Project Description

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BOOKS TAUGHT

The Back to the Bible Conference trains and equips pastors from the Great Lakes Region of Africa in expository teaching of the books of the Bible. by walking them through a series of lectures of a selected book of the Bible per year. The objective is to teach them new interpretive skills and gain a mastery of the books’ contents. Thus, they will be empowered to take this training back to their local churches and feed the congregation, train up-and-coming leaders and empower current leaders with God’s Word.

THE NEED

  • Africa suffers from poor leadership and needs strong disciples of Christ to lead by example

  • Grassroots pastors do not have formal theological training due to financial or educational constraints

  • Grassroot pastors in East Africa are not paid and their families suffer while they work in ministry, therefore there is a shortage of pastors.

A disciple of Christ, a leader in his community

ANTHANESE’S STORY

BACK TO THE BIBLE

  • One-week conference offered to every pastor and teacher in the given region

  • Exposition of one book of the Bible

  • 100 grassroots pastors from Rwanda, Burundi, and the DR Congo come together to study a chosen book and methods of interpretation

  • They work on how to apply the teaching in their lives, families, and community

Pastor Esron has been faithful in passing the knowledge he gained in the training to others. After studying the book of 1st Corinthians in the Back to the Bible conference, he started teaching the same material in his church. In addition to that, he taught his church a method of identifying one’s spiritual gift that he learned in these trainings, and now ten individuals in his church have identified their spiritual gifts. Now this method has been adopted by the church. Church members go through this process before they engage in ministry.

HOW IT WORKS

  • A church or biblical teachers inquire about teaching a conference

  • TLAfrica staff gather information to determine which communities have an interest and need for a conference

  • TLAfrica staff work with the hosting teachers to plan the date, location, and curriculum for the conference

  • Invitations are shared with all local pastors and leaders in the surrounding region and beyond

  • The teaching pastors prepare their own materials and logistics for the classes

  • TLAfrica staff plans all of the registration, travel and preparations for the students attending the conference

  • Each conference will consist of morning teaching sessions, break-out sessions for collaboration and small group discussion about the material, Q&A times, a provided lunch break, a time for application and practice teaching what they are learning, fellowship time often with music and dancing, and a certificate presentation at the end of the class

Through these conferences, Francois gained the understanding that during adversity, a congregation can thrive rather than falter. This insight proved beneficial when he took on the role of pastor for a struggling church. He embraced the idea that challenges can be turned into opportunities for development. Consequently, the church is now thriving and is on the path to becoming self-reliant financially and has established a Bible institute.

– Pastor François Niyonzima,

a Pastor in the Association the Eglises Baptistes au Rwanda

YEAR BOOK COUNTRIES
2016 Daniel Rwanda & DRC
2017 1 Corinthians Rwanda & DRC
2018 Revelation Rwanda & DRC
2019 Acts Rwanda
2021 Luke Rwanda
2022 1 Corinthians Rwanda
2023 Philippians Rwanda

Interested in hosting the next conference?