Our Vision

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed

and who correctly handles the Word of Truth.   

 2 Timothy 2.15

The vision of PathwaysAfrica is to train pastors who train pastors to study, obey and teach God’s life-giving Word

Our training is:

  • Relational – We work with the same small group of about 16 pastors who meet together in three, five-day workshops each year for three years—nine total workshops, with the same PathwaysAfrica workshop leaders—experienced, trained Evangelical Free Church of America pastors from the United States and Great Britain.
  • Interactive – While there is some lecture in the workshops, we believe learning happens best when pastors interact with the materials and each another, practicing with and encouraging one another in what we are learning in each workshop. 
  • Biblical – We use the Bible to teach Bible study skills.  What better way to grow in learning to study the Bible and develop good Bible study skills than studying God’s living Word together?  We want to faithfully preach what the Bible text teaches—that is expository preaching—keeping our finger in the Biblical text! 
  • High level commitment – We ask for a high level of commitment from all, but always with grace.  We expect and challenge our pastors to complete each workshop’s pre-assignment, be present and fully engaged each day at all of the nine workshops, yet understand that sometimes we are sidetracked.
  • Transferable – Everything we do will be transferable, and must be passed on to other pastors, 2 Timothy 2.2.  We see the pastors we train as trainers of others and make it mandatory that each pastor train other pastors with what they are learning before they attend the next workshop. Plus, we always learn better when we are training others.

Here’s an overview of our nine, one week each, PathwaysAfrica Workshops. Each workshop builds on the previous workshop, reviewing and reinforcing these Bible study tools and skills:

1.   Jonah Workshop: The Bible Pathway, Careful Bible Study, Context

2.  2 Timothy Workshop: Asking Questions, Preaching Statement, Staying on the Line, Application Statement

3.  Genesis Workshop: Sections, Pre-understanding, Flow of the Message

4.  The Bible’s Salvation Story Workshop:Understanding the Bible’s Salvation Story

5.  Psalms Workshop: Poetic Tools, Sections: Psalms, The Salvation Story in Psalms

6.  Mark Workshop: Literary Types, Sections: Mark, Parables

7.  Romans Workshop: Linking Words, Sections, Preaching Tools

8.  Habakkuk Workshop: Putting It All Together in an Old Testament Book Study

9.  Colossians Workshop: Putting It All Together in a New Testament Book Study

“Do you have any idea how very homesick we became for you, dear friends?”

How we all long to gather together as God’s family face to face. Whether in Zambia, or Guinea, Rwanda, the UK or the United States, we feel fenced off and missing the joy of being physically with one another as a church family.

As I’ve been reading 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Paul’s deep love and affection for the Thessalonians has surprised me anew. (Take time to read and watch for his affection for them!) And it reminded me how Paul was so often physically separated from brothers and sisters he was so fond of—like we are. Listen to his heart as he writes from 350 miles and months away:

“Do you have any idea how very homesick we became for you, dear friends? Even though it hadn’t been that long and it was only our bodies that were separated from you, not our hearts, we tried our very best to get back to see you. You can’t imagine how much we missed you! I, Paul, tried over and over to get back, but Satan stymied us each time.” 1 Thessalonians 2.17-18 (The Message Bible)

And so because he could not gather with the Thessalonians face to face (in this case because of Satan’s work) Paul didn’t grumble or complain-instead, he wrote them a letter. All of his letters are evidence of this—written to believers he was fenced off from by many miles and often months and sometimes years. And yet God powerfully continued to work and speak and encourage and challenge these believers in Jesus even though they were apart.

God continues to do this even we are are homesick for one another, each time we open His Word and carefully read, pray to our Heavenly Father. And as we fellowship and listen to God’s Word with our churches and home groups over Zoom or FaceBook.

What a great week in Lusaka!

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3.16-17

My good friend, Pastor Simon Mawdsley and I have just finished our 2nd workshop here in Lusaka, Zambia. We worked this week with a great group of 16 pastors who believe the Scriptures are God’s Words and useful in all of life. However, most of them have had little access or opportunity to be trained how to study God’s Word.

Pastor Alick Tembo

During the training, one of our young pastors, Alick Tembo, took me aside and told me with tears, ‘I’ve been a pastor for over 10 years but no one has ever come alongside me and taught me how to study and understand the scriptures. I honestly feel like I am dreaming because I never thought I would have training like this.’

What a joy and high privilege to be able to come alongside brothers like Alick, Charles, Jeremiah and others, growing in how to dig deeply into God’s Word, carefully observing what is there, not adding what is not there, fighting against the temptation to tickle ears and bending God’s Word.

 

Here’s more about Pastor Alick and a message of deep gratitude to you:

Vision Bible Church International

Pastor Alick Tembo pastors the Vision Bible Church International, a church that he planted in a poor area of Lusaka six years ago. Beyond the good teaching and encouragement of his former pastor, Alick has had no access to bible training. He was thrilled to be chosen as one of the 16 pastors for our PathwaysAfrica workshop in Lusaka.

His church has already noticed the difference the Pathways workshop is having on Alick’s preaching – new power and clarity as he is preaching right from the text of God’s word, keeping his finger in the text. And he’s been sharing what he has learned with other pastors in his community — pastors training pastors!

Alick is married to Dorothy and they have two daughters, Jennifah (14) and Gloria (9). As is typical with most of our pastors, Alick’s church is able to pay him very little. As a result, Alick is a ‘tent-maker,’ working a second job to make ends meet. In his case, Alick sets up a table several days each week on a sidewalk in the busy city center, selling inexpensive cell phones and accessories.

Consider the financial sacrifice Alick and his family and the other pastors are making to faithfully participate three weeks each year in our PathwaysAfrica workshops! And think of how their tent-making impacts their time to study God’s Word to feed their people each week. Pray that local churches will be able to financially support their pastors to free them up full time to shepherd the flock.

Since ‘International’ is in his church’s name, I asked Alick, ‘Does your church reach beyond the borders of Zambia?’ He responded with a smile, ‘Not yet but we will take the Good News of Jesus to the ends of the earth!’ What a vision God has given Pastor Alick.

We’re in Zambia!

In the United States we have 1 trained pastor for every 250 people.  

Around the rest of the world there is 1 trained pastor

for every 450,000 people!

 

Pastor Corey Kugle (on the right) and I are on our way to the capital of Zambia, Lusaka, to begin our Pathway training of a group of sixteen Zambian pastors in nine, week-long workshops over the next three years. In growing relationships around God’s Word, we will be coaching them how to better observe, understand, interpret, accurately apply and teach God’s Word. Between each of our nine workshops, each of these pastors will be training other pastors in these same bible study skills and tools. Please pray for Corey and me (and my future teammate, Simon Mawdsley, on the left) as we meet, connect with, and work together Monday May 28 through Friday June 1.

On Saturday, June 2, I’ll travel with my Zambian brother Teddy Kamfwa to the town of Livingstone, Zambia where I will be leading a Pathways pre-training of about 50 local pastors. Our hope is to begin a second Pathways training workshop in Livingstone with a second group of 16 pastors who will then train other pastors. Please pray God will challenge and raise up His group of pastors in Livingstone.

You can always follow our journeys, and learn more at pathwaysafrica.org. 

The Sunday after I return from Zambia I’ll be sharing about God’s workings through PathwaysAfrica at Paseo del Rey Church. You’re welcome to join us Sunday, June 10, 9am and 10.35am.

I am so thankful and encouraged by many of you who have joined me with your financial partnership. I’m currently about one third of the way to my goal of $2800 per month. Your partnership will pay rich dividends in these pastors and their families and churches’ lives, and the pastors they train, for all of eternity. 

I’d like to invite others of you to invest prayers and finances with me in PathwaysAfrica. Would you prayerfully consider partnering in training pastors who train pastors by committing to $25, $50, $80, $150 a month, or a special annual gift?

If you would like to join my team, go to pathwaysafrica.org and click Support Pathways.  Or you can send your gifts directly to Paseo del Rey Church, memo “Pathways”, 900 Paseo del Rey, Chula Vista, CA 91910. All gifts are fully tax-deductible and you will receive a year-end receipt from the church.

Welcome to Zambia!

Pastor Jean Berchamas invited us to open our bibles to Colossians. As he began to unfold God’s Word, tears came to my eyes. In our first few Pathways workshops in Rwanda, Pastor Jean and the other 15 pastors would open their bibles, read a verse, and then launch into stories and exhortations which had little to do with the passage they said they were preaching.

But now, several Pathways workshops later, Pastor Jean (second from left) and the other pastors were handling more accurately God’s Living Word, faithfully keeping their finger in the text. Stories from their churches told of new joy and obedience as God’s Word was preached faithfully, with clarity and relevance. And these 16 pastors were actively passing on what they were learning to other pastors in Rwanda!

These pastors had not lacked love or passion for Jesus. Rather, like so many other pastors around the world, they lacked access to training in how to study and teach God’s Word.

On July 29, I will transition from Lead Pastor of Paseo del Rey Church and become a missionary from Paseo del Rey. It has been a joy and a privilege to shepherd these wonderful people of Paseo del Rey Church for the past 38 years.

Now, God has opened a new door, and I will be focusing my time and attention on training more pastors who will train pastors in Africa. April and I will continue to live in Chula Vista, but I’ll be in Africa more, 3-4 times a year, 3-4 weeks at a time (April will join me on one journey each year).

I will be leading two different Pathways Training Networks. Each Pathways Training Network consists of 16 pastors who prepare for and participate in 9 one-week workshops that span three years. Being together over the three years provides time to nurture trusting relationships that are the bridge for meaningful and lasting discipleship, growth and training. We are launching our first Pathways group in Zambia in May, even before my transition actually occurs.

Paseo del Rey Church is committed to training pastors in Africa with me, and is generously providing a portion of my support for Pathways Africa.

I’d like to invite you to join my Pathways Africa Partnership team, investing in training pastors, like Jean in Africa. I am asking God for a group of partners like you who will pray regularly and financially support my work each month, or with an annual gift, over and above what you are giving your local church.

You can respond by clicking here. Join me in investing in training pastors who train pastors in Africa. Paseo del Rey Church will receive and administer your financial gifts—there are no administrative fees, and as your gifts are given directly to Paseo del Rey Church they are fully tax deductible.

Your partnership will bring a feast of God’s Word to many as together we team to train pastors who train pastors to study and preach God’s Living Word.

I hope and plan to talk personally with many of you individually over the next few months to share more about investing with me in Pathways Africa.