The International Training Project is a collaborative mission initiative of IBCM Network through its training arm BTN (Brethren Training Network) and the Australian College of Christian Studies (ACCS, formerly Emmaus Australia). The vision is –

 “to provide and facilitate quality contextualised ministry training

that is accessible, affordable, and accredited,

to the majority world nations in our network.”

The Need

In many places around the world the gospel has taken root and there are a growing number of churches. However, in many areas, specifically in majority world countries, the local Christians do not have access to pastoral, leadership, and Bible training that is essential to ensure the growth, maturity, and future of the churches. In many places, false teaching, cults, prosperity doctrine, and syncretism have negatively affected or even destroyed churches. The national leaders are now crying out for our help. “Train us!” they say, “So we can feed the many who need our leading.” Further, in some countries many church leaders are finding they require some form of recognised accreditation to even continue their church ministry. This area of work is one of the key areas for mission collaboration today. It is this specific need and call that the International Training Project seeks to address.  It is time to develop an international approach to providing accredited training that can serve our leaders and our churches in all countries. It’s time to…

train ONE … feed MANY.

 The Funding

To provide accredited training that is affordable we need to be able to subsidise the cost to students in need. ACCS will be funding and offering the national accreditation, compliance, administrative, IT, and library systems at minimal cost. To make this initiative truly international and to reach the places where it is most needed, students will be charged in each country a fee based on what they can afford. This means that to provide accredited training to students in the majority world we will need the people of God to partner with us to bridge the gap between the actual amount charged to a student and the actual additional cost to provide the training and support. The gap will normally be in the order of £150 per subject or £600 per year. IBCM Network has set up an International Training fund to help support this mission initiative which has commenced in Africa through GLO Zambia.

Funding Example – GLO Zambia

It costs around £180 to provide the student training, administration, support, and accreditation for each Diploma subject offered. A student in Zambia can afford to pay only £30 per subject. In Zambia students come for live-in intensive training 4 times a year. They study 1 subject each live-in intensive. The live-in intensive costs the student around £50 in living costs plus another £30 for the accredited subject.  The intensive fee of £80 is as much as a student in Zambia can afford. This means that we need to find willing partners to bridge the £150 gap per student subject or £600 to sponsor a student to do 4 subjects a student year. Currently in GLO Zambia there are around 25 students who have started this accredited training. We also have around 100 students ready to start in Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia in 2021, and are in discussion with other countries and training centres. To continue this vital work we will need sponsors and donors to provide the gap funding. The student’s contribution to the training per subject will stay in the country of origin to assist with the additional in-country training and resourcing costs as well as contribute to the travel required to ensure the quality of the training processes in each centre.