Today we’d like to introduce you to R. Kelly Johnson.
“There’s got to be a better way”
“There has to be a better way”
… are the words that Kelly kept thinking soon after arriving in Kenya. He and his family moved to Africa in late 1999 and during the first four years, served in the local church, assisted with orphanages and pre-schools, and helped many local church Pastors.
Preaching to over 12,000 Pastors and Church Leaders in conferences across East Africa, he was touched by the stories of numerous rural African Pastors who have little or no options for Bible training and discipleship.
Some education is available in large cities, but is costly. These require a pastor to leave his home, his family, and his church to move to a city for years and go into deeply into debt. “There’s got to be a better way!”
He came up with an “out-of-the-building” idea that would provide solid Bible training for Pastors that is portable and affordable. The training is packed into a briefcase and taken to the rural Pastors.
Today Biblical Life Ministries has founded Biblical Life Leadership College, an accredited Bible School of Christ for the Nations Institute, and is operating 3-4 Bible schools at a time, in 2 different countries with a goal to have 120 schools in 120 nations.
They are excited for the growth and the expansion of the program.
Biblical Life Ministries exists to transform the church by training Pastors!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There is always challenges to starting something new and our story includes plenty of challenges, but with that story after story of God’s faithfulness. I think one of our biggest challenges is the ministry growing faster than we anticipated. We have a very small staff and are growing beyond our own abilities, which is a great struggle to have. We are currently working to bring people on the field who can help grow and expand what has been set in motion. We are working toward a goal of 120 schools in 120 nations and we are looking for the right people to help fulfill that vision.
We have had moments where we knew that a new Bible school needed to start up, or we needed to visit with pastors in another country and just didn’t know where the additional funds were going to come from, but God has always provided for it all. We have had amazing supporters that have been alongside us for nearly two decades and new ones that have caught the vision and are so excited to come on to our financial support team to plant new schools.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Biblical Life Ministries – what should we know?
Our vision is to transform the church by training pastors. We have not found another program that offers exactly what we do in these locations that so desperately need it. These pastors do not have a way to get any kind of Bible Training or access to study material, so they are just struggling to get by with that they have. God has called them to be leaders in their villages and communities, and we are able to put hands and feet to that calling.
Our program is in-depth and involves a great amount of work from the students and the trainers. It is a year commitment and each month they spend a week in the classroom and then have detailed study assignments to complete before the next month’s meeting. This allows each student time to be in his or her community and with their families, while still receiving training to do what they are called to do.
Hearing the testimonies from the pastors is always so humbling. After their training, they go back into their communities changed and confident in who God is and how he has worked in their lives. We encourage them to do community outreach and really get involved where they are at. They have a level of credibility among their peers and churches from their certificate of education. These men and women go on to plant churches, change their villages and put the training they receive at Biblical Life Leadership College into action.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Kelly & Kathy both attended Christ for the Nations before going onto the mission field. The training and vision that they received there have been invaluable in doing what they do. There were teachers and pastors there that we still have a relationship with today and hold a very dear place in our hearts.
We have supporting churches and individuals all across the country that have been more than just supporters. We receive so many encouraging messages from our support team that help us keep doing what we do. Locally in the Dallas area, we have many supporters that have been there for us since our first day on the field. Their prayers, encouragement and financial support for the schools are what makes all of it possible.
We also have an amazing board that offers encouragement, direction, and wisdom at each step. Our board meetings are uplifting and always leave us ready to keep pursuing the dream and the vision of seeing 120 Bible Schools in 120 nations. We are so grateful for the people who believe in us and the vision God has placed in us and have an open heart for missions and planting Bible schools.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.biblicallife.org
- Phone: (469) 340-8574
- Email: sendme@biblicallife.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biblicallifeministries/
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