Lanna Theological Center Thailand

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

I am often asked “Why Lanna Theological Center?” Before I answer the question, let’s consider the following on the state of missions in the 21st century.

Evangelical Christianity is growing twice as fast as Islam and three times faster than Buddhism (Patrick Johnson)
Christianity has grown by over 300 million people over the last decade. 290 million are found in non-western countries (Joshua Project)
One million new churches planted between 1990-2000 (DAWN)
The Stone Campbell movement has over 300 missions serving in 180 different countries (www.worldconvention.org).

These and other statistics show that we know how to evangelize and plant churches on a large scale. Church planting, however, is just the first step in mission. A church plant must be followed by church growth.

Philip Flores states “For the past 25 to 30 years the church has focused on church growth and church multiplication, and the results are phenomenal. … But the other side of the harvest field confronts us. New church starts are not keeping pace with either actual or potential church growth. Maturity of new church starts is still a major issue. There is a back door among new church starts. Discipleship has never reached the level necessary to sustain healthy church growth. Leadership has not reached a level sufficient to supply existing leadership needs. The challenge before the church in the new millennium is no longer church growth, but church health.”

The US Center for World Missions estimates there are over 2 million untrained pastors serving in churches around the world. There are countless churches that lack even untrained pastors. These churches are sheep without a shepherd. A recent graduate of LTC serving in Laos states “The danger to the church in Laos is not persecution. We can withstand physical persecution. The real danger is false teachers, cults, and denominationalism. New believers are so hungry to be taught that they will receive anyone who claims to be a Bible teacher. The church in Laos needs leaders who can guard the flock.”

Lanna Theological Center is committed to sending church planters out into the harvest fields of Asia. Lanna Theological Center is also committed to training Asian pastors who will be the shepherds of the Church in Asia and lead the church to spiritual maturity.

And that’s the answer to “Why Lanna Theological Center?”

Dr. David Filbeck
President, LCC