MINISTRY / An interview with our Bible institute administrator
316NOW's online Bible institute trains our students to share Scripture truths with other Christians and with those seeking to learn more about Christianity. We offer courses in books of the Bible, theology, and pastoral care at no cost.
We interviewed the administrator of our Bible institute. This is what we learned.
Who is on the faculty?
We have a faculty of 19 WELS pastors who have been called to be instructors. They teach the 30 courses of study that our curriculum currently offers.
Does the faculty teach using Mandarin?
Only three of our faculty speak Mandarin. That means to teach in Mandarin, our faculty must use translators. We have a skilled bilingual staff that assists our faculty. Six are verbal interpreters that translate for our institute. Six are document translators.
Are there barriers to teaching the Bible to Chinese
Yes. On March 1, China stepped up its monitoring of religious content on its internet. 316NOW then transitioned to an online teaching platform that promises end-to-end security. That means no one, except our students, can listen in on the classes. Former and new students are adjusting to the new program and our student body is growing again.
Do you ever make changes to the courses you teach?
We continually evaluate our courses. We seek ways to improve them and we add courses that meet the needs of our students. We recently added a new course, the Lutheran Reformation, to our curriculum. We are working on developing courses on 1 Corinthians, Psalms, the Holy Spirit, an overview of the Old Testament, and Genesis 1-11.
How can people help?
You can help in a variety of ways.
Please pray for our Bible institute: its students and faculty, as well as for the security of our online classrooms.
If you are fluent in Mandarin, please contact us. We may be able to put you to work as a translator.
We have an adequate faculty at present, but, if you are seminary-trained and would be interested in teaching for us, we'd like to know that.
We have openings for people with online skills, such as webmasters, graphic artists, web designers, and online security.
Email us at 316NOW@316NOW.org