INFO ON SOME OF OUR ADVANCE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS
EAST ASIA
Advance International has experienced tremendous growth in East Asia since 2011. We have conducted training in over 36 locations throughout the region. Our student enrollment exceeded 2,100 students over the last ten years. By God’s grace, we were able to complete over 550 classes, with over 500 graduating from our training program.
A significant development in our work came with the cultivation of qualified Asian teachers who live in-country. These teachers have earned, accredited theological Masters degrees and have experience in pastoral ministry. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, we were able to continue training throughout the region through these Asian partners. As a result, 10 classes were completed in 2020 with an enrollment of 115 students.
Another expansion of our work in 2020 was the video recording of our 8 courses. These recordings have expanded our outreach to more pastors and church workers. The videos provide a helpful tool for our partners who can oversee Advance training in their context.
Last year our schools increased significantly as there is still a great interest in quality theological training there. Please pray for more teachers to be able to go and lead these classes.
Advance International East Asia Director: Jim Law
dominican republic
La Romana serves as the site for Advance International Dominican Republic. Located on the coast and surrounded by sugar cane fields, this location provides theological education for students of various backgrounds and occupations. Advance International Dominican Republic typically holds classes all day Friday and Saturday with exams on Sunday afternoon after church two to four times a year. Classes consist of 25-35 pastors, teachers, and church leaders, both men and women of all ages, who serve local churches in a variety of capacities. Though primarily a cooperative ministry of the William Wallace Baptist Association and Baptist Associations of Southeastern Louisiana, instructors come from churches and theological institutions throughout the United States.
Brad will be traveling there in January to deliver books f in April to teach Disciple Making to 30 students.
Advance International Dominican Republic Director: Brad Delaughter
Hispaniola Mountain Ministries IN CUBA, dOMINICAN, AND Honduras
Advance is excited to have begun a new partnership with Hispaniola Mountain Ministries! They do a great job of missions wherever they go. Recently, they decided their leaders could benefit from our approach. We look forward to a great future together. Already they have completed three courses in Cuba and one course in the Dominican January will be their first school in Honduras.
Advance International HMM Director: Scott Wilson
HONDURAS
Advance International Honduras holds classes in two cities, Alas de Fe and El Naranjal. Students include a great mix of young men called to ministry as well as older men who are currently serving in ministry. Here are some updates from both schools:
Advance School at Alas de Fe (Joel Williams)
We graduated 24 more students last week, who made up our 4th group of graduates, and among those students were 2 Tolupans, which is one of the few, remaining unreached people groups in Honduras. These brothers -- and others -- are a part of the one evangelical church that we're aware of among the Tolupan, which includes somewhere over 32K people. I taught Intro to Missions this last session, and it was such a joy to pray for and with these young men for their people...and to be reminded of how He is at work there today! God is always so good in the way he works, isn't He!
In Christ,
Joel
Advance School at El Naranjal (Mario Barahona)
- Sessions this year are scheduled for May 23-24, June 27-28, August 29-30, and September 26-27.
- There are a total of 25 students registered at this time.
Advance School Honduras Director: Joel Williams
Left and center are from the Tolupan people group
JAPAN
The Advance Center in Tokyo continues to thrive and offers an important theological foundation for pastors and church leaders. In the fall of 2025, 11 students enrolled in our New Testament Survey course. This is the largest enrollment to date for our Tokyo center. We are excited about the partnership with the IMB in Japan and expect to have significant expansion throughout the country in the future. The IMB has a wonderful training center in Tokyo where our classes are taught. We are thankful for the vision and leadership of Zach Jones, who oversees our partnership in Japan.
One of the significant benefits of offering the Biblical Ministry Certificate in underserved locations is to watch how training church leaders connects the body of Christ globally. This connection is seen in our fellowship, training, and ministry resources. Please join us in praying for the growth of the church and the spread of the Gospel in Japan.
Pictured are students who graduated from the Toyko school.
Advance Japan Director: Jim Law
Kenya
In addition to our 5 current schools in Kenya, our IMB partners will be starting a cohort in January in a place called Koitiko. The first picture is the Koitiko church. Koitiko is a small Maasai village. The people are very religious, with many calling themselves Christians, but the truth is most do not know Jesus or the Bible. They mix traditional Maasai religion with a few Bible verses that produces a religious system that requires works and submission to spirits and their leaders.
Most of the people are oral learners and although they can read, comprehension of the Bible is difficult unless presented orally. The pastors are not trained, and this leads to teaching that is a mix of preaching they hear on the radio or YouTube, traditional religious practice and belief sprinkled with a few Bible verses that are used more like a magical charm than the true word of God. The need is great for trained pastors in Kenya to combat the Prosperity Gospel, Animism, and all sorts of false teachings that have risen to keep the people enslaved to sin while promising them the things of this world.
The second picture is the joy of a graduation!!!!!
Advance International Sub-Saharan Africa Director: James Bledsoe
NAMIBIA
School leaders were only able to travel to Namibia for teaching once in 2024. They taught October 17-21 and had 31 in attendance with two completing the course work required to obtain a certificate. We travelled twice in 2025, in May/June and October. They will be shifting their conferences to be hosted entirely at the Christian Baptist Church in Ongwediva instead of the lodge they have been using. Pastors and church leaders are attending from all across Northern Namibia and from Southern Angola. Chris McLain, pastor at FBC Bandera, Texas, continues to travel and teach with David Warren.
On the last trip of 2025 they had 5 more students complete the requirements for certificates. There were approximately 30 in attendance with several of them being new students. There are tentative plans to return in the first part of June and then again in November in 2026.
Advance International Namibia Director: David Warren
NICARAGUA
During 9/30-10/2, Dr. David Yi, who is the senior pastor of the San Antonio Korean Baptist Church and is also an adjunct professor of several SBC seminaries, came to teach "Survey of the Old Testament". He also taught "How to preach" on 10/3 for all the graduates and current students as well as any local pastors who are interested in the subject as a special seminar. Since we were still in the season which is called by locals “Winter (rainy season)”, we had few showers during the day that made the heat of the day less severe. It even made us feel cold in the early mornings. We thank God for his grace and mercy that made it possible for our students to learn His word during those 4 days. We also thank God for Dr. Yi as he came to Nicaragua for the third time and faithfully served our students with love and sincerity.
Advance International Nicaragua Director: Dr. Bong Choi
Advance International Nicaragua On-Site Director: Dr. Sung Kim
Pictured below is Dr. Lloyd Lunceford from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and one of our classes.
THAILAND
Under the leadership of Thai and Ming Her, Advance International has maintained consistent growth among the Hmong believers in northern Thailand. In the fall of 2025, our Thailand center had 21 graduates and has seen a continued stream of new students, with many coming from the surrounding countries to receive ministry training. Thai and Ming have a relationship with Jim Law going back to their seminary days at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Through their mutual commitment to train church leaders, the Lord has connected them in this fruitful ministry.
Please pray for Thai and Ming Her as they continue to lead the training and for their ministry among the churches.
Advance Thailand Director: Jim Law
NEED A SCHOOL STARTED?
We are able to start schools anywhere internationally where they are needed. To get information on how to start a school contact Phil Walker at 601-951-0636 or pwalker@2advance.org.