by Larry Dinkins
ISBN: 978-621-96888-4-0
Fifty years ago, Bruce Wilkinson saw the need for a chronological approach to teaching the Bible, which would, at a local church level, unleash the communicative power of biblical narrative. He designed his seminars using a variety of creative methods, including hand signs, geography laid out in the room, slides, and a colorful manual. Others recognized the cross-cultural potential of this unique approach, which enabled WTB materials to be translated into numerous languages worldwide. What was lacking, however, was proper research, which could unpack and explain just how WTB achieved its global success. Over a seven-year process, both quantitative and qualitative instruments were used to analyze the Old Testament WTB seminar within the Thai context. This dissertation’s design is to discern how a culturally specific Western teaching method could be adapted to the learning styles and oral views of the Thai.
Dr. Larry Dinkins finished his ThM at DTS in 1979 and then went with his wife Paula to Thailand through OMF International and began a church planting ministry with leprosy patients. In 1987 the Dinkins transitioned into a Bible teaching ministry at the Bangkok Bible College. In 1995 Larry finished classwork for a PhD at Biola University allowing him to return to Thailand to start a TEE program in North Thailand. Larry acted as a founding director of the newly formed Chiang Mai Theological Seminary in 2000 before the family evacuated Thailand in 2002 due to a diagnosis of cancer in Paula’s bone marrow. After nine years of treatment, Paula’s struggle with cancer ended and she went into the Lord’s presence. In 2012 Larry returned to Thailand to resume his ministry of Bible teaching. Dr. Dinkins is the coordinator for both Walk Thru the Bible and Simply The Story in Thailand.
