Special Training for Qualified Brothers

Another door to enlarged service opportunities opened in 1990 with the inauguration of the Ministerial Training School in Britain. Here was a further opportunity for single brothers who were serving as elders or ministerial servants to receive specialized schooling, with a view to serving wherever they might be needed in the global field. The eight-week school course nicely balances instruction in Bible teachings and organizational matters. The first class in Britain was held at the East Pennine Assembly Hall. Two district overseers from the United States, James Hinderer and Randall Davis, served as the instructors. Three experienced circuit overseers from Britain—Peter Nicholls, Ray Pople, and Michael Spurr—were also in the class, to receive training for teaching future classes. Addressing the graduating class on June 17, 1990, Albert D. Schroeder, of the Governing Body, said to those of the students who were being assigned to serve in Britain: “You fine young men are needed to develop the work here. This will be a real shot in the arm for the British field.”

Among the graduates of the Ministerial Training School is Bharat Ram, who came from a Hindu family. He is now married and serves with his wife in the northwest of England, where there are many Gujarati-speaking people for them to help. John Williams, from Wales, was surprised to be assigned to work at the branch in Zambia, where skills that he had were needed, and later to missionary service in Kitwe, Zambia.

Gordon Sarkodie, who was born in Ghana, moved to England with his family when he was 12 years old. While he was still a teenager, his interest in Bible truth was aroused by a Witness who delivered The Watchtower and Awake! to Gordon’s father. A Bible study led to his baptism in 1985. As an auxiliary pioneer, he was conducting so many Bible studies that his pioneer friends suggested that he enroll as a regular pioneer. When he attended the Pioneer Service School at the end of his first year of full-time service, the circuit overseer encouraged him to apply for the Ministerial Training School. Moved by a desire to be better able to assist young ones in the congregation, Gordon did apply. He attended the seventh class of the school in Britain. After graduation he served in London for two years. Then he was assigned to be a missionary in Zambia. He was willing to make himself available for whatever use Jehovah directed, so Gordon’s training progressively led to added privileges. After 12 weeks of training in Cibemba, one of the local languages, Gordon was appointed to be a circuit overseer in the Copperbelt Province. He has also had the privilege of training others for the circuit work.

British-born Richard Frudd was brought up by Witness parents. Having dedicated his life to Jehovah, he felt that he was in no position to lay down conditions on how far that dedication would go. He made himself available. In 1982 he enrolled as a pioneer. He applied for the Ministerial Training School and graduated in 1990. He too was assigned to Zambia. After studying Cibemba and gaining some experience in his new assignment, he was appointed to be a circuit overseer, and he has also served as an instructor in the Ministerial Training School held at the Zambia branch.

To date, 433 students have graduated from 19 classes of the Ministerial Training School in Britain. Of this number, 79 are at present serving abroad, 4 are serving as circuit overseers, 12 as Bethelites, and 308 are sharing the benefits of their training by serving as pioneers in Britain.

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Graduation of the first class of Ministerial Training School in Britain