EPI Ministry Update
This isn’t a Saturday Story. You should have already received that in your inbox. Instead, this is an update on my ministry with Equipping Pastors International. Those that are newer to my Substack may not know this, so if you do bear with me. The money that is received from this Substack is used as support for the ministry I do with Equipping Pastors International. Our goal with Equipping Pastors is to provide training and theological education for pastors who might not otherwise have that opportunity. We do this free of charge to the pastors we work with. We are able to do this because of the generous contributions of churches and individuals like you. In my case, paid subscriptions to FirstLight go to advance this work.
Over the past 15 years or so, I have had the joy of helping pastors in China, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, The Philippines, and Madagascar. Having said that, one area I am hoping to do more in is providing solid literature in the heart langauge of some of these pastors. My goal is to begin this project with our partners in Madagascar and see how things go from there and whether or not it is feasible and useful to attempt to do this in other places.
The following is a report I submitted to the Board and Missionaries that serve alongside me at Equipping Pastors:
EPI Update: Equipping Pastors with Solid Theological Resources
For years, I’ve thought about making solid theological works more accessible. This seed was planted when I struggled to grasp an old book—Henry Scougal’s The Life of God in the Soul of Man. The outdated language made it difficult to follow, so I took it upon myself to simplify it into modern English. What started as a personal project led to a published work, God’s Abundant Life.
That experience opened my eyes to the need for updated, accessible theological works. But at the time, I lacked the bandwidth to take on another project. Now, with advancements in technology, I see a new opportunity to bridge that gap—especially for pastors in places like Madagascar.
The Need: Equipping Pastors in Madagascar
Last year, while preparing for our trip to Madagascar, I hoped to provide local pastors with a theological book in their native Malagasy language. There are very few Christian resources available to them. Unfortunately, despite our offer to fund the translation and printing at no profit to ourselves, the rights holders required a significant upfront payment—making it financially unfeasible.
This experience made me realize: we need a better way to provide pastors with theologically rich, accessible resources.
The Solution: Leveraging AI for Translation & Publishing
Recent advancements in AI technology have created a unique opportunity. High-quality AI tools can help modernize public domain Christian works by updating their language while preserving theological integrity. Once simplified, these works can be translated into Malagasy and printed for local pastors.
The process would involve:
Identifying a quality public domain Christian book.
Using AI-powered tools to update the language to an 8th-grade reading level.
Sending the revised work to a Malagasy translator.
Printing and distributing the book to pastors in their heart language.
Project Costs & Funding Needs
Expense
Estimated Cost
AI Subscription Services (1 year)
$1,200
Malagasy Translation (per book)
$110
Printing (100 copies per book)
$600
Total for Three Books
$3,400
The per-book cost decreases as more books are produced:
1 book: $19 per copy
2 books: $13 per copy
3 books: $11 per copy
I am setting a goal of completing three books in the next year and would like to allocate $3,400 from my EPI account to support this initiative. After the first year, we can evaluate its effectiveness and impact.
Additionally, if Ken Aull sees value in it, we could publish the updated English versions on platforms like Amazon Kindle to reach a broader audience.
How You Can Help
I believe this project could be a game-changer in equipping pastors with sound theological resources. I’d love to hear your thoughts and any insights you may have on how we can make this even more effective. Your prayers, support, and feedback are invaluable as we move forward.
Thank you for your partnership in this mission!