenue I was looking for. His church,
less than an hour’s drive from ours, had an
established Bible school. As a retired Air Force
Master Sergeant with an earned theological
doctorate and many years on the mission field,
his leadership makes him uniquely capable.

He graciously allowed our intern to join the
courses he was offering and opened the door
for me to teach as well. We were immediately
blessed to step into a collaborative effort with
this veteran missionary.

The goal of the Bible institute is to provide
high quality theological training and make it
available to members who remain faithful in
their local churches. The courses must also fit
the demanding work schedules common in
Thailand. Providing a mixture of in-person and
online learning makes the most sense, given
the factors of schedule and distance, along with
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the challenges of COVID regulations. In order
to better develop the institute’s goal of sound
theological instruction, missionaries and
national pastors were recruited to teach, each
according to his expertise. With the addition
of more national pastors and missionaries,
a new clarity of vision has further developed
the school’s potential. The school continues
to develop an expanded array of courses for
online and learning center instruction.

The effort has not been without obstacles.

Having missionaries
from different
organizations as well as national pastors
working together without some friction
over preferential issues presents challenges.

Students, however carefully vetted, sometimes
make life choices that preclude them from
continuing their studies. Teaching online
comes with a massive learning curve, requiring
development of tech skills and equipment. And
for the missionary teachers, all that comes with
the massive challenge of teaching fluidly with a
lot of technical vocabulary and in our second
language. The trajectory of this collaboration is very
encouraging. There is an understanding
that in order to develop well-rounded and
theologically mature leadership, missionaries
and national pastors must work together.

Despite the challenges, we are united with the
goal of not only training future leaders but
also sufficiently training them to be the future
teachers and administrators of the Bible
school as well. Strong churches require strong
leaders with a strong foundation in theological
and Biblical truth. I believe that for this part
of the world in this moment, we have seen the
start of something incredibly important to the
furtherance of the Gospel in Thailand. We are
finding ways to accomplish 2 Timothy 2:2 in
a new generation. Through cooperation and
innovative use of technology, the obstacles to
strong leadership development are no longer
insurmountable. W
Thai Pastor teaching
Church History class
Graduation Ceremony April 2021
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