“We need to have powerful and well-qualified Christians to stand for our faith and to preach Jesus!”

Thomas* became a Christian when he was 20 years old. He says he understood that he needed to know more about Jesus, so he came to the College of Theology and Education (CTE), Moldova, to study. After graduating in 2001, he married his wife, Mary*, and the couple felt God’s calling to serve in Asia as missionaries. “It was a great experience for us as we continued to trust in Him,…[doing everything] for His glory.” Thomas was involved in the mission field in Tajikistan from 2002-2006. During that time, Thomas says they were able to see the “big needs” of the people there who belonged to a majority religious group. They started a Bible school, which “was a real blessing because they needed so many well-trained and dedicated leaders. In a country where [a majority religious group] is so powerful, we need to have powerful and well-qualified Christians to stand for our faith and to preach Jesus!”

Today, Thomas serves at CTE as the pastor of the students, including counseling sessions, and is a pastor-teacher in a local church. Recently, he graduated from TCM International Institute with his MA and is now earning his MDiv. After spending several years on the mission field and getting to know those in a majority religious group, Thomas says, “You can understand their context better and how to relate to them better.”

*Names have been changed for security purposes.