Abdelqader* is our friend, and a ministry leader in a country in North Africa, where ministry leaders and foreign ministry workers are not welcome and harassed. Abdelqader had attended a pastor training program for a few years, but the lessons never seemed to stick with him. He attended mainly to receive the paper certificate to show that he had completed the program. When that program suddenly ended, we welcomed Abdelqader into a newly formed BEE World group, and he attended the first course. Because of the interactive learning and emphasis on applying what you learn, the difference in him as a student, a leader, and as a brother in Christ was dramatic! His level of preparation, engagement, and helping others to develop a personal application of what they were learning was dramatically improved! He was like a new student.

As he explained, he was no longer concerned with the paper from the old school or a certificate from us––he was finally respected as a learner and a leader and now just wanted to be allowed to continue learning the Bible in the BEE World facilitated group. Abdelqader has more classes to attend and to facilitate, but he has already started a 2nd generation group in his country and is asking for more students to enroll every time we see him!

*an alias

MALAWI - The sixth course in the BEE World curriculum is Bible Study Methods, in-depth training in how to interpret scripture. This is difficult material and many of the concepts and practices are challenging, but through intensive workshop interaction, pastors were able to grasp the techniques successfully. During breaks we would hear the pastors speaking excitedly to one another: “We cannot go back. We will never study the Word the same way again or prepare our sermons the same way. Our churches are going to be strengthened. We will be strengthened. This training has come at just the right time.”

ETHIOPIA - We met with the general secretary of the Central Ethiopia Region of the Evangelical Churches Fellowship, a consortium of 26 denominations representing over 5,000 local churches, including many newly planted churches. He was almost beside himself when we described BEE World’s emphasis on training pastors in their ministry context and our goal of turning the ministry over to them, putting into place a self-sustaining training movement.

 His 15 years of leading the Fellowship have shown him two things: when you take pastors out of their ministry context for extended periods of training, they tend not to return (he calls it ETNCB- Educated To Never Come Back); and when training is exclusively dependent upon an outside (i.e. American) trainer, it dies out once the trainer leaves. As he put it, “BEE World’s approach is making history in this country.” 



Another exciting development is that the senior pastor of a large Ethiopian church in Dallas will be one of the facilitators leading upcoming BEE World training. We are so excited about this connection and the way God has brought us all together in His perfect timing.

A Lasting Legacy of Bible Training

Li* is the leader of a large church network where there was one trained pastor for every 60,000 people. He shared that when our facilitators first started training his people, their initial responses weren’t very positive. The facilitation method of learning was so different from what they were used to (listening to lectures). They complained that the BEE World trainers asked many questions, but they didn’t give them the answers—instead, they directed them to the Bible to find answers. Li told his people, “Give this time, and you will see the difference. This type of training will help you be able to think for yourselves.”

Over the next five years his people became confident, competent students and teachers of the Bible—and trained many others. They discovered that the facilitation method really helped their students to understand and study the Bible themselves.

Li really appreciates the vision BEE World has for indigenization (entrusting the ministry to national leaders). He told us “I can see that you have a ‘kingdom heart’. Indigenization will take a long time. It will be done someday, but you will always be our teachers and our friends. We can do it alone, but please don’t leave us. We share the goal of seeing servant leaders multiplied for this region.”

Now Li serves on the national board that oversees BEE World’s work where he lives, and he holds a top leadership role in the national missions movement that has a goal of sending out 20,000 national missionaries by 2030. On a recent call he told us, “You have helped us learn the Bible and develop our skills as teachers and trainers. What we really appreciate, however, is the relationship we have with you.”

*an alias

Faithful Obedience

Ma Ling is much like Andrew in the Gospels, who didn't stand out and get noticed like Peter, James, and John. But through BEE World Ma Ling, like Andrew, has become a man whom God is using profoundly.

Ma Ling is poorly educated, having been raised when there were no schools for children like him, and the government persecuted Christians. 

As other BEE World students drove their motorbikes to class, he pedaled a 1950s bicycle many miles––and during the three years of his BEE World training, he only missed one class!

A vital component to BEE World training is multiplication: each student must lead others through the training curriculum. But when Ma Ling told his wife that he must lead others, sadly, she laughed, asking, “Who would train with a simple man like you?" Yet Ma Ling insisted because “2 Timothy 2:2 says we must train others.”

Ma Ling’s wife consented to pray with him for five nights that God would grant him a group to train. After five days, he bicycled a long distance to the next village. As he entered the village, a man stopped him and questioned him. Ma Ling said to him, “God has led me here to give true biblical training to pastors.”

After a silent pause, the man shared, “I am a pastor. We have been praying for someone to train me and my deacons. Would you come with me right now"?

For the past three years, Ma Ling has been trekking to this village––equipping this pastor and his leaders through the skills, knowledge, and character he gained from BEE World.

Recently a BEE World facilitator worked through the first half of the book of Romans with a group of pastors in this area. One of the oldest and most experienced students of the group spoke for many when he commented afterward, "I have preached Romans before but learned so much more this week. (I) appreciated the systematic teaching of the Gospel in Romans. I learned more about grace and sanctification."

Pastor Alex* from the same group spoke about the cumulative impact of BEE World training on him and his ministry:"BEE World has changed me and the way I teach generally and preach the Gospel particularly. Formerly I majored in emotion, now I have truth as my base. Formerly I preached and believed many 'half-truths', without any scriptural basis; now I have a better idea of what the Bible really says and can be firm in that. Now I can teach something solid, not just get emotional." He also expressed that he appreciated learning more about the wrath of God against sin and the depth of God's grace involved in our redemption. Because of this training, he is now better equipped to communicate these biblical truths to his own church.

*an alias

Taking Training to the Middle East

When BEE World set out to strengthen the church in the Middle East, there was a desire to work in a restricted-access country that had never had a Bible school or seminary. One BEE World facilitator had visited the country and became friends with an Arab Christian medical doctor. He arranged to visit the country again for the purpose of sharing with his friend about Biblical Education by Extension.

When he arrived, he explained the ministry and invited the doctor to pray about helping start the training by recruiting some local believers who would be willing to commit themselves to study the courses. “When he dropped me off at the airport for my departure, we prayed together, but I didn't know whether he would be willing to take the security risk of getting involved," said the facilitator.

Six weeks later, the facilitator was surprised to see that his friend had emailed, letting him know there was a group of believers who wanted training. One of them was the key evangelical leader for his denomination who had never had any in-depth Bible training.

When the BEE World facilitator returned to the country a few months later, his friend drove him to a farmhouse in a remote area, where he met the students. He gave each a copy of the BEE World course on Romans through Galatians and, during the next few days, the students worked through each lesson and interacted together about what they were learning. Our facilitator shares, “I will never forget the evangelical leader standing and saying, 'This is incredible. We have never had any training like this that takes us into a serious study of God’s Word. My heart is so full of joy!'”