Eighthly. Another part of our work is the forming [of] our native brethren to usefulness, fostering every kind of genius, and cherishing every gift and grace in them.
Many people do not currently understand the importance of a Bible College. They can not seem to understand how it relates to church planting but as they said we must do everything possible to get them to know and grow so that they can lead their churches. Probably the most important church planting on any field once the work as been started is the training of the future leaders. If you believe in church planting you have to believe in Bible College support and training.
In this respect we can scarcely be too lavish of our attention to their improvement. It is only by means of native preachers that we can hope for the universal spread of the Gospel throughout this immense continent. Europeans are too few, and their subsistence costs too much, for us ever to hope that they can possibly be the instruments of the universal diffusion of the word amongst so many millions of souls spread over such a large portion of the habitable globe.
They knew that the most important key to getting the gospel to the people was to train their leadership. We will never get enough workers. We must train them in how to lead. We must train the churches in how to follow. We must teach them to give and support their own pastors.
Their incapability of bearing the intense heat of the climate in perpetual itineracies, and the heavy expenses of their journeys, not to say anything of the prejudices of the natives against the very presence of Europeans, and the great difficulty of becoming fluent in their languages, render it absolute duty to cherish native gifts, and to send forth as many native preachers as possible. If the practice of confining the ministry of the word to a single individual in a church be once established amongst us, we despair of the Gospel's ever making much progress in India by our means. Let us therefore use every gift, and continually urge on our native brethren to press upon their countrymen the glorious Gospel of the blessed God.
This is probably one of the mission field's best kept secrets. Many missionaries can't ever master the language. They have a hard time adjusting to the culture. What if we would just learn that our principal ministry is training leaders. Maybe we would accomplish much more.
Vision News
Vision Baptist Church
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