Refining Gold in Pakistan

Suzanne Pearson • May 19, 2022

The word Zarephath in Hebrew means “a place where gold is refined.” For 40 years, God has been refining gold for His Kingdom in Pakistan through Zarephath Bible Seminary. What began as an initiative of mostly western missionaries has grown into an amazing institution led by Pakistani leaders who train up other leaders to impact their nation for Christ.

It Began with a Question

The ZBS journey began in the mid-1970s. TEAM global workers saw the need for a Bible training program in Pakistan. They began asking the question, “How can we train local leaders to be pastors and leaders in the church?” The first meeting of a new multi-organization task force took place in November 1976 with eight mission organizations represented.

The committee spent the next few years praying and working through the logistics of each agency’s role. TEAM quickly became instrumental in the formation of the seminary by providing the first teachers as well as helping secure the land to build the first campus.

“Zarephath Bible Institute” opened its doors in August 1982 to a handful of students. (The name later changed to Zarephath Bible Seminary.) As time went on, other mission groups invested in the seminary by providing teachers and funding. Zarephath quickly became a collaborative effort. Since that time, ZBS has grown steadily both in student attendance and training opportunities. Over the years, the seminary has navigated various challenges, but God is always faithful in bringing about His purposes.

Innovative Thinking About Theological Education

One hurdle the school faced was the same one that challenged us all – COVID. “The pandemic brought on an increase in Zoom meetings and modular education,” says Dr. John Condie, Area Leader for TEAM Pakistan. Prior to COVID, the seminary had not engaged in any type of online instruction, so there was quite a learning curve. Figuring out all the new technology was a challenge, but not one without great rewards.

“Economically, it’s [now] more feasible for many people to get training,” John explains. People whose circumstances prevented them from enrolling in the seminary courses in person could now access the same coursework online. “Students all the way from the United Arab Emirates and from all over Pakistan now join the classes on Zoom. [COVID] prompted some innovative thinking about theological education.”

This innovative thinking refined the seminary’s use of modular education, referring to coursework completed outside of a traditional full-time schedule. “There’s been a transition in theological training all around the world as pastors of young or small churches want additional training,” says John. “They can’t leave their work and go [to a full-time training program].”

Some of these pastors have had formal pastoral education and are looking for supplemental training. Others are lay people who have started small churches or ministries without any formal training at all. ZBS helps both through one-week modular training sessions held throughout the year. Pastors can fit the modules into their calendars while continuing with their ministry work.

Expanded Opportunities and Collaboration

Another beneficial aspect of Zarephath’s programming is the scope of training that’s available. Most of the seminary’s students train to be pastors but there are also opportunities available for other types of ministry. These include women’s and children’s ministry as well as training for worship and music ministry.

ZBS collaborates in an educational joint venture as well. Forman Christian College and ZBS joined forces with Development Associates International (DAI) to hold a modular, three-year “Masters in Organizational Leadership.” A number of TEAM Pakistan’s leaders in various ministries were in the first cohort. Dr. Angela Condie (John’s wife) notes that it’s exciting to see people working in parachurch ministries taking advantage of this program. “For example,” she says. “there is a woman who runs [a camp] and another who is the principal of a girls’ school who have both graduated from the course.”


Class being held outside during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ZBS students take the skills they learn into various churches and ministries throughout Pakistan and beyond.


Cross-Cultural Connections

In Pakistan, the population is 97% Muslim with Hindu and Christian minorities making up the remaining 3%. Many of the Christians in Pakistan come from a low-caste Hindu group that was introduced to Christianity in the early 1900’s. These Christian people have struggled for generations with poverty and being seen as less-than by the Muslim majority.

However, over time, Christian schools have helped provide a better education for these believers. A generation of young, Christian professionals is emerging. John and Angela have the privilege in serving alongside these believers in their healthcare setting. “We have Christian doctors and nurses who are working at our hospital, all of whom have come, probably two generations ago, from that kind of very low cast background,” says John. “Many of their parents or grandparents were illiterate, but they’ve come up from that.”

Zarephath Bible Seminary provides a similar opportunity for Christian believers whom God has called to cross-cultural ministry. Men and women from all over Pakistan learn Christian leadership skills that they can then put into practice meeting the needs of the communities they came from. Students at ZBS also have the opportunity to study the Arabic language as well as the Quran to help break down cultural barriers and better understand and connect with their Muslim neighbors.

A Passing of the Baton

The cross-cultural shift in ministry has occurred within the seminary’s staff and leadership itself as well. Zarephath’s early days were staffed by western missionaries, but now the faculty and administration is nearly 100% Pakistani. “I think the biggest milestone that I can think of is the transition from missionary leadership to Pakistani leadership,” says John. “As men and women were trained, they then were capable of taking over the leadership.”

With Pakistani leadership flourishing at the seminary, TEAM’s role has changed to a mostly advisory capacity along with serving as a conduit for U.S. donors to give financially to the seminary. As ZBS celebrates its 40 th anniversary, the seminary stands as a beautiful example of the global Church .

A Time to Celebrate

On April 23, hundreds of Zarephath Bible Seminary alumni, current and former faculty members, and families gathered together to celebrate 40 years of God’s faithfulness. The festivities included wonderful fellowship, food, and music as friends reunited and shared where God has led them in ministry. Speakers included current seminary President, Rev. Shahbaz Boota as well as his predecessor, Rev. Ashkenaz Asif. The group also heard from Nate Irwin, TEAM global worker and another former principal of ZBS.

“Many faculty and former students told stories of how God has been working through ZBS,” shares Rev. Boota. “That was a good reminder of God’s faithfulness in our lives and in the life of Zarephath Bible Seminary.”

The future of the Church in Pakistan is bright as ZBS continues to model globalized ministry and the equipping of national church leaders. In a photo from the anniversary celebration, the children of those in attendance pose together with a sign that says, “Our mission: Train Students to Become Christ-Like Servant Leaders.” With God’s blessing, gold will continue to be refined in Pakistan for generations to come.


Celebration at the 40th celebration of Zarephath Bible Seminary.

The children of ZBS faculty and alumni represent a promising future for the Church in Pakistan.

By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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