SEMBEQ magazine FALL 2016 - n°6
Number 1 of 3 on the founding principles of the seminary
TRAI NED by the Church
MAGAZINE SEMBEQ - FALL 2016, n°6 Special section : Pass the Baton
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TABLE OF CONTENT
A Word From Our Director p.2 | Special Section P.3 - P.13 Two Franรงois, One Transition p.3 | First of All Shepherds p.8 Presidents of SEMBEQ p.10 | Special Fundraising p.12
News P.14 | The Specific Character of SEMBEQ P.16 Lord, Please, Push Your Workers to Serve You! P.19 We Are Not The First P.24 | A Team Effort P.26 Special Courses P.30
Our dream is to take part in building a province marked by solidarity through a Gospel movement that leads to personal conversions, missional communities, social justice and a renewing of culture throughout Quebec and the Frenchspeaking world.
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A WORD FROM OUR DIRECTOR
Here is the ministry of SEMBEQ: form "Timothy" disciples who will pass the baton to others. Today SEMBEQ saw its own paradigm in action. The time has come for François Picard to pass on the general direction for me to continue the race he started himself 15 years ago. It was Paul who appointed Timothy. What grace and what a challenge! I have now been working side by side with François for more than nine years. He wanted us to share the same office to better coach me and to foster growth. Together, we have seen God at work. I pray that our Heavenly Father continues to bless the ministry of SEMBEQ, as he did in the last 43 years, and to guide me in my new role, for His glory. A wise man once told me that truth must be repeated often because we need to hear the information several times in order to integrate it. That's why we decided to focus in this issue (and the next two) on the distinguishing marks of our seminary, especially in regards to its foundations. While the focus of this issue is the church’s mandate to train workers, we devote a special section to the passing of the baton. I hope you enjoy it! François Turcotte General Director
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SPECIAL SECTION
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Two Franรงois, One transition TRAINED BY THE CHURCH
It is in this shared office, a symbol of the DNA of our church family, that I met the two François to discuss their journey, their dynamic coaching and how they prepare following the appointment of François Turcotte as the new General Director of the seminary. But anyone who knows a little about François Picard knows that this transition began in 2000 with his own appointment as General Director. Here is their story and some of their recommendations ... Be intentional about multiplication His request seemed strange in the eyes of the administrative board. François Picard, the newly appointed CEO, made the request to have his protégé to take his place. Did he ever leave? No. But he had learned one thing from his mentor Jacques Alexanian, regarding the importance of handing over the responsibility for the mission. "It is important to have this conviction from the start, to be thinking about succession. We must ask the question ‘Why am I here? For my own advancement? Or that of the Gospel?’” exhorts F.P. “Never do ministry alone, and surround yourself early on. After all, Jesus recruited disciples at the beginning of his ministry, not later!" Every visit to SEMBEQ’s by our members prompts the same question. We were asked the question when the building was on Gouin Boulevard, and it still echos today in the offices on Sherbrooke Road: "What? Your two directors share the same office?” An employee then responds a little amused: “Yes, the François - Picard (F.P.) and Turcotte (F.T.) - share not only their first names, but also their workspace. It's a bit confusing for the team, but we end up understanding.” With pride, and with reference to the relationship of Paul and Timothy, we would add: “This is the Timothy Principle in action: François Picard has protected him from the beginning, in order to prepare for the day when he will pass him the baton."
Choosing the protégé So it was a matter of prayer for F.P., and later François Turcotte (F.T.) appeared on his radar. After spending five years as a pastor in Fermont, F.T. came to the region to care for the Church of Saint-Hyacinthe in 2000. He could be gradually integrated and tested in life and in the projects of SEMBEQ. Among other duties, he was president of the administrative council, professor, and member of the curriculum review team. Since demonstrating the desired qualifications, F.T. officially joined the ranks of SEMBEQ in 2007 part-time, to become Director of full-time studies in 2010 and Assistant General Manager.
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The importance of a transparent and trustworthy relationship
Celebrate and safeguard his Timothy
Pass the baton
The relationship of both François’ was that of a clear and mutual commitment. F.P. could not promise the post of General Director, but he would do what he could ensure that his protege would be qualified. Anyway, F.T. did not aspire to become General Director. He was content to learn and serve wherever the Lord would guide him. Therefore, they intentionally shared their workspace ... and suddenly their lives became more personal. The protégé could see, hear, and ask questions about the work and the life of his mentor. It is not without emotion that F.P. shares his appreciation for the respect and humility of his friend, F.T., of which he has always felt honored even when F.P. witnessed his worst flaws!
In addition to adjusting his involvement according to F.T.’s growth, F.P. emphasizes how important it is for the coach to protect his protégé while granting him the right to make mistakes. Under this arrangement, some weaknesses are identified, and they then look for solutions. F.T. did not try to escape this “imperfect” situation, but rather used it while implementing programs and teams to build projects. In their case, several sad events in F.P.’s family forced F.T. to take a decision making role. He was ready. Also, other records were entrusted to him, such as the development of the vision and strategic plan.
As Jacques Alexanian has done for him, François Picard wishes to withdraw to make way for François Turcotte, while remaining available to help if needed. "This is something that is difficult in our churches, to hand over the keys and to sit in the passenger seat.” Also, to ensure the continuity of the role and the establishment of the new leader, it is “important that the successor is recommended rather than imposed, and that he goes through the normal hiring process.” Although strongly recommended by F.P., F.T.'s candidacy was carefully evaluated by a selection committee. "I'm not François Picard. I do not have his gifts. You must truly consider what my own niche is,” adds F.T.
TRAINED TRAINED BY BY THE THE CHURCH CHURCH
The second guiding office chair remains empty voluntarily. "It will remind us of the urgency of finding a protégé for me," shares FT. ”Also,” FP adds, “we must accept that some seminary records will be neglected... it will be a necessary evil to remind us of the urgency and importance of praying to fill new vacancies.”
Their next steps François Turcotte now assumes all the responsibilities of management to hire its next protege and Director of Studies. François Picard now becomes the new coaching coordinator and has moved into a new workspace. He will coach the coaches and invites us to pray with him for recruiting new cohort tutors.
Jessica Healy
Preparing them for many years, F.T. took office with great humility and ambition for the seminar. "I want to keep SEMBEQ on its core values," he says. For this, he will continue the steps of certification, renewal of the curriculum as well as means of communication to better reach students, partners, and society. François also works closely with the other directors of the Association to mobilize and act together and to always better our churches in their mandate. "Beg the Lord with me to guide us in these transitions and to send us laborers into His harvest,” he adds.
I had the privilege of working under their direction for many years. I saw them pray, reflect, dream, and plan together... and I could also see them handle their disagreements. I quickly realized they shared more than a workspace, but also a friendship that only the work of the Spirit can generate. With courage, sacrifice, transparency, humility, trust and mutual affection, the François embody the dynamics of coaching. "Coaching is the lifeblood of SEMBEQ and our churches," repeated the two Frençois. "We have to model it!"
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First of all Shepherds:
SEMBEQ Leaders as Models of Pastoral Care
From the days of the Apostles, local churches have needed shepherds — men that are able to care for the souls of God’s people. Peter called on elders to “shepherd the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:1-2) and early Christian writers such as Gregory of Nazianzus (Nazianzen) and John Chrysostom thought carefully about the pastoral role and the profound responsibility of those to whom it had been entrusted.[1] Pastors were to be men who cared for the souls of those who had been redeemed by the Lord Himself.
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Since the beginning of the Séminaire Baptiste Évangélique du Québec (SEMBEQ) in 1974, a compelling concern of the seminary has been to train pastors and other leaders, both men and women, to care for the people of God in the local church in which they serve. This concern has determined SEMBEQ’s mission, which is: SEMBEQ exists to assist the local churches (of the Association of Evangelical Baptist Churches of Quebec) and their leaders in the formation of their elders/pastors, deacons, and other church leaders, both current and future, by the active exercise of its instruction in the various ministries of the local church.
SEMBEQ believes that the seminary should not only encourage the development of pastors and leaders who are equipped to care for the souls of those they serve, but also that seminary leaders should be models of this service. Although it is not immediately evident to those who observe SEMBEQ from a distance, much of the seminary’s progress can be directly attributed to a key criterion that guides the choice of its leaders. Professors, seminary board members and, especially, the General Director and Director of Coaching are chosen primarily on the basis of their capacity to model pastoral care in the local church.
In order to fulfill the mission to assist local churches in the training of their leaders, SEMBEQ has an unwritten but understood priority for all of those with leadership responsibility in the seminary; they must have served in the leadership of a local church where they were effective in pastoral care and they must continue this service once they have joined the staff of seminary. The general expectation is that seminary leaders will serve on the elder board of a local church of the Association concurrently with their ministry at SEMBEQ. This role includes not only public preaching and teaching of Scripture but also the entire range of necessary pastoral activity for the care of the congregation. Men who are charged with the responsibility of training emerging leaders for ministry must know by experience the challenges that these leaders will face in ministry. This emphasis on the capacity to model pastoral care is present in the initial selection of men for service with the seminary. This is true not only of those who are employed full-time but also board members and, to the extent possible, the full complement of professors, including those who teach Bible and theology. In general, a man will not be chosen for ministry with SEMBEQ without extensive prior pastoral experience and a heart for that work.
There are several specific expectations for the involvement of seminary leaders in pastoral care. First, as has been indicated, they are to be devoted to pastoral care in a specific local church of the Association, usually serving as an elder. SEMBEQ believes that the movement to seminary leadership can easily result in a loss of sensitivity to the complexities and challenges of pastoral ministry. In order to avoid a separation from the ongoing life of a believing community, seminary leaders are expected to be part of a pastoral leadership team in which they are involved in direct pastoral care. Participation in elder leadership is to go beyond a mere attendance at monthly meetings and is to include a ministry of shepherding specific individuals. Because seminary leaders have a responsibility that extends beyond a particular local church, the expectations for their personal involvement in pastoral care also go beyond the limits of a specific church to include pastoral ministry to other individuals, especially Association pastors with limited ministry experience and emerging leaders. Opportunities for care of younger pastors comes through participation in regular ministerial meetings, conferences and retreats of the association, while ministry to developing leaders is exercised by coaching Immerse students, participation in SEMBEQ cohorts, and informal contact at Association events.
When considered in all its aspects (including both the expectation for pastoral ministry in his local church and care for the souls of developing and established leaders), the direct involvement of a seminary leader in pastoral care becomes a major part of his ministry. While the seminary does not set a specific percentage of the time that its leaders are to spend in caring for others, an estimate would be that a quarter to a third of his time is so used. SEMBEQ exists to train pastors and other leaders with an ability to provide pastoral care for those in their churches. From their first contact with the seminary and throughout the duration of their training (which often will last for the better part of a decade), emerging leaders are constantly in touch with men who are modeling pastoral care. It is not always easy. The Apostle Paul described ministry as marked by "conflicts on the outside, fears within." However as developing leaders encounter those challenges, they are able to observe models of what they should become as skillful and faithful shepherds.
Pat Murphy [1] From the days of the Apostles, local churches have needed shepherds — men that are able to care for the souls of God’s people. Peter called on elders to “shepherd the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:1-2) and early Christian writers such as Gregory of Nazianzus (Nazianzen) and John Chrysostom thought carefully about the pastoral role and the profound responsibility of those to whom it had been entrusted.[1] Pastors were to be men who cared for the souls of those who had been redeemed by the Lord Himself.
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The Directors of
Jacques Alexanian
1974 - 1999
Benoît Rancourt
1999 - 2000
François Picard
2000 - 2016
François Turcotte
2016 -
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Special Fundraising A missionary in Quebec
Growth of SEMBEQ
Our needs
The founding president of SEMBEQ, Jacques Alexanian, was a visionary and missionary in a province hostile to the Gospel. He understood the need to train workers in Quebec to take over for our trailblazers. He seized the God-given opportunity to raise an army of such workers by establishing a seminary. From the moment SEMBEQ came into being, Alexanian could see the hearts of those who love the Kingdom of God and who are ready to sacrifice -- to offer themselves in order for their work to bear fruit. We cannot possibly fulfill the task of training workers and planting new Churches without the help of precious partners to financially support the seminary.
SEMBEQ has experienced tremendous growth over the past 40 years. We have seen the proliferation of programs and courses offered. We are waiting for recognition from the Quebec Government. We even help missionary leaders in other mission fields to train local leaders and to pass the baton. We continue to ask God to send 200 new workers to serve within our Churches in the next decade. The question “whom do we send?” remains fundamental in the development and establishment of the Churches. We equip them and their pastors to train men that God chooses to send -- that is, “Timothies” who (according to 2 Timothy 2:2) are passing on the baton. And this is what we ourselves practice with our new president François Turcotte, who has walked alongside me for eight years.
The appointment of François as president, as well as the growth of SEMBEQ, means an increase in our financial needs. We would like to fill François’s support and become more self-sufficient by increasing the number of Quebec partners supporting our seminary. We aim at monthly commitments totaling $50,000 per year, by the grace of God. We ask Him to prompt at least 50 new monthly partners; another 50 partners who will increase their present support; 5 new Churches who will undertake to support SEMBEQ; and 5 Churches who will increase their current support.
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new monthly partners partners who will increase their present support
new Churches that will undertake to support SEMBEQ Churches that will increase their current support
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We will celebrate the inauguration of François Turcotte as president at a special event on October 14, during which we would like to announce the amount collected on this date. Thank you for considering answering our call by placing this need before God. Thank you for being a co-worker in the Kingdom’s progress by supporting SEMBEQ and God’s work by your prayers.
You, who believe in the importance of training workers to reach Quebec with the Gospel: commit to support SEMBEQ
in appreciation for François Turcotte, a man chosen by God, a “Timothy” to carry on the ministry;
in gratitude to God for the work in Québec and SEMBEQ’s contribution to this work.
by participating in the training of workers for the Kingdom.
For more information or to take part to this project, you can contact us by email or by phone. info@sembeq.qc.ca 514.337.2555
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NEWS A New Start for Daniel Henderson and Éditions Cruciforme Passionate for the expansion of the Gospel in Quebec, Daniel Henderson has served SEMBEQ’s ministry partners over the past three years. He is particularly motivated by a desire to offer Christian books to French-speaking believers at the most affordable price possible. Éditions Cruciforme has published more than 45 books in three years, each of them having been intentionally selected to serve the Church and meet the diverse needs it faces. SEMBEQ and Éditions Cruciforme have experienced considerable growth. To allow our publishing house to continue to develop and serve the Church, it seemed wiser to merge it with Publications Chrétiennes, which shares our evangelical vision. Daniel Henderson is their new head of development and marketing. SEMBEQ will continue to publish the Notre histoire (“Our History”) series. You can now contact Daniel at the following address: daniel@pubchret.org
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New Coaching Coordinator
New Accountant
The cornerstone of our training ministry remains the passing of the baton from one pastor to another, and is in accordance with Paul’s exhortation in 2 Timothy 2:2. We are facing an increasing need for pastor trainers equipped to convey their knowledge and expertise in an intentional way.
After serving with SEMBEQ for more than three years, Karine Ferdinand felt that God was leading her to use her talents in the secular world. It is with regret that we see her leave to undertake new challenges. We thank her for making us benefit from her expertise and we pray for God’s guidance in the continuation of her career.
We give thanks to God for the work done by our beloved brother Gilles Farley, who served as coordinator of coaching for many years. Thank you, Gilles, for all these hours invested in SEMBEQ for the advance of the Kingdom. François Picard is pleased to pass on the president torch to François Turcotte. He thus answers God’s call to go into the field to support pastor trainers by becoming a coach of coaches. In addition, Louis Bourque (AEBEQ’s new Director General), due to his many years of experience as a pastor and as well as the Doctorate of Ministry (D.Min.) that he just completed, will be able to support François in his new role.
We must remember that our Heavenly Father lends us resources for a time only, and that He always provides for our needs. At the last Paradigme conference, when we had just learned Karine’s decision and pray for a replacement, Power to Change leaders asked a young woman to give her testimony. Mélissa Jodoin, who is currently completing her certification in accounting, shared her desire to put her newly acquired knowledge to serve in ministry. Hence, Karine received the confirmation from God that she had made the right decision and we have seen an answer to our prayer. As soon as she became aware of our need, Melissa applied and was hired shortly after. We are pleased to welcome her to our team. What a display of God’s sovereignty!
Vision 2020 Video
AEBEQ Convention
Beginning of a New Cohort
The Fellowship of Churches within which we operate has developed a vision for our collective work for the next few years. As part of its goals for Quebec, a video was created to spread this vision among our Churches. You can view it at the following address, or by scanning this code which takes you directly to the video.
It was a blessed experience, during the course of the panels, to present to the delegates various training services offered by SEMBEQ, and this, as a team with all our contributors. More than ten Churches have asked us to help them with their training task. The entire SEMBEQ team was present and we were able to discuss with several pastors at our booth. What a privilege!
In January 2016, a new cohort has emerged: the Delta cohort. This cohort brings together students from the Greater Montreal area. It is a joy for us, because it means that God is answering our prayers to send laborers into the harvest. We believe that each new student contributes to the vision to establish a new generation of 600 strategic leaders everywhere across Quebec.
We believe that this dream is possible, by the movement of the Gospel! www.parlemouvementdelevangile.com
This was also an opportunity for François Turcotte to work with Steve Cloutier, Norton Lages and a brother from the United States on an integration plan for future workers who would come from abroad to work in Quebec. One of our Churches suggested that SEMBEQ provides training for chaplains: this request is increasingly materializing. The Convention is definitely an opportunity to see how God is working in Quebec!
D. A. Carson’s Course Last June, we had the joy of welcoming D. A. Carson. He led us in the study of chapters 13 to 21 of the Gospel of John. About thirty students have benefited from his teaching, half on-site and half online. Christ has been honored and exalted. Topics such as the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, glory, prayer, missions and suffering have been addressed with a theological and pastoral concern.
François Turcotte Visits the Church in Hull François recently had the privilege of visiting the Church in Hull, where several young men are currently considering God’s will for their lives. In addition to serving the Church by preaching the Word, he was able to present SEMBEQ’s vision, explain the microprograms in detail and answer questions addressed to him. On this occasion, someone has expressed a particular interest in the financial situation of SEMBEQ and expressed the desire to support our ministry. We are very thankful to God for meeting our needs, aware that any vision and program are impossible to achieve without a team of partners.
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The Specific Character
of SEMBEQ SEMBEQ was created to serve the Churches and to assist them in the fulfillment of their mission, which is to make disciples and leaders. Unlike several other seminaries, SEMBEQ aims at training workers in the context of the Church. Thus, the worker is supported and guided while completing his training in this particular framework. Since its creation, SEMBEQ’s founders have defined Churchbased training by establishing the specific character of SEMBEQ.
at our beginnings. One of the roles of the Church is therefore to equip men who aspire to ministry and who are sent by God. The Church must help them develop their gifts so that they become useful workers to His Kingdom. What better environment to achieve this than the Church, where the Spirit of God is present and working, where newly saved souls long to grow! It is there that the worker can best learn to serve the flock, to preach the Gospel and train disciples.
Let us briefly examine these characteristics to better understand the paradigm of SEMBEQ.
Training Is the Church’s Responsibility We believe that the training of a worker is based on his Church. We believe it must take responsibility by participating in the decision-making process and by supervising the student. The Church must not delegate this role to people from the outside or leave the protégé to progress by himself.
■ MANDATE Training Workers We believe that the training of workers is part of the Church’s mandate to make disciples. It must not be limited to the discipling of new converts, since the call to make disciples also includes the call to equip leaders, pastors and workers in ministry. The Church: A Natural Training Environment (Ephesians 4) After brilliantly describing the Gospel in Ephesians 1–2, Paul explains that the Gospel incorporates us entirely in our new community, the Church of Jesus Christ. The Apostle reveals that the Church displays all the wisdom of God, even to the powers in heavenly places. This shows how much it is precious and beautiful. In chapter 4, Paul states that it is to the Church that God gives pastors and evangelists. But does He give them already trained and able to fulfill their ministry? We know that this is not the case, since we ourselves were inexperienced
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■ THE MODE OF TRAINING
SEMBEQ believes that the training of workers is a process through which one passes the baton to the next generation. Our model is still the one of Paul and Timothy.
3-H Training (Head, Hands, Heart) This hand-over is done through coaching, in a holistic way. The SEMBEQ training takes place on three levels: knowledge (head), skills (hands), and character (heart) development. In order for the trust to be kept and well communicated, we believe it is necessary to equip the student in all aspects of his being, as a man of God, for the purposes of making him fit to fulfill his ministry in an appropriate manner.
Steps of the Coaching Process 1) Selecting Protégés (Acts 16) First, a coach must identify men who seem to have received a call to become elders. When Titus arrived on the island of Crete, Paul told him to choose men according to some standards of purity in order to establish them as elders. Even if some come to us naturally, it may be necessary to knock on the door of hearts less attentive to God’s call. Church-based courses are a tool to help choose a protégé, because they allow us to see the potential of the students and identify those who need coaching. One-on-one or small group meetings are another way to raise awareness of men wishing to be trained with the advantage of being accompanied by a coach. 2) Coaching Coaching means walking alongside a student during his training, in order to show him how to “do” and to “be” according to the standards of the Scriptures, so that he becomes the leader he is called to be and is ready for the service for which he has been called. This involves developing a training plan which, by faith, leads to a well-defined purpose. Coaching is done through an intentional relationship in which both protégé and coach are mutually accountable through regular meetings. No text describes more vividly this stage of coaching than Acts 20:18–21:
ACTS 20:18-21
3) Sending When training is completed, the next important step is the sending: the time has come to let go of the baton. This is the time to allow a protégé to settle, to give him spiritual authority to serve within the Church, or to implement everything he will need to leave it and go with strength and assurance.
■ FRUIT
When the Church achieves its call -which is to train workers properly prepared for the task -- it generally bears much fruit. When leaders train other leaders, there is a multiplication effect that generates expansion: some workers remain in the Church that trained them and participate in its growth, others are sent to existing Churches, others still leave to establish new Churches.
“When they arrived, he said to them: ‘You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus’.”
We want to stay on course regarding our mission and not to deviate from what distinguishes us as a Churchcentered seminary. What a blessing for SEMBEQ to take part in the Kingdom of God by serving Churches and helping them to fulfill their mandate.
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LORD, WE BESEECH YOU, PUSH YOUR WORKERS TO SERVE YOU! When Jesus adds someone to his Church, this person arrives with talents that he inherited at birth, as well as spiritual gifts he received upon his conversion. Some of the latter are among the special gifts that Jesus gave to his local body: missionaries, preachers, evangelists, pastors, teachers (Ephesians 4:11).
Making Workers Noticeable How do we make these gifts plain for all to see — both in the Church and among its leaders? Why do we have difficulty identifying them while they are in our midst? Where do we start? With a short prayer — the only one Jesus commands us to say. In Matthew 9:38, Jesus, himself overwhelmed and overloaded, instructs his apostles (1) to beg the Lord of the harvest, and (2) to propel (εκβαλη) workers into his harvest. It is stunning to see that Jesus does not focus on the harvest. He knows that the harvest depends on workers, and that there will never be enough (see Luke 10:1–2). So “beg”! But how do we make workers noticeable? Good news! The Lord Jesus alone can make them visible by pushing them outside their comfort zone to commit to serve Him (Mark 1:16–20). We are to beg Him. But Jesus alone will push them! To God be the glory!
At a pastors’ convention, I met a colleague from a Church of over 300 people. He had lost his smile. According to him, “ministry” had burned him out. He acknowledged that God had blessed him, but that he could no longer meet the needs of his congregation. After a moment of silence, I wanted to know if he saw one or two individuals able to serve in the congregation. He saw no one. I therefore led him to read Matthew 9:38. To him, it seemed that he was reading a fairy tale. He was amazed by the beauty of this passage, but this truth seemed out of reach. Over the years, I found that when this short prayer — the only one prescribed by Jesus — does not rise with fervor to the Master, the workers, though they are in the Church, remain invisible to our eyes. Put this prayer at the top of your list: “Jesus, push your workers to serve you”!
Redefining the Leader’s Job Description Very early in my pastoral ministry, I was confronted with the lack of workers. We were looking for prefabricated leaders, because there were none in our circles. Our lifeline was 2 Timothy 2:2. The Apostle Paul instructs Timothy to reproduce himself and gives him the responsibility to establish a chain of workers. These workers are not half-hearted ones, but people in whom the leader will invest. In our 21st century context, when a person is called by God, we tell him, (1) stay in your local Church, (2) take a few SEMBEQ courses, and (3) be committed to serve, even in thankless tasks. In this paradigm, it falls to the leaders to show apprentices how to preach the Gospel, to teach, to preside over, and to lead. In addition, they are to encourage them to innovate in projects that will honor Jesus.
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SEMBEQ offers us exceptional training tools. I myself led several of these courses in the Churches with great success. Teaching these courses provided me the perfect opportunity to discover the workers I was looking for. When we reproduce ourselves, Jesus gives us an unexpected bonus. Before long, the Lord gives us the freedom to engage in unexpected ministries inside and outside our Church. Giving Our Support to the Workers Once a worker is identified, let us continue to pray that Jesus confirms his call in the eyes of the candidate and of his Church. I believe Jesus was looking for a single qualification in his disciples which is summed up in these two words, “follow me.” These two words mean, “above all, be teachable!” This does not mean living in blind submission. The relationship between Jesus and the apostles was not a fruitless one — far from it. Maturity arises from this quality and then thrives, making the candidate fit for the ministry. The men Jesus chose saw their Master and lived with Him. The twelve were witnesses of His personal relationship with His Father, His commitment to the
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Word of God, His loving relationship with each of them, and His loving-kindness toward His neighbours. Moreover, His state of mind was such that He felt secure. He had a fair opinion about Himself. The apostles were to learn from Jesus, though they were middle-aged men. In the local Church, with a few exceptions, the people we are looking for are eager to learn. They will imitate us. This essential element can easily make us shudder.
time do you spend looking for workers and training them? Make a list of needs and seek to include the name of a person to train. Make these names part of your prayer list. Before starting a new task or ministry, make sure that the persons involved have the necessary know-how to get it done. Training responsible individuals is not a luxury, but an absolute requirement. The challenge is divine and noble.
My Pastor & Brother…
Let us take advantage of the tools offered by SEMBEQ.
My pastor & brother, leaving a Church without a successor in place means leaving behind a Church that is ready to collapse into depression. Let us take seriously the training of these promising and faithful people. Give them opportunities to serve. Otherwise, the survival of the Church is compromised. I realize that it is flattering to be the focal point in the congregation. We must not be afraid to hire people who are better than us. We must admit that seeing gifted people outperform us may highlight our insecurities. But let us rejoice because Jesus emerges as the winner. After all, beloved brother, is that not the true reward that we seek? My pastor & brother, what is your ministry’s job description? How much
Jacques Alexanian
BenoÎt Brûlotte
BENOÎT BRÛLOTTE DISCUSSES CHURCH-BASED TRAINING
During the course of my training, in addition to cohort and lecture courses, I have taken about ten Church-based courses. These contributed to my spiritual development in a special way. I am a rather “visual” type of learner, and interacting with teachers and other students through Church-based courses enables me to absorb the material more easily. I see a great benefit to it. Moreover, Church-based courses actively help me to learn more about people, which I find essential to my role as a pastor in training. I like to understand where people come from and learn about their background. We always feed on something, but not necessarily good things. For example, it is difficult to judge the quality of the ideas prevailing on social media and not to eat out of “theological trash cans.” These courses allow me to better assess if participants understand the doctrines and theological principles, if they are strong in their beliefs, and to sort out true doctrines from false if necessary.
When we plan to give a course at Emmanuel Church, we obviously advertise it in the Church (including the bulletin), but promotion through personal contact remains an effective means to draw the attention of specific individuals. Therefore, we meet with ministry leaders, those whom we desire to help develop in order to better serve. We also meet with new members with whom we wish to see established in the Scriptures and to begin serving. When non-members want to register, we suggest instead personal meetings to assess their spiritual situation and lead them toward a membership class. I believe a Church should be proactive in the training of its members in order to find workers and to stimulate spiritual growth. Church-based courses offer several advantages to achieve these goals. Although they are of university level, they remain accessible to the majority of people because they can be taken as an auditor. They allow you to measure the earnestness of a student’s approach — and based on his preparation and participation, assess his progress and
abilities to pursue a more directed and intensive training. Does his interest go beyond the content of the course? I think that everyone should receive basic doctrine classes (I to IV) to be well-established in the Word. Churchbased training can also help contextualize teaching, taking into account the specific needs of the participants who are stimulated by real-life ministry-related situations. This format encourages openness, since brothers and sisters of a same congregation are often more comfortable with interacting, asking questions, and sharing. The schedule (duration and frequency) can also be adapted to the needs of the students. I am a great fan of Church-based training, since it is an amazing tool for developing God’s people.
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STATISTICS 41 of the 87 186 182
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AEBEQ Churches offer Church-based courses
students on average were enrolled in these courses each year over the past 10 years
courses were offered in the course of the last eight years, including a number of Church-based courses given since 2008–2009
1,852
total enrollment in courses in the past 10 years
142 women
24%
and
448 MEN attended courses in the past 5 years, for a total of 590. Approximately 24% were women
56 %
of AEBEQ’s pastors/elders are or have been active students of SEMBEQ.
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WE ARE NOT THE FIRST
Overview of the history of the involvement of the Church and its pastors in the training of workers, from the second century to today [1]
Imagine that you live in 1740 and are pastor of a Church at the time. One evening, while you are having dinner with your family, someone knocks on the door. A young man in his early twenties stands there and you invite him in. He explains that he has just finished university and now wishes to become a pastor. He wants to learn theology and godliness by being trained and living with your family for two years! That depicts a real-life situation that occurred so many times New England from 1740–1800. In fact, this is how preachers were trained for the pastoral ministry back then. A wind of revival was then blowing from city to city: the preaching of God’s Word caused hundreds of conversions and one of its outcomes was that young men started to answer God’s call to serve as pastors. Thus, these teachers were true men of God, welcoming into their home sometimes up to ten of these young apprentices at the same time. They were investing their lives to equip them, by providing a systematic theology, a model of godliness, and some principles for interpreting the Scriptures. Therefore, SEMBEQ is not the first in history to provide training in the context of a group of Churches working together to ensure that every leader of every Church is committed to transmit what God has entrusted us with from one generation to the next. The natural environment of the Church and its leaders has long been a high-quality environment to convey both a model for practical ministry and theology rooted in the Scriptures. Indeed, the more institutional model is rather recent in history. We know that the Apostle Paul used to gather those who converted to the Gospel in every town where he was working. These converts were all taught in the Scriptures while living their faith day to day. As soon as possible, he established elders among those trained disciples. Paul spent a lot of time with these men in order to communicate to them the whole counsel of God. The early Church Fathers, whether Gregory, Origen, or Augustine himself, gather the catechumens [2] around them
in their pastoral work to prepare them for the task of the ministry. Gregory remained eight years under the tutelage of Origen before becoming himself a bishop. This academic mentoring was called “cathedral school”. While students were taking courses, ministry training included much more than what they learned in these classes. As a pastor, Augustine was a real example in this regard. Thus, living with their master in the premises of the Church, these apprentices were taught pastoral skills and the interpretation of the Word all at once. Later on, however, this approach was threatened by the appeal of the new universities that offered academic training of high levels. In time, this new player in history ended up distorting the pastor training paradigm. Some traces of this “professional” character conferred on ministry currently remain in some circles. Not until the Protestant Reformation did we see a new model of preparation for ministry. In countries heavily influenced by the Reformation, young candidates continued a general university education, enhanced by the teaching of pastors who took them under their wing to equip them within the Church. Sometimes in collaboration with the surrounding Churches, these pastors created “lecture” time where candidates learned the power of preaching as well as a pastoral model. These teachers knew how to convey a model of faith and pastoral vision. Through their ministry, these pastors were involved in the multiplication of workers.
their training. Over time, academic training moved away from guidance training and thus created an important imbalance by giving too much weight to academic training. As a result, academic training eventually amounted to complete ministry training. In addition, training departed even more from to the local Church. However, it is the latter which has received the mandate to perform this crucial task for the advance of the Kingdom of God. When professionalizing the training of pastors, we forget that the preparation of a worker within the Church is primarily a task conveyed from one generation to another by those who are experiencing the mission on a daily basis. When SEMBEQ encourages local Churches to take up the multiplication of leaders, it is consistent with a long line of historical Churches and pastors who have undertaken this task since Pentecost. May God’s grace and history serve as witnesses to keep us from slipping as well!
This brings us to the time that we discussed in the introduction. New England had established new universities, but these quickly slipped into the teaching of heresies. From the Great Awakening (circa 1740), future workers started learning the pastoral ministry by staying with their pastor trainer. At the beginning of the 19th century, Church groups have established training centers called seminaries to prepare candidates for the ministry. Initially, pastors involved in the teaching of courses in these seminaries were the same who accompanied the students throughout
François Turcotte
[1] For a more detailed study on this subject, see the essay entitled: “La formation des ouvriers par le Séminaire Baptiste Évangélique du Québec à la lumière de la formation des pasteurs en Nouvelle-Angleterre au 18e siècle” (in French only). [2] A catechumen is a person who is being introduced to the doctrine.
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The training of a pastor is a team matter. What a seminary can achieve by itself is limited. In fact, its mandate should not be to train pastors for the Church, but rather to help the Church in its mandate to train workers for the work of God. The Local Church as a Training Environment SEMBEQ therefore works in partnership with the Churches. We believe that the best place to train a pastor is precisely the local Church. This context provides handson learning and character development necessary to work effectively in pastoral ministry. According to this model, the role of the seminary is to support the Church and to provide tools and theological resources. Under this partnership, not only is it important that the seminary provides a solid theological training, but it is also important that the student’s living environment (the local Church) be healthy and stimulating. The more a student spends time in the environment of the Church for his training, the more the vitality of this environment becomes central. Antioch Churches/AEBEQ For many years, the Association has recognized the need for Churches that
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A TEAM demonstrate such vitality. AEBEQ works actively to assist and supervise our Churches in order to achieve this goal. One of the strategies it chose to implement is the establishment of Antioch Churches. An Antioch Church is one focusing on the mission, on training disciples and leaders and on planting other Churches. There is place for a variety of colors and styles, but a common feature unites them all: they demonstrate vitality. The Association aims to recognize 20 Antioch Churches by 2020. The Church at the heart of the Immersion training SEMBEQ has recently adopted a new intensive pastoral training program: Immersion (Immerse). At the heart of it is the centrality of the local Church. This is the environment in which the student is immersed in order to develop the skills required for pastoral ministry. Rather
than move away from the Church to go study and come back later, the student is integrated full-time in a local Church for the continuation of his studies. The vitality of the latter is therefore paramount. We believe that a vibrant and dynamic Church promotes the healthy development of a pastor. Antioch Training Centre Since the Immersion program is basically a partnership between a local Church, a seminary and a network of Churches, the quality of training for the student engaged in Immersion does not depend solely on the seminary. Each of the three partners plays a vital part in the candidate’s preparation. We work together towards the training of students called to serve full-time as pastors or Church planters. Therefore, SEMBEQ and AEBEQ have chosen to develop together the standards needed for a Church to welcome an Immersion student. These criteria are
MATTER . intended to establish a framework for the student to complete all the requirements of the Immersion program within a local Church. The latter must first be recognized as an Antioch Church and then must fill out a form regarding the Antioch Training Centre criteria. Antioch Training Centre, a Committed Church Criteria for an Antioch Training Center revolve around various commitments. First, it is expected that the Church wishing to host an Immersion student be committed to AEBEQ and SEMBEQ. These two entities are investing their resources to train a pastor. Therefore, such a commitment is essential. Secondly, the Church must undertake to provide an environment conducive to the coaching of the protĂŠgĂŠ. It should enable him to learn, to listen, to observe. This requires both caution and audacity.
A challenge We dream to see training centers become a place of multiplication and training for workers who will serve not only in these Antioch Churches, but in all AEBEQ Churches.
Thirdly, the Church must be willing to commit financially to the student of the Immersion program. Finally, in order to become an Antioch Training Centre, the Church must undertake to maintain the vitality of the congregation. These criteria of vitality are in line with signs of vitality outlined by the AEBEQ, such as the centrality of the Gospel, a sensitivity to the presence of non-believers and a vibrant prayer life. They include the elements necessary to enable the student to learn and experiment with the work of the ministry.
Janick Fortier
Affiliate Church A Church that cannot meet all the criteria of an Antioch Training Center can make arrangements with an existing one and host an Immersion student, under certain conditions.
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SPECIAL
COURSES Penser avec les géants (Thinking with the Giants) with Michael Haykin
October 6–7 2016 and May 5–6 2017 Throughout the history of the Church, God has used many men and women to encourage, edify, and teach his people. By the grace of God, some of them have had a significant impact in their community and beyond. The outreach of some even transcended eras. The writings of men and women who died centuries ago now continue to exert influence and to leave their imprint. This course offers us the opportunity to think with giants. This will be an opportunity to be exposed to eminent theologians who have marked their era and who still today produce an impact. Their voices continue to resonate and are relevant for the 21st century.
Bibliology
with Richard Chouinard and Stéphane Gagné
September 28–30 and December 7–9 2016
From the perspective that the Bible, in its 66 canonical books, is God’s final revelation to humanity. This course deals with the fundamental concepts of revelation, inspiration, inerrancy, the development of the canon, and the transmission of the texts through the ages, as well as their translation.
Christology with Doug Virgint
October 12–14 2016 This course explores the person and work of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Old and New Testaments. Particular emphasis will be placed on the cross, on his humiliation and his exaltation, as well as his human and divine nature. Our study will take into account the contribution of the Church Fathers and the Reformers.
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SAISON 2016 - 2017
SEP.OCT.NOV.DEC.JAN.FÉV.MAR.MAI DIALOGUE n.m. SOCRATIQUE adj.
DÉF. : Conversation propre à mettre en évidence la contradiction et à mener l’interlocuteur à la vérité.
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Le Pub Socratique est une initiative de SEMBEQ qui souhaite offrir une plateforme propice au partage d’idées, à la réflexion et à la discussion. Durant les évènements mensuels, un invité présentera un sujet dans l’optique de susciter des questions de la part de l’auditoire, visant un dialogue réfléchi et un approfondissement des idées, le tout dans un cadre décontracté. Pour toute l’information et communication, visitez notre page Facebook.
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