What is the value of running intensive preaching training weeks cross-culturally?

Having been involved in short intensive weeks of preaching training for pastor-preachers and Bible teachers in Africa and Asia for the last 17 years – six of them based in SE Asia with Crosslinks – it’s been good to reflect on the question: ‘Of what value are these – do they not simply run the risk of cultural imperialism, even in preaching style?’

Local churches across the globe are growing without us, as Christ is proclaimed and the gospel bears fruit. So why do such Bible teaching and preaching training?

The reality is that there is much false teaching overseas, as well as in our own country. It often springs from a lack of knowing God’s word and faithfully teaching it. The recent tragedy of the so-called ‘Death Cult’ in Kenya is just one example. In the UK, we are immensely privileged in having a plethora of Bible translations, commentaries and online resources, alongside expository preaching in many evangelical churches week by week – and there are examples of expository preaching to learn from within our own culture. Additionally, many UK pastors will have more commentaries on their own bookshelves than a local Bible school in the Majority world, and the books in such Bible schools are unlikely to be in the students’ or pastors’ heart language anyway. Add to this the fact that we have various training opportunities, for example, through regional gospel partnerships.