05/09/25 The Next Generation

By Bruce Snavely | June 20, 2025

Today, 155 pastors and church leaders finished another class in our Global Baptist Training Foundation curriculum! This class is in southwest Rwanda! From all reports this was a class filled with great joy at receiving theological training. The really exciting thing about this class is that it represents the NEXT generation of GBTF. The students trained by Dr. Bruce (like Fidele) have been training others. Now those others (like Pastor Jonathan Bimenyimana who taught this class) who were trained by Fidele and others in that generation have become the trainers!!!

When you picture 5, 10, even 50 years into the future, this is what you will see. This is I Timothy 2:2 lived out where faithful men teach what they have learned to other faithful men who will continue training others. This cycle will be repeated over and over again into the next generations. This is how we move and multiply the gospel into the next generation – we TRAIN THE NATIONALS. This is the heart of Global Baptist Training Foundation. This 155 member class is just one among dozens all over the world.

Fidele did not teach this western Rwanda class, but he traveled there to preach on Sunday and then kick off this new class. On Sunday, when Fidele preached, 45 people came to faith in Christ. God is using Fidele in amazing ways across all of Africa!

We have been able to purchase motorcycles for several of our trainers and country coordinators. They use these motorcycles, and in some cases cars, to travel around and help facilitate classes and also visit and report on our GBTF church plants. This is Theophile, our GBTF Rwanda Coordinator. We do still need to purchase several motorcycles in coming days.

Finally, one of our church plants is using a building that is collapsing during the rainy season. Pastor Gilbert Okecha, GBTF Trainer, is helping this church rebuild. We are thrilled that one of our donors has sent $1000 to help with the expenses of rebuilding.