Advanced Course of Study at Pradumri UMC

This week, we had our first Advanced Course of Study (ACS) classes for United Methodist pastors and interns.  ACS are graduate level courses for pastors who have already have a B.A. degree in Biblical Studies or its equivalent.  This week we taught courses on United Methodist History and Doctrine.  Next month we will teach a course on United Methodist Polity.  These three courses are required for all United Methodist pastors across the world.  We are teaching these three classes in time for everyone to complete these required courses before Bishop Goodpaster arrives in September to credential and consecrate the Thai pastors.

Because of the schedule constraints due to our upcoming itineration in America, we have to teach in marathon sessions.  We had 28 pastors, church staff, interns, and leaders at this training who studied morning, afternoon, and evening this week at Pradumri UMC.  We also had many more that laypeople who could not attend all of the sessions, but studied with us when they were available.  Training and mentoring pastors and leaders is at the core of what we do as GBGM missionaries, and we thoroughly enjoy this ministry. 

We are very impressed with the new pastors and interns that started working with us at Pradumri UMC this past week.  They have pastor’s hearts, passionate faith, and keen minds.  This training was a good time to get to know them and listen to them interact with each other.  God is good and has provided for the leadership needs of the United Methodist Church in Thailand.  Praise God!