March '21 Update

New Training Opportunity
in South Asia

Courses Beginning May 18!

As there are new doors opening up to a closed Muslim country, we wanted to give you a few specifics about a training opportunity and financial needs in getting it started.

Countries Closed to Christians (2020)

The plan is to train around 20-30 pastors. We want to be strategic in who we train – pastors who have a good command of English and who are located in the four different parts of the country. Our goal is that they will be able to train others in their own language.

The full training covers five courses, each course being four units. We plan to teach each unit over three days during a month, so each course will take about four months to complete.

• Course 1: Studying and preaching epistles

• Course 2: Studying and preaching narratives

• Course 3: Studying and preaching poetry and wisdom

• Course 4: Studying and preaching prophecy

• Course 5: Principles of pastoral ministry

For each of these units, the men will gather in a central location for instruction. I plan to teach the first three units via Zoom and then travel there for the final unit of the module to evaluate their prepared sermons.

How You Can Help Get Them Started

Here are a couple of ways you can partner with us, if you feel led to do so:

1. Prayer Support
   Please be praying for the Lord’s provision for these men to attend – most get little to no support from their church and often must work in order to support their family. Pray also for all the administrative aspects to get the class started. We are hoping to be able to start next month. Finally, please pray for me that I would be accurate and clear in my instruction.

2. Financial Support
   There are several costs involved to make this happen, many of which these pastors are not able to cover initially. We have estimated the costs to be about $1000 for the pastors to be able to attend each of the three-day sessions. We are currently looking for ways to further reduce those costs, if possible.
   There is also a one-time start-up cost of about $3000 to cover supplies such as tables, chairs, a printer, computers, a generator, a screen and speakers.

The long-term goal is for this to be a self-sustaining ministry but we also recognize there is a need to help get the training started.

If you would like to support financially, please make a check out to TMAI and make sure to put the following on the memo line: ‘student support – South Asia’. You can then mail the check to:

The Masters Academy International (TMAI)
13428 Roscoe Blvd.
Sun Valley, CA 91352

Meet Pastor Michael Rayla

Pastor Rayla is a 3rd generation pastor who serves at the Way Christian Ministries in Cagayan de Oro. Listen to how God is using pastoral training to strengthen and equip him in the sound preaching of God’s Word.