Training Pastors Worldwide

I’m home. Safe and in the midst of three months of catching up. Vickie and I are teaching k-3 graders in Sunday School. I call it semi-organized herding cats. Fun! I’m redefining slow on the bike, and we are thoroughly enjoying our four amazing above-average grandchildren.

I will return to Liberia for a month in August: leading a non-formal TLI trip, teaching two college classes, and other assorted duties at GraceLife. I love going and I love coming home – it’s all good.

Here’s a few videos, pics, and the Pentateuch class syllabus.

The Pentateuch

Grace Life College, Liberia

Dr. Robert Burris, April 27-May 1, 2021

Course Description: This course is a survey of the the Pentateuch for the purpose of aiding the pastor in a verse by verse, pericope oriented, exposition of the books of Moses. Attention will be given to the structure of the Pentateuch and its contribution to the ongoing storyline of the Bible – Redemptive/Historical.

Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

1. Confidently begin to study for a sermon series on any of the books covered.

2. Understand the unique contribution of the Pentateuch to the Redemptive/ historical plan of God.

3. Be able to exegete key pericopes in each book.

4. Understand how to faithfully understand, teach and apply O.T. narrative and Law.

5. Grow in their love for Christ.

Indicators:

1. Full participation in classroom dynamics, including prompt attendance.

3. Satisfactory completion of the final examination based on class lectures.

4. Satisfactory completion of 4 classroom quizzes.

4. Satisfactory completion of sermon project and Schoology assignments.

Course Textbooks and listening/reading:

Listen to or read all of the following articles and give a FULL one page response to each article.

Why Should I Read the Bible? // Ask an African Pastor

Why Should I Read the Bible? // Ask an African Pastor

https://africa.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-is-there-sickness-has-god-lost- control/

https://africa.thegospelcoalition.org/video/am-i-cursed/

https://africa.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-plague-the-passover-and-the- propitiation/

https://africa.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/sermon-podcast/i-am-who-god-really-is/

Why Should I Read the Bible? // Ask an African Pastor

Why Should I Read the Bible? // Ask an African Pastor

https://africa.thegospelcoalition.org/conference_media/family-devotions-and- parenting/

Indicators:

1. Engaging in classroom discussions.

2. Satisfactory completion of the final examination based on class lectures and the assigned reading.

3. Satisfactory completion of 4 classroom quizzes.

4. Satisfactory completion of all assigned readings with thoughtful interaction indicated by responses.

Course Textbooks, readings, and listening assignment:

Holy Bible: The Pentateuch

Grading

Reading and Listening: 10%

Bible: Pentateuch

A reading and listening report will be submitted by __________2021. Each late week will result in a 5% grade deduction.

Class participation, prompt attendance – 10%

Writing project – 30%,

Full one page response to each of the links above.

Examinations: 50%

The exam will be given at the beginning of the next class in August – 45%

Quizzes – 5% – 4 daily quizzes, at 1:30pm, on the previous day’s lecture and assignment. The quizzes will be given verbally, and the questions will NOT be repeated.

Thursday morning, Dyonah, Abraham, and I drove to Ganta, Liberia, on the border of Guinea. We were scouting the possibility of opening another TLI training site in this remote part of Liberia. The pastors must travel to GraceLife Center in Monrovia to receive any education and bringing our training to them would allow many more to come.

We spent the night in Gbarnga and readied ourselves to help a starved-for-training group of Liberian pastors in the morning. I spoke five times and after each session they broke up into discussion groups – very lively discussion groups! Each group gave a report, we discussed some more, took a break, and rebooted. We returned late Saturday afternoon The two days were very profitable and the men, and four ladies, want us to come back.

Here are a few pics and videos from the trip and the church that hosted us. We came home tired but happy.