Discipleship Training

Definition and Meaning

Discipleship training is an educational program in which church members receive systematic instruction over a set period, through Bible study, prayer, examination of daily life, and similar practices, so that they may live as disciples of Jesus Christ. In a broad sense, the term refers to any form of nurture that fosters spiritual maturity. In Korean churches, however, it often has a narrower sense, denoting a specific program in which laypeople (church members who are not clergy) are organized into small groups and trained for one to two years.

Biblical and Historical Background

Advocates of discipleship training cite the following passages in support:

• Jesus' appointing of the twelve disciples to be with him and to be taught by him (Mark 3:14)
• The command to "teach all nations" (Matthew 28:19–20)
• Paul's exhortation to pass on what has been learned to others (2 Timothy 2:2)

In church history, John Wesley's practice of dividing believers into small gatherings (class meetings) to examine one another's faith is frequently cited as an early precedent. In the twentieth century, mission organizations such as The Navigators and Campus Crusade for Christ developed one-on-one nurture and small-group Bible study. In Korea, these methods first spread through campus mission organizations such as Korea Campus Crusade for Christ and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship of Korea.

Practice in Korean Churches

Pastor Ok Han-heum is regarded as the figure who established discipleship training as a pastoral method in the local church. In 1978 he planted SaRang Community Church (then called Gangnam Eunpyeong Church) in Gangnam, Seoul, and placed lay training at the center of his ministry. In 1984 he published Called to Awaken the Laity, which advanced a "theology of the laity" grounded in the principle of the priesthood of all believers. The priesthood of all believers is the Reformation principle that every believer is a priest before God; the theology of the laity holds that laypeople should share responsibility for the church's ministry alongside pastors. SaRang Community Church spread this approach to other churches by holding discipleship training seminars for pastors, and many churches across denominational lines adopted it.

In churches that follow this approach, discipleship training generally proceeds as follows. One member of the pastoral staff leads a group of about ten people, which meets weekly for roughly a year. In the meetings, participants engage in inductive Bible study, observing and interpreting a biblical text and then applying it to life. Participants complete assignments in Scripture memorization, quiet time, and reading, and they share about their lives. Those who complete the course often go on to ministry training and are then appointed as small group leaders.

Emphases differ according to church tradition.

• Presbyterian: Because Ok Han-heum belonged to the Presbyterian Church in Korea (Hapdong), the SaRang Community Church model was especially widely used in Presbyterian churches.
• Methodist: Discipleship training is often explained in connection with the class meeting tradition dating back to Wesley.
• Full Gospel: These churches have raised up lay leaders through their district (cell) group structure.
• Others: Some churches have adopted different small-group models, such as the house church.

Discipleship training has also drawn criticism. Critics contend that it is used as a tool for church growth and that it leans too heavily toward the transmission of knowledge. Others object that completion of the program functions as a qualification for church office, creating a hierarchy among members, and that it does not sufficiently lead to transformed lives outside the church.