The core of WHMI’s approach is teaching current and prospective pastors and ministry leaders, then discipling and mentoring them to teach others. This is essential, since healthy churches are God’s primary means of bringing Gospel transformation to communities. Through multiplication, WHMI is working to make theological training accessible to every pastor and ministry leader in the world.
In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul said that those who have received training should train others, who then train others. This is multiplication applied to theological education. While institutional training can provide depth, it cannot create enough capacity to meet the global need. Following Paul's example changes that. WHMI’s Bible Institute delivers 16 courses of essential theological instruction. Thereafter, qualified students become teachers, creating an indigenous movement of theological competency. As we rethink how to provide theological training, WHMI has become a catalyst for a global movement, helping provide access to theological education across multiple continents, countries, languages, and contexts.WHMI works with national leaders and missionaries to identify locations, schedule classes, and coach and mentor students through our course material. Our pedological method is face-to-face, lecture and discussion, usually in an intensive format. In locations where there are not qualified instructors, WHMI helps provide qualified instructors who can deliver course material to pastors within their context.
We coach and mentor qualified graduates to become instructors. WHMI works with these national instructors to assist them as they establish new locations of the Bible Institute. As graduates become instructors, they carry theological competency forward, creating indigenous, locally-led theological education. Since 2019, national instructors have taken the lead, providing the majority of instruction around the world.
When multiplication occurs, theological education becomes indigenized and contextualized. This is 2 Timothy 2:2 in action. This empowers nationals to provide theological training to fellow pastors and ministers. They are no longer dependent on those outside to provide theological training for them. And, because WHMI designed this approach to be low-cost and replicable, it is sustainable. WHMI is working around the world as they build networks of theological training. Nationals are becoming voices of truth, standing against false teaching and helping thousands of believers to know and understand Jesus Christ and the Gospel. To read a Case Study detailing a story of replication and empowerment in action, please click here.
These are among Jesus' last words (Matthew 28:20). Most of the world's pastors (85%) cannot teach others because they have never been taught.
WHMI is working to change that.
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