Our Goal:
To fund the education of 100 pastors at Bible schools/seminaries in poor countries and regions of the world that are hostile to Christianity.
“O God, let me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am.”
Update:
The good news is that in May 2020, we were able to fully fund this project! All 100 pastors’ Bible college tuition costs, along with the operational costs for HTI, were fully covered. Praise God!
An Interview with Pastor Silva
J.R had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Pastor Silva and talk about the opportunity of training pastors in spreading the gospel in areas that are hostile to Christianity.
What was the Hall of Tyrannus?
While it’s never been found, the Hall of Tyrannus is the location where the Apostle Paul trained early Christian leaders who wanted to follow Jesus and lead churches. I’ve always been fascinated by the Hall of Tyrannus. In fact, I’ve thought many times how the mission of Kairos Partnerships is similar to what Paul was doing in the hall: training, equipping and encouraging current and future leaders of the Church.
“Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord”
Acts 19:8-10
In Acts 19 we read people were obstinate about Paul’s message and tried to malign (persecute) followers of Jesus. So he decided to teach them the way of Jesus elsewhere, in the hall. And because of it, word spread throughout Asia. So it makes sense we call this the Hall of Tyrannus Initiative since people are currently persecuting Christians because of their message.
Why fund the education of pastors in Asia?
You’ve heard the adage you can give people fish or you can teach them how to fish. There are two fishing ponds we’ve identified. And on the shore of these ponds are dozens of leaders who are eager to learn how to fish. We have identified people who want to teach others to be fisherman. But there’s one major obstacle in the way: these eager learners do not have fishing poles or the ability to pay for fishing equipment! How will they be taught how to fish?
In the spirit of Paul’s actions in Ephesus at the Hall of Tyrannus, we get a chance to thrust this vision forward of seeing poor and persecuted pastors and missionaries be equipped in ministry so the gospel can spread throughout India and Pakistan in modern day Asia.
** Both Pakistani and Indian Christians are heavily persecuted for their faith in Christ. It is so very important to train up leaders in these countries where strong faith is a must to survive as a Christian.
Which Bible schools/seminaries are we supporting?
We’ve identified two special “fishing ponds” — one in India and one in Pakistan — that are ripe for training pastors.
[1] School in India
The purpose of the school is to provide training for those who are called to enter ministry and further study for those already in ministry, and to do so without cost, for students who have no resources. The emphasis of the training is on evangelism, village ministry, church planting, and making disciples. The school motto is “Know Jesus, make Him known”.
During the first year, the focus is mainly on scripture. For the second year, it shifts a bit more toward practical ministry training.
[2] School in Pakistan
The emphasis in Pakistan is the same as in India, on evangelism, making disciples, planting churches, apologetics, etc. Right now classes are offered three days a week in class rooms and there are two days per week in the field doing village ministry. The total curriculum is also two years.
How Can You Get Involved?
While our initial goal of funding 100 pastors’ tuitions in Pakistan and India has been successfully reached, you can still give!
[1] Give: there are two ways to give
Sponsor a student. Donors can commit to sponsoring a student in India for $960 or in Pakistan for $480. Sponsors will receive a picture with name and location of the student/pastor and possibly the opportunity to communicate with them on occasion.
Give a special gift or one-time gift to HTI to cover overall costs (see budget listed above).
Online giving is submitted and received through our partnership with Independent Church in India.
[2] Advocate and share
Any opportunity to share the vision with others—whether word of mouth or on social media—would help tremendously.
[3] Commit to being a prayer partner for the Dean, the instructors and the students.
[4] Visit the schools in India and Pakistan
If you’re a pastor or teacher and want to become a visiting lecturer at the school, let’s talk. There is an openness from the schools for this to happen.
Become a Sponsor or Give a One-Time Donation
Complete the form below to start the sponsorship process or for a one-time donation of your choice.
After completing the form you will receive instructions on how to submit your giving online for either a full student sponsorship ($960 India / $480 Pakistan), or for your one-time donation.