The Center for Leadership Development (CLD) is a non-formal, local church training program that gives existing church lay leaders the theological knowledge and ministry skills needed to grow and multiply their local church. CLD is not a business, it is an education program. CLD is not a Bible school, but similar to a Bible school. We describe CLD as a Bible School in the local church. Each local church is an education center where the students learn about the Bible and have the opportunity to develop in their ministry skills as they serve God at the same time that they study about Him. Students can study Christian theology on their own. They can study at home or on their lunch break. They can study wherever and whenever they have available time. CLD is not the same as studying by mail or the internet. When you study by mail you do not have to write tests. In CLD you have a mid term and a final exam test for each book that you study. Students are graded on their homework, tests and service in the church.
When you study by mail no one knows if you are the one who is studying. You could apply using your name but your mother, father, brother, sister or cousin could do the lessons and no one would know it was not you. When you study by mail no one knows if you understand the lesson or not. There were 3 women in one of our churches who wanted to be discipled. At that point in their life, they had not thought about the possibility of discipling other new believers – they just wanted to study the Bible. Dr. Leok Har Chan, a missionary from Malaysia discipled these women. While she was studying at the Alliance Theological Seminary in America she discovered a discipleship curriculum called “Abundant Life.” After returning to Thailand she taught this curriculum to these 3 women in English with the help of our Los Angeles school. There is no one to help answer your questions. In The Center for Leadership Development (CLD) the students meet once a week in a power group to discuss the lesson they studied at home and answer any questions they had.