What Is The Purpose Of The Shepherd’s Academy?
On two occasions in Whitewell’s history, there has been a ‘Bible School’ in operation. The purpose of this has been to deepen people’s faith in Christ but also to equip them to serve the Lord in various capacities. From those Bible schools, run in particular in the 1980’s and 1990’s, a number of people passed through who today are in full-time Christian ministry whilst many others are serving the Lord in a lay capacity in various ways and even in different places.
Deepening people’s faith and, as Paul wrote in [Ephesians 4:12], ‘equipping the saints for the work of ministry’ are important callings for the church to fulfil. As well as that the church needs to be always producing a new generation of leaders and workers. Paul urged Timothy in [2 Timothy 2:2] “the things that you have heard from me... commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” There will come a time when those who now carry the baton will need to pass it on to others to allow the race to continue and be won. The purpose of the Academy is to train as many people as possible for the baton of leadership to be passed unto and to also help nurture and grow a new generation of Christian servants and heroes.
Men and women will be taught to know their God so that they may make that God known to others and out of that do great exploits for the Kingdom of heaven here on earth. A new generation of pastors and Bible teachers, not to mention elders and deacons, missionaries and songwriters, reformers and visionaries. We think of the heroes of the faith of bygone years; missionaries like Hudson Taylor and William Carey; preachers like C.H. Spurgeon and Jonathan Edwards; reformers like Martin Luther and John Wycliff. They all served their generation but we need to grow new heroes of the faith to champion the cause of Christ in this and the next generation if Jesus tarries.
The Shepherd’s Academy aim is not to produce armchair theologians and Bible critics, but men and women with a passion for God, His truth, His cause, His glorious gospel and honour who will take up the baton of leadership and privilege of service and who will become giants in the land for Christ and through whom Jesus Christ will continue to build His church.
I trust that you will be one of those who will enrol at ‘the Shepherd’s Academy’ and allow God to equip you for ministry to go forth in Christ’s lovely name and do great exploits for Him.
Pastor David Purse