Rev Eric Thurston has 12 years’ experience as Director of Training for The Artizo Institute (MTS equivalent in Canada). Eric is committed to identifying, encouraging and training godly men and women as Gospel workers. Eric became a Christian at St Matthias, Centennial Park. He did a ministry apprenticeship at UNSW under Phillip Jensen and Col Marshall. Eric studied at Moore Theological College in NSW, and worked at Glenmore Park Anglican before moving to Canada.

Eric is married with three children. He enjoys cycling, bush walking, time with his family, and American sports (football and basketball).

Converted at Billy Graham Crusade in 1979 while studying in Sydney, Australia. Former journalist. Repented. Now preaching Good News!

God has graciously given Chris an international ministry. His passion is being “a pastor to pastors”, “raising the Next Generation”, “training leaders” and “Godly marriages & families”.

Chris is happily married to Mona. They have 2 adult children & a daughter-in-law.

Entrust Trainers’ Forum

This is a platform for pastors and church leaders to think about how to multiply gospel workers. We believe that one of the important ways to raise up future workers is to actively plan for their recruitment.

We want to help local churches to think more actively about how to encourage Christian men and women to consider and pursue full-time word ministry. This includes having more structured word-emphasised training in churches and even setting up a structured 2-year internship program for those who are suitable.

More than ever, we see the increasing need for pastors and bible-teachers in Malaysia churches. This is a problem that we as church leaders need to address. It is our responsibilities to think of ways to raise up future gospel workers.

The apostle Paul said to Timothy “what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). Apart from teaching from the bible faithfully week in week out, we should also seek to have systems and structures in place that actively encourage suitable church members to consider full-time.

Trainers’ Forum is set up alongside Entrust Conference (which aims to encourage Christians to consider seriously the idea of full-time ministry)

 

Internship program envisioned by Entrust

At Trainers’ Forum, we want local church leaders to think about the importance of a structured 2-year internship program

This internship program is unlike a gap-year program for high-school leaver where those who undertook it are less likely to be mature enough to seriously consider full-time word ministry. It usually requires mature Christians to leave their secular job in order to devote their time and energy for gospel ministry. This is a 2-year internship program that is focused on teaching and preaching ministry and not just helping with the administrative work in church.

A 2-year internship program is an important bridge between committed lay leaders and full-time theological study. It allows interns to taste for themselves the importance and goodness of word-ministry. It also allows the church leaders to evaluate the suitability of interns.

This kind of internship program has been ongoing in Sydney for over 30 years and has help encouraged thousands of young men and women to enter full-time gospel ministry. For more information please visit mts.com.au

Entrust does not run any internship program. Instead it seeks to encourage local church leaders to set up one by themselves. For we believe that the most suitable trainer is often the local pastor.