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Latin America Resource
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Lift Up Your Eyes!
Report on the 2014
Educators Summit in El Salvador
Rod and Sherry Boyd
Almost two years
ago the Lord began to speak to us about the theme for the 2014
Educators Summits. The Summits have become defining events for the
Assemblies of God ministerial training program for the 20
Spanish-speaking countries in the Latin America – Caribbean region.
The Lord directed us to John 4:35, “Lift up your eyes and look on
the fields, that they are white for harvest” (NASB). The New Living
Translation says, “Wake up and look around. The fields are already
ripe for harvest.” It’s time for the Latin America church to wake up
and look around!
We invited national superintendents and international educational
leaders to take part in the “ten-part sermon” – a single message
with ten points preached and taught in the general sessions of the
Summit. We asked the Lord to help us focus our vision in order to
see how the church can develop a variety of ministries that respond
to a sea of human need. To recognize the diversity of ministry that
exists in the body of Christ to reach out to those needs. And for
the Spirit to awaken the Latin American church to look beyond its
borders and send missionaries to the nations of the world.
God’s call came through loud and clear! The first of the Educators
Summit, held from March 10-13 in San Salvador, El Salvador, was the
culmination of months of planning and preparation. The final
attendance was 480 national church leaders, international
educational leaders, Bible school directors and professors,
missionaries and pastors from 13 Latin American and Caribbean
countries. Two years ago we had 401 attend the Costa Rica Summit. We
conduct two international summits in even years, one in Central
America for the northern countries and one in one of the “southern
cone” countries of South America. The summits move between countries
allowing the host countries higher participation. The summit was
held in El Salvador in 2002 with a total attendance of 163, with 66
attending from El Salvador. This year, 237 attended from El Salvador
alone!
PROCEPA. One of the main factors that contribute to the growth of
the summits is the PROCEPA teacher certification program. As a
result of church growth and growing vision for ministry and
missions, many new “extension” Bible schools have opened in rural
and remote areas throughout Latin America. Hundreds of new workers
are being trained, producing the new for training new teachers. At
the first Educational Leaders Dialogue in 2001, national directors
began asking for an international training and certification program
for Bible school teachers. After a few years of program development
and coordination, PROCEPA began in 2008 at the Guatemala summit.
The enthusiasm and growth of this program has been phenomenal.
Teachers are required to take 10 workshops for the basic
certification, then 6 workshops every two years to maintain their
certification. Teachers are able to attend five workshops during the
summit. However, because of the popularity of the program, we added
a pre-summit seminar that offers two additional workshops. Nearly
half of those attending the summit come early for the PROCEPA
seminar!
Of the nearly 6,000 teachers in our Bible schools, extensions and
training centers, we now have 3,672 teachers enrolled in PROCEPA. We
added more than 1,000 last year alone! The core group are those who
attend the summits. However, most of the growth comes from teachers
who attend the national seminars between the summits.
Affirmation and inspiration. We work hard during the summit to
affirm our call to ministerial training. Our national
superintendents preach the three evening messages and three morning
devotionals. It means so much to hear these leaders affirm the work
of so many teachers. In addition, international Christian publishers
sponsor these events with Bibles, books and other door prizes. Many
bring an extra suitcase just to take back new tools for their
ministry!
The most meaningful result is the impact made in the hearts and
lives of those who attend. God is faithful to minister to us at the
altar, especially after the evening services. One of our
missionaries talked to me a few days ago. He’s a good friend who
works in one of our international ministries and has taught PROCEPA
workshops for us several times. He simply wanted to thank us for
inviting him to the summit. He quickly said that it wasn’t because
of the opportunity to teach, it was because the Lord had touched
him, reminding him of the brokenness of our world.
God truly helped us to lift up our eyes to see a world in desperate
need. God has given the church gifts to minister to those in need.
We must be willing to go… across the street or across the world!
We’re grateful that nearly 500 received this message and are
responding. And we thank God for the privilege of raising up these
Christian leaders in Latin America who are taking their place on
every continent in our world!
We do want to say thank you to all who prayed for the Educators
Summit. And thank to all who give to make possible events like
these.
Please take a few minutes to view the
summit video, a photo journey
through the event. |
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