Prepatory to the General Conference session we bring our Bible instructor statistics up to date. Although figures hardly tell the complete story, they do reveal accomplishments and trends. They have a way of inspiring, as well as raising cautions. But statistics should always be interpreted in the light of our denominational responsibilities.
World Bible Work. Much progress has been made in developing the young minister into a strong personal worker. Field training schools and institutes throughout the world have been supplementing our Theological Seminary's trend in this direction. From the Seminary, workers have scattered throughout the world to build into their fields a Bible-instructor type of . personal evangelism. Our overseas work has capitalized on this development, which is also adding strength to the status of the woman Bible instructor. A study of the Bible work in North America reveals more encouraging features than the slight decline over the previous quadrennium would indicate. New evangelistic projects claimed more trained Bible instructors for overseas leadership during this period.
Credentialed Bible Instructors. Almost three hundred Bible instructors hold credentials. Some of these women are giants in the art of Bible teaching. Many of these versatile workers are gifted speakers, able to hold the interest when teaching in large public Bible classes. Some are also trained nurses or accomplished musicians. Today many Bible instructors add to their Bible teaching the ability to do secretarial work when needed. Modern Bible work is a profession of varied talents.
Licensed Bible Instructors. Our force of more than two hundred licensed workers shows a wholesome trend. While North America's numbers are not so high as we had hoped, our overseas fields are training their young people for Bible work. In a few years this group will have entered the credentialed class.
Bible Instructors in Correspondence Schools. Our growing correspondence schools, with their need for experienced Bible instructors with organizational ability, have made inroads into conference Bible work. The field has lost some strong soul winners, but their strength has been transplanted to these correspondence schools. Here they are guiding a follow-up work that has been very encouraging. Associated with them are the retired Bible instructors, still interested in evangelism, and often donating their time to these newer developments. This evangelistic agency now uses almost two hundred of these women.
Part-time Bible Instructors. Among the 335 part-time Bible instructors around the world are women with family responsibilities. They cannot give full time to Bible work. Many are talented soul winners and are therefore much in demand. Their part-time service fits into the economic conditions in areas where public evangelism is intermittent. About 50 per cent of these women received training in our own schools, and the rest in their home churches. Bible work today has a great appeal to consecrated womanhood. More part-time women workers could be trained in personal evangelism.
(See PDF for table of figures)
The lay field has always provided trainees for the Bible work. Scores of our credentialed workers have come out of the lay ranks. This pattern for the Bible work will characterize it until the gospel work closes. Could we estimate this potential, we would visualize a veritable army of humble, productive Bible instructors.
Nutritionists in Evangelism. During the last decade evangelistic Bible instruction has assumed new proportions. It has called for a greater variety of talent. In the earlier days of our work we emphasized the need of Bible knowledge and method of teaching present truth to non-Adventists, as well as the ability to give simple treatments and to play the organ for our public meetings. Today medical personnel and accomplished musicians may be associated with evangelistic teams. This leaves the Bible instructor free to welcome the people at our meetings and to become better acquainted with them.
In metropolitan areas, where evangelistic centers function, women nutrition instructors are taking to the platform. Usually a well-trained Bible instructor has prepared herself with advanced education for teaching food science. A combination of Bible work and public instruction in health and diet makes this a rewarding, soul-winning service. It builds a better quality of potential Adventists. A glimpse into the future would suggest that a selected number of young women should now be directed into this important gospel service.
The Veteran Bible instructor. We here wish to pay tribute to our retired Bible workers. Although some in this group are in failing health, many still serve their home churches in an admirable way. A glance at their service record tells a story of devotion and sacrifice.
These noble women have borne the burdens of the years. In their prime many of them were less privileged with creature comforts than is the beginner today. These Bible instructors came out of an era when we built solidly for the message. They helped evangelists and pastors to develop the expanding evangelism- we see today. The true fruits of their labors are our present church leaders and the army of young men and women devoted to overseas mission work.
Recruits for the Bible Work. The Bible instructor training in our advanced education has been somewhat eclipsed by pressure from other sources, yet today about 350 are in preparation for home and overseas fields. Through the Home Study Institute, the Ministerial Association also fosters a training course in Bible work. Although the course was planned for experienced field workers, many enterprising laymen have completed it, and conferences have used a number of these students in personal evangelism.
Bible work is more than a profession; it is a calling. It may be difficult to by-pass trends cre- ated by world conditions, but young people are still listening to God's call to service. Our more diversified training courses become the steppingstones that will lead many consecrated young workers into the Bible work. Through the Spirit of prophecy we have been assured that our message will close with an army of Bible teachers entering the homes of every large city, town, and hamlet. In every corner of the world the truths of the Bible will be taught with power, and consecrated women as the messengers of God's love and mercy will be leading out in this glorious ministry. Methods may change from time to time, but the Bible work is God's plan and it will triumph in the everlasting gospel message.
