October 23, 2000

Our Calling
First I should explain that our calling is to train Christian leaders in Latin American nations. This is an essential part of fulfilling the Great Commission. Many Latin American churches exist and have a vision for reaching their own countries and the world for Christ. However, the lack of trained leadership most often holds the church back from accomplishing this vision and experiencing explosive growth. As a result, most of the people in the region remain untouched by the gospel and the churches’ enormous potential for reaching the world is frustrated. A large majority of churches have no trained pastor.

Peru
We first studied Spanish at a language school on the Mexican border, then arrived in Peru itself in mid 1989. In the following years, we developed and implemented a training program for lay leaders in the Evangelical Free Churches of Peru. This program gave students not only Bible knowledge, but also the skills to witness effectively and disciple young converts. Students led numerous people to Christ and gave them follow-up. I also taught courses in two conservative seminaries that prepared pastors for several denominations (Seminario Evangelico de Lima and Instituto Biblico Alianza).

Venezuela
In 1994, we moved to Venezuela, to join the faculty of S.E.A. (Seminario Evangelico Asociado), a school that prepared pastors for Evangelical Free Churches as well as other denominations. This school had recently added an extension program that was training 250 students at once in several remote centers. For three years I taught and discipled students in residence at SEA and prepared materials for use in the extension centers. Once again, our goal was to combine teaching about the Bible with skills in ministry.

Cancer
In January 1997 however, my wife Juli was diagnosed with Stage Two breast cancer. Our authorities in the Free Church Mission asked us to return to the U.S. immediately for treatment. Back in Muskegon, Michigan, Juli was operated on and given two extended treatments of chemotherapy. This was completed by the end of 1997 but Juli was too weak to return to the field right away.

During 1997 and 1998, I was busy in four areas: (1) I cared for Juli and our children. (2) Visited churches that support us. (3) I completed advanced seminary studies I had begun earlier that would help me to address serious problems suffered by leaders in Latin America. The "strong man" leadership style is very common and persistent in the region and is the source of constant strife and division in churches. The reasons for it are complex, but this education has prepared me to be much more effective in helping leaders avoid these errors.

LATN
My fourth project during this time was the most exciting. I prepared the ground for a new, international training program now called LATN (the Latin American Training Network). This program has the purpose of training Latin Americans to train others for pastoral leadership. Through the Internet and other means, we are beginning to train people in several countries at once. This program will make education accessible to the thousands of leaders who have not had the opportunity to be prepared for higher-level leadership.

In order to get LATN off the ground, we moved from Michigan to Costa Rica in 1999. This Central American country is the most strategic place for LATN, since other teachers here are equipped to help us create courses that can be used at a distance. I am the Dean of Academic Affairs of LATN, responsible for heading the planning of the curriculum (the general content of the teaching of LATN and the package of courses which will teach this content). So at present I am gathering information by interviewing experts here about the needs of the leaders of the Latin American evangelical church. I have also been designing and now testing one of LATN’s first courses, using the Internet to train students in Peru and Costa Rica at the same time. I also teach classes at a sister seminary here in Costa Rica.

Cuba
Additionally, we have developed a plan to train the trainers of pastors in Cuba. We fly into the island to offer intensive courses to the faculty of a seminary. This school trains leaders for a 20,000 member evangelical denomination. By carefully "rendering unto Caesar" (Castro) in anything that does not compromise the gospel, these churches have survived and grown in a hostile climate for 40 years. The faculty of their seminary is highly educated in secular universities, but has limited training in the Bible. So the school has asked LATN to send visiting professors to upgrade the faculty. I am giving the third LATN course to the Cubans in November.

Church Plant
Juli has so far remained cancer free and has more energy than last year. She and I are involved in ministry at a local church plant. Juli plays keyboard for worship and works with little children. We have begun a cell group ministry in the church that builds up young Christians and helps them to reach their non-Christian friends. I write the Bible studies that the cell group leaders use in their weekly meetings. The church plant is only two years old, but we have grown to about 175 adults.

LATN is our main ministry. We are joined by two other couples working full time on the project and by several others that are involved part time. It is new, but expectations are very high among the Latin Americans who have desired such training for a long time.