World Wide Bible Institute: Training Immigrants in Asia
By Phoenix Yoong
WWBI among Kachin Immigrants in Singapore
It has been five years since my local church, Bethesda Chapel, embarked on the WWBI Bible Curriculum. We started on WWBI studies with a group of sixteen Kachin students in November 2013. The name of our WWBI institute is Bethesda Bible Institute (BBI).
As volunteer Registrar of BBI Singapore, I keep detailed student records and results of all “STEP” tests that each BBI student has completed. “STEP” stands for Simplified Theological Educational Packet. As of November 2018, BBI has 50 students and the number of STEP tests passed by our students is 691. Notwithstanding the large number of STEP tests taken, only eleven students have progressed to Semester II courses while two students are taking Semester III courses.
In addition, three small fellowship groups in our church are using WWBI STEP notes for systematic Bible study. We organize annual Word-based seminars to encourage our WWBI students as well as to promote WWBI to other church members. Recently, we organized an Adult Christian Education (ACE) event for church members to share their Bible study experiences and promote WWBI curriculum.
From my personal experience, every WWBI student needs self-discipline, prayer, and strength from the Lord to make progress. Very often there will be distractions arising from home, work, or church activities. These are part and parcel of the busy life of committed believers. Our WWBI curriculum is a very systematic Bible study program with 135 STEPs.
Praise the Lord that our WWBI students are putting into practice what they are learning.
One of our WWBI students is spearheading our church’s outreach to the local community and to families of our church kindergarten children. She is also serving as Assistant Academic Supervisor of BBI. Some others are practicing personal evangelism more actively than before.
WWBI in Myanmar
About three years ago, my church financed the translation of Semester One of the WWBI curriculum into the Burmese language. Stephen, our BBI’s Academic Supervisor, visited several churches in Myanmar to promote Burmese WWBI to local pastors. WWBI courses, such as Christian Growth and Matthew, have been introduced to Yangon, Pyin Oo Lwin, Myitkinya, and Tamu. Many pastors were enthusiastic when they first learned about the WWBI courses so they could get many of their church members to start on WWBI studies. However, some of the pastors are too busy to supervise their WWBI students and the initial enthusiasm was lost. A few pastors are pressing on to encourage their church members to continue in WWBI studies.
Success and sustainability depend on the commitment of the pastors. A WWBI class in Yangon has successfully completed four STEPs of Christian Growth.
Pastor Uhtwe started a small house church. He is a very keen student of the WWBI program. He was a taxi driver before he became a Christian. A few years after his conversion, he reached out to his neighbors. He did not have theological education and finds the WWBI courses suitable. He did not have to leave his ministry and he can study the STEP courses at his own pace. A fellow pastor who had theological education marked his STEP tests.
In September 2018, I went with two other church members to Yangon, Myanmar. I had the opportunity to share my experience as a WWBI student. We introduced Christian Growth STEP One to some Burmese pastors with the hope that they would conduct the same course of Christian Growth to their church members.
Pray for us that Semester One courses of WWBI in Burmese will be used more widely so that Semester Two courses can be translated in the future.
Pray also that SLM basic courses can be used to feed the lambs and SLM advanced courses and WWBI courses can be used to feed the sheep (John 21:15–17).
