Shepherds is reaching out to a number constituencies locally and globally that it might be a resource for advancing Scripturally-based education and training of pastors, missionaries, teachers, and lay people as teachers themselves in venues as diverse as teachers in Christian schools in the local Triangle area, to seminary students in Eastern Europe, to a growing Bible Institute in India, to an emerging Christian school and seminary network in Kenya that could spread across Africa; and to missionaries scattered across the globe. In all these venues, education proceeds through a combination of three elements: distance learning via DVD, websites, and email; classes taught by Shepherds' professors traveling to the national location; and selected national students/faculty attending classes on Shepherds' campus.

Theological Biblical Academy
Our convocation in January 2003 highlighted the signing of a partnership covenant with the Theological Biblical Academy (TBA) in Krapina, Croatia, to work together to further the gospel in Croatia. Part of this agreement is to help assist the Theological Biblical Academy with short-term professors for classes in Krapina as well as books, materials and equipment as funds permit. Dean Millheim has taught classes there annually for seven years. Shepherds will expand this teaching engagement with additional visiting faculty as well as distance learning materials. We are seeking funds to support bringing a TBA faculty or student for six to twelve month residency at Shepherds.

The Academy has an outstanding international faculty and is the only Evangelical seminary in the former countries of Yugoslavia. TBA held its first graduation on September 5, 2004 with seven graduates. In January 2005, Shepherds awarded Professor Stephen Etches of TBA the honorary Doctor of Divinity Honoris Causa (D.D.). Dr. Etches is versatile in seven European languages and has been translating a wide variety of Christian literature into Eastern European languages. Most recently Dr. Etches published the first complete Bible in Albanian. He has written textbooks in Croatian on Systematic Theology, Church History and Comparative Religions.

East African Christian Ministries
Shepherds is in the initial stages of establishing a partnership with East African Christian Ministries (EACM) in Nairobi, Kenya. Colonial Baptist Outreach Ministries has had a growing involvement in missions in the Nairobi area for some years. Through this effort an interest has developed to support an expanding program underway by East African Christian Ministries to train lay pastors in villages across Kenya. EACM currently has a campus in Nairobi where advanced students come for intensive training after preliminary training in their region. A very strong component of this effort is the Build the Village non-profit missions group that is providing training programs and coordinating functions for EACM. Shepherds will work with BTV to support the EACM program by providing visiting faculty, distance learning materials, vetting of local teaching and training materials, and official recognition of student achievement through the Bachelor of Theology and Diploma of Theology degrees. This recognition is important in an environment of government and religious restrictions that forbid granting of degrees from national Bible schools and seminaries. Optimistically, this biblically-based model of disciple-making could spread from Kenya across Africa.

Hindustan Bible College
The Hindustan Bible College was founded in 1952 in Madras, India by Dr. Bobby Gupta and has been in a long-term association with Colonial Baptist Outreach Ministries. HBI has many graduates serving as national pastors and missionaries in India. Dr. John Millheim was a Visiting Professor on the HBI campus in summer 2005.