Congratulations!
2001
Sent to Go ...
In 2001, Grace Community Church, L.A., sent out TMAI member Christian Andresen who set out to found the EBTC (European Bible Training Center) in Berlin under the leadership of Dr. John MacArthur.
In the wake of 9/11, air travel restrictions and flight cancellations made it impossible for the American speakers to attend the first German Shepherds’ Conference in person. A total of six telephone lines had to be installed for some of the general sessions to be broadcasted via telephone conference.
Classes began for the first time in the fall of 2001 at Christburg Campus of the FESB (Free Evangelical School Berlin), a Christian school in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin. The three-year program also included Greek and Hebrew classes but it soon became evident that the requirements and the work load were far too high.
September: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “Equipping Men for Ministry”)
2002
Study Bible
The first copy of the German MacArthur Study Bible was presented in Geneva on the 20th of September.
January: Seminar on Church History I with Dr. Christopher Catherwood
2003
Facilities
EBTC classes were held by Christian Andresen, Dieter Borchmann and Cary Green on the upper floor of the premises of Bibelgemeinde in Berlin-Wartenberg.
January: Seminar on Church History II with Dr. Christopher Catherwood
August: Hermeneutics Seminar with Detlev Fleischhammel
September: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “Equipping Men“)
2004
Bible Survey
Sadly, after three years of classes, only three of the original 18 students graduated. This experience showed that some drastic changes needed to be made to the EBTC schedule and curriculum. The new program “Bible Survey,” designed to lay a solid foundation of basic Bible knowledge, launched with 16 students.
The Evangeliums-Christen-Gemeinde in Berlin-Hellersdorf graciously offered their facilities to be used as classrooms.
January: Apologetics Seminar with Dr. Martin Erdmann (Theme: “The Life of Jesus“)
September: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “The Shepherd and His Sheep”)
2005
Expository Preaching
The new two-year program “Expository Preaching” was launched with 19 students, the majority of whom are now actively involved in pastoral ministry.
January: Counseling Seminar with Jim Pile
September: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “Preach with Passion”)
2006
Second Campus
Upon growing interest in a second campus in the southern parts of the German-speaking world, the extension training center in Zurich/Dübendorf opened its doors on the premises of Midnight Call Ministries (Mitternachtsruf), where they meet to this day. We are deeply grateful for the long-standing brotherly partnership. The first “Bible Survey” class started out with 17 students in September 2006. Only a year later, “Expository Preaching” was added to the curriculum in Zurich.
May: Seminar on Church History with Dr. Martin Erdmann
May: Opening Conference EBTC Zurich
May: Counseling Seminar with Jim Pile
May: Exposition on Titus with Greg Stoever
September: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “Foundations of the Church“)
December: Teacher Training, Zurich
2007
Russian Ministry
Due to the great need for well-trained men in the numerous Russian-speaking congregations of Berlin, the EBTC entered into a Russian-speaking ministry for six years. The first Russian “Bible Survey” class started in 2007, followed in 2008 by the two-year program “Church Ministry”. While “Bible Survey” was taught by local teachers only, each month one or two teachers had to fly in from Ukraine to teach the “Church Ministry” class. Special support came from Alexey Kolomiytsev and his church Word of Grace in Oregon, USA. In 2010 he was the main speaker at the Russian Shepherds’ Conference in Berlin.
January: Introductory Seminar into the OT/NT with Dr. Roger Liebi
May: Apologetics Seminar with Oliver Schulz
June: Teacher Training
June: Archaeology/Geography with Ken Fuller
August: Counseling Seminar 1 & 3 with Dr. John Street & Jim Pile
September: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “Protecting the Flock of God”)
2008
Pastoral Ministry
The EBTC exists to teach men how to handle the Word of God with precision and accuracy. This mission, however, requires specific training, a basic knowledge of the original Bible languages and an introduction into pastoral ministry. With the addition of the bi-vocational master’s program MANT (Master of Arts in New Testament Studies) in 2008, another milestone was reached.
June: Exposition on The Gospel of Mark with Clay Miller
August: Seminar on The Basics of Counseling with Dr. John Street & Jim Pile
August: Marriage & Family Seminar with Dr. John Street & Jim Pile
September: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “The Great Commission”)
2009
German Shepherds’ Conference in Bonn
In 2009, the German Shepherds’ Conference with John Piper, Steve Fernandez and Johannes Pflaum as main speakers was hosted by an EBTC graduate’s church in Bonn. He had been a student in the very first “Expository Preaching” class.
April: Parenting Seminar with Dr. Tedd Tripp (Theme: “Shepherding a Child’s Heart“)
May: Seminar on The Reliability of the Bible with Dr. Roger Liebi
August: Seminar on Difficult Counseling Cases with Dr. John Street & Jim Pile
August: Marriage & Family Seminar with Dr. John Street & Jim Pile
October: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “Knowing and Living Jesus Christ”)
2010
Biblical Counseling
Over the years, the great need for biblical counseling demanded increasing attention. It is a vital part of the mandate to the local church. Up until this point, this need was catered to by a few basic seminars but in 2010, the program “Biblical Counseling” was added to the curriculum in order to offer a more systematic and comprehensive approach to the subject. For this very purpose Christian Andresen had undergone a full year of additional training at The Master’s College. Later, in 2015, the one-year program was extended to two years.
January: Russian Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “The Influence of the Church in Today’s World”)
May: Seminar on Church History with Dr. Christopher Catherwood
September: Exposition on 1 Peter with Dr. Gregory Harris
November: First Study Trip to Greece with Dr. Mike Abendroth (Theme: “Exposition of 1 Corinthians“)
December: Russian Counseling Seminar
2011
10th Anniversary
EBTC graduates began church planting in Rhineland, West Germany. This new Bible Church Oberberg opened its doors to host the third EBTC location on class weekends.
There was more to celebrate in 2011: At the anniversary conference in Lage with Dr. John MacArthur, the EBTC celebrated its 10th anniversary and the graduation of the first MANT class.
January: Seminar on The Reliability of the Bible with Dr. Roger Liebi
February: First Study Trip to Israel
May: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “Scripture’s Impact on the Life of Believers and the Church”)
August: Counseling Seminar with Jim Pile & Dr. John Street (Zurich & Berlin)
September: Exposition on Romans 1-8 (Russian)
September: Exposition on The Gospel of John with Carl Hargrove
October: EBTC Anniversary Conference with Dr. John MacArthur (Theme: “God’s Word – Timeless and Contemporary“)
October: Russian Conference with Alexey Kolomiytsev
2012
MAOT
With the MAOT (Master of Arts in Old Testament Studies) another English bi-vocational master’s program was introduced in 2012. Its focus was on the Old Testament and the Hebrew language.
January: Seminar on Church History with Dr. Wolfgang Nestvogel
March: Apologetics Seminar with Ievgenii Petrenko (Russian)
May: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “Keep a Close Watch on Yourself”)
August: Counseling Seminar with Jim Pile & Dr. John Street (Zurich & Berlin)
September: Exposition on Titus (Greg Stoever)
September: Russian Seminar with Ruslan Kachur
2013
Wittenberg
The German Shepherds’ Conference was held in Wittenberg for the first time, with Chris Mueller, Benedikt Peters and Johannes Pflaum as the featured speakers.
January: Seminar on The Reliability of the Bible with Dr. Benedikt Peters
April: Parenting Seminar with Dr. Tedd Tripp (Theme: “Instructing a Child’s Heart”)
May: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “The Church of the Living God”)
June: Apologetics Seminar with Dr. James White (Theme: “Cults and False Religion”)
August: Counseling Seminar with Dr. John Street
September: Seminar with Dr. Jim Cecy (Theme: “Sexual Purity”)
September: Exposition on Genesis with Brad Pixley
2014
Church Planting
2014 brought church planting to the forefront. The EBTC wants to see healthy churches planted by offering:
a) seminars and workshops on church planting, both for young churches and for well-established churches who aspire to plant churches
b) a forum for various church planting teams to share their experiences and encourage one another
c) financial support for new church plants, gradually decreasing over time.
In the fall of 2014, the seasoned missionary and church planter Stephen Lonetti taught the first of three modules on church planting, henceforth to be offered as an annual workshop. Four new churches were born out of these early workshops: Hope and Light (Hoffnung und Licht, Turbenthal, CH), Cornerstone Church Berlin (Eckstein Gemeinde Berlin, DE), Evangelical Free Church Lighthouse (Evangelische Freikirche Leuchtturm, Berlin, DE) and Grace Church Berlin (Gnadengemeinde Berlin, DE). Other churches received guidance on how to take the first steps toward church planting.
January: Seminar on Church History with Dr. Wolfgang Nestvogel
May: Russian Shepherds’ Conference with Alexey Kolomiytsev, Wittenberg
June: German Shepherds’ Conference with (Theme: “The Cross-Centered Life”)
June: Russian Conference with Dr. Alexey Prokopenko
August: EBTC Staff Training Retreat, Sassnitz
September: Seminar with Dr. Michael Vlach (Theme: “A Biblical Theology of the Kingdom of God”)
October: First Church Planting Seminar with Dr. Stephen Lonetti
2015
Vienna Campus
After many Austrians had expressed their interest in the EBTC, plans were made for another EBTC satellite campus in Vienna, inaugurated in 2016. Initially, “Bible Survey” was the only program offered. “Profitable Bible Study” was added in 2020.
January: Seminar on The Reliability of the Bible with Dr. Benedikt Peters
May: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “Biblical Counseling and the Pursuit of Sanctification”)
July: Bible Survey Seminar in Vienna (Theme: “All’s Well That Begins Well?”)
September: Exposition on Hebrews with Dr. James White
October: Bible Survey Seminar in Vienna (Theme: “Suffering and Discipleship – 1 & 2 Peter“)
November: MANT & ThM Study Trip to Rome
2016
New Office Space
In 2016, the EBTC moved into its newly acquired and remodeled office space at An der Schillingbrücke 4 in Berlin-Mitte. On Sundays, it is used by the Cornerstone Church Berlin. The rooms are also rented out externally for seminars and workshops.
In order to support the development of local European training centers with a focus on discipleship, expository preaching and the training of church leaders, the training center leaders began to gather at an annual fall TMAI EU Summit. Participating countries include Albania, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany/Austria/Switzerland, Italy, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, as well as potential members such as England, Finland, Israel, Lebanon, Poland and Romania.
January: Seminar on Church History with Dr. Wolfgang Nestvogel
March: Counseling Seminar in Vienna with Dr. John Street
April: Second MANT & ThM Study Trip to Greece with Dr. William Barrick
May: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “The Power of the Gospel”)
June: Anniversary Conference – 15 years EBTC
2017
Reformation Conference
With 1,200 guests in five days and sermons in three languages, the Reformation Conference was our biggest conference yet! 18 main speakers, 30 seminar speakers (a total of 53 hours of sermon time), all of the new publications, and the 95 new theses for our generation – all were united by the themes of the Reformation: Sola Scriptura, Solus Christus, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Soli Deo Gloria.
The fall of 2017 saw the launching of “Music Ministry,” a new program to equip singers, musicians and others with biblical principles and practical direction for congregational worship.
The M.A.NT and the M.A.OT were replaced by the new English bi-vocational master’s program Master of Divinity (M.Div.). Over 30 men from twelve countries are currently enrolled to be equipped for pastoral ministry and learn how to handle God’s Word with care and accuracy.
January: Seminar on The Reliability of Scripture with Dr. Benedikt Peters
May: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “Reformation“)
September: Exposition on Daniel with Eberhard Dahm
2018
Profitable Bible Study
Two major milestones were celebrated in 2018.
In May, the fully translated first year material of Generations of Grace was published. This comprehensive resource for children’s Sunday School, comprising a teacher book, a family devotional, a craft book, an activity book, an illustration book, a colouring book and Bible verse cards, is now used by over 920 Sunday School teachers and 1,050 families for daily family devotions. It is designed to take the next generation through the entire Bible (Genesis through Revelation) over the course of three years. To date, all volumes have been completed and published. The material is constantly being revised and supplemented. The teacher’s book and the family devotional are already on their second edition.
The second milestone in 2018 was reached with the new program “Profitable Bible Study” which was designed to bridge the gap between “Bible Survey” and the more advanced programs. The students are to gain a deeper understanding of the Bible and the History of Redemption, be equipped with Bible study tools, and be prepared for church ministry. Two years were needed to plan and coordinate the different classes. By 2021, over 330 students had graduated “Profitable Bible Study,” and many of them are eager to implement what they have learned and in turn teach others in their churches.
January: Seminar on Church History with Dr. Wolfgang Nestvogel
May: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “Life and Ministry of a Shepherd”)
September: Exposition on Zechariah with Ken Fuller
2019
Training
2019 was a year filled with study trips and training for staff and teachers of the EBTC. Many joined the two-week study trip to the Shepherds’ Conference in L.A. and an intense Weekender with 9Marks in Washington D.C. with Mark Dever, Jonathan Leeman and the team from Capitol Hill Baptist Church.
In the fall, Jean-Marie Fahmy held a seminar on planning and leadership development for all European TMAI training centers in Tirana, Albania.
January: Seminar on The Reliability of the Bible with Dr. Benedikt Peters
March: Study Trip to the Shepherds’ Conference and a 9Marks-Weekender with Mark Dever (CHBC, Washington)
May: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “The Person and the Work of the Holy Spirit”)
September: Exposition on Romans with Dr. Wolfgang Nestvogel
October: TMAI-Summit and Seminar with Jean-Marie Fahmy in Tirana, Albania
October: Church Planting Seminar with Dr. Stephen Lonetti
2020
Covid!
Despite the many challenges, the COVID-19 year – also the year of video calls and online conferences – brought much joy and encouragement.
Classes continued in all locations, in spite of lockdowns, curfews, travel and gathering bans, and mandatory mask-wearing and testing. At first, most classes had to be taken online and taught via zoom (well over 1,200 hours of classes were streamed online!) but as soon as regulations permitted, we went back to in-class teaching. It took the efforts and creativity of everyone involved (students, teachers, church, kitchen team etc.).
Bible Survey Express: As many believers had reduced work hours or worked from home, “Bible Survey” was offered in a new express format which allows students to complete the program within five months. 90 students graduated despite the heavy workload.
Biblical Doctrine finally went to press after 25 months of hard work, translation, editing and typesetting. With 1,350 pages of systematic theology it is the EBTC’s most extensive work to date. 1,700 copies have already been sold. Its purpose is to provide the church with a comprehensible theology book. The response from students, churches and individuals has been overwhelmingly positive.
By God’s grace, the EBTC and EBTC publications had grown so much that we rented more storage and office space in Alt-Kaulsdorf (Address: Alt-Kaulsdorf 18, 12621 Berlin) in December.
January: Seminar on The Reliability of the Bible (for “Profitable Bible Study”) with Dr. Benedikt Peters
January: Seminar on Church History with Dr. Tim Dane
February: M.Div.-Study Trip to Israel
May: Online German Shepherds’ Conference with app. 1,550 viewers (Theme: “Courageous Churchmen“)
September: Exposition on the book of Job with Dr. Benedikt Peters
Online TMAI Summit with all training centers worldwide
December: Relocation of the storage to the new location in Alt-Kaulsdorf 18
2021
Europe
The EBTC has become a model for all the TMAI European training centers and has taken on an advisory role for Italy, Czech Republic, England and Romania. More than 1,000 students are being trained in the Word of God each year through the TMAI training centers in Europe.
The publishing work continues to grow with an average of 17 publications per year and 17 orders per day. We are especially grateful for the Pocket Guide series, Biblical Strategies, and the Fundamentals of the Faith Teacher‘s Manual.
January: Video Seminar on the Reliability of the Bible with Dr. Benedikt Peters
March: Video Seminar on the Foundations of Faith with Dr. Benedikt Peters & Matthias Fröhlich
May: German Shepherds’ Conference (Theme: “The Leader, His Home and His Relationships”)
The Fruit of
20 Years of Ministry
