Middle East/North Africa (MNN) — More Majority Faith people are turning to Christ now than at any other time in modern history. The Program for Theological Education by Extension, or PTEE, helps these believers become leaders.
Getting theological training in places like the Middle East or North Africa is not always easy. PTEE leader Jacob* says, “In Syria, for instance, they don’t have any Bible colleges.”
Revealing your faith in this region can sometimes make you a target, especially when you come from a Majority Faith background. PTEE helps believers become leaders through “undercover” theological training.
Self-study and local learning groups make the material easier to access and retain. “In our culture here, people [who] want to learn [will] look for a teacher because this is the system,” Jacob says.
“We wanted to change this kind of culture [so] that the student can study by himself, can teach himself.”
Arab Christians develop PTEE courses for Arabic-speaking believers who want to serve in church leadership. More about that here.
“It [is] an opportunity for them (Arabic-speaking Christians) to study academic theology and get a certificate or a diploma in theology,” Jacob says.
The ministry celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, training more than 7,500 leaders since its inception. Believers in the diaspora study with PTEE, too.
“In Sweden, Germany, Australia, and the U.S., we have some students among the immigrant people because they don’t know English very well. They wanted to complete their studying in Arabic,” Jacob says.
Do you know Arabic? PTEE needs help developing coursework. Maybe this is God’s next step for you. Contact PTEE here for more information.
“We need to pray that God will send us some people who are qualified to develop new courses,” Jacob says.
“I am the only one [developing courses], and I am getting old now. I cannot do it [alone] because it takes time to prepare a course like this.”
*Pseudonym
Header image depicts an English-Arabic Bible. (Photo courtesy of Sara Calado/Unsplash)
