The number of churchgoers in Brazil has increased 20 times in the last 15 years.
To support this great rise in demand, many churches were founded by leaders without any training in handling the word of God. The School for Training Evangelical Leaders (known by its Portugese abbreviation ESCALE) has provided Biblical training for grassroots pastors in Brazil for years.
Our main challenge has always been the distance travelling from the city of Belo Horizonte to the in-situ training regions. We praise God for a growing number of regional ESCALE students who now facilitate training in these areas. Another challenge is to decide on the training needs of each group and tailor the teaching material accordingly. Usually our focus is on expository preaching, however we sometimes see a need to first teach the basics of theology and Biblical interpretation. Some leaders are only beginning their walk with the Lord even while they lead a congregation.
