First SOC Online Graduates

Pr. Brian Larsen - SOC Vice President

While in Lumberton, Texas in April 2019, for a meeting with SOC president Robert Turnage, I presented the possibilities of an Online School of Christ. As we talked, we felt that this could be an open door for this ministry, so we began to make inquiries regarding the logistics of making this a reality. We soon realized that the cost would be tremendous, so Pastor Turnage placed a prayer request to you, our supporters, in the October 2019 Missions Report about the Online School.

We continued to pray for the direction and funds to put all of the School’s lessons on the web. God added Brother Maximiliano Noriega to the Argentina School of Christ staff many years ago and one of his expertise is in computer software. Then the world went into a lockdown because of the Coronavirus. Now unable to travel and have public meetings with students, God helped us find the solution. We would conduct the Online Course through Facebook.

In late April 2020, after many weeks and lots of very long days, with Brother Maximiliano’s help, the Spanish SOC Course went online on Facebook. With three languages, English, Portuguese, and Spanish, we have students enrolled from thirty- thankful to report that in 2020 we graduated twenty brothers and sisters who completed the Spanish Online School. On July 30th in the 10 AM service at the Missions Convention in Pottsville, Arkansas, via live stream, we announced the introduction of the course in the English language. Immediately inquiries and applications began to come in from those interested in taking part in the course.

During the lockdown, we were also able to teach lessons in Portuguese through the Zoom App for a Brazilian church outside Nagoya, Japan. We have also made available all materials in the Portuguese language for Brother Ronaldo, who is a past graduate of the SOC in Brazil. He is now a missionary in Mozambique, Africa. He is receiving the  lessons through Facebook to further train ministers in the seminary he oversees. We also are continuing the translation of the SOC into the Japanese language with the help of Hatsumi Larsen. Our goal is to make available, through Facebook, Schools in all of the forty-nine languages that the SOC material has been translated into.

The social media platform has proven to be a means to further the God-given call to train pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and workers. We praise God that we are still able, through social media platforms, to continue carrying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus  Christ throughout this world. All of this, of course, is in addition to the phenomenal work being done by our directors. Please pray for all of our work for God.

Brian Larsen
SOC Vice President