Hallelujah, What a Savior!

Recently we asked our directors for success stories from their Portable Bible Schools. One director, sharing what God has done, was moved to heights of glory and concluded with one word: “Hallelujah!” Swept up in the rhapsody of praise, I found myself singing, “. . . ruined sinners to reclaim; Hallelujah, what a Savior!” The old hymn celebrates those who’ve been redeemed, who’ve come to faith, and the many they are bringing with them. What else can be said but, “Hallelujah, what a Savior!” 

Portable Bible Schools have been in operation for 35 years. Since their beginning, our partners have trained approximately 172,000 men and women, young and old, to go and make disciples, plant cell groups and churches, and do their part to complete the Great Commission. In the first three months of 2021, we’ve funded the training of 6,333 people, a record three-month total. At this rate, we could see that number grow to 25,332 by year’s end. Hallelujah!  

One of our partners in India speaks very highly of all that’s been accomplished. He writes, “It is ER that ignited the vision among the churches and enabled them to be missionary churches in India.”  By equipping ordinary believers, he writes, ER changed the spiritual scenario forever. This strengthened local congregations and brought new growth.    

He tells of his own state where, during the 1990s, 80% of rural and urban churches were leaderless. One ordained pastor was responsible to serve 10 to 15 churches, an impossible task. Many churches had no regular Bible teaching or holy communion. Now, the graduates of our PBSes and other programs have filled this gap quite substantially. Members of these churches often say the best pastors are those who’ve graduated from Portable Bible Schools. These churches have become witnessing communities for the Lord Jesus Christ; PBS graduates not only pastor, but they also lead their congregations in outreach and church planting.    

Many of his state’s 2,527 PBS graduates have continued into Schools of Evangelism, some in residential schools and others in mobile schools. Many serve as church planting coordinators or mission leaders. They have reached into 16 Unreached People Groups, resulting in almost 16,000 baptisms. One graduate, a farmer, has a great passion for winning souls. In just one year he has baptized 13 people and established a new fellowship with 17 attendees. Another graduate, a young woman of 23 years, has, along with her husband, evangelized a nearby village, baptized 15 people, and established a fellowship group. To all of this we say with our partners, “Hallelujah!”