Herbert Cassel and Board of Robinson Bible Institute plan build-
Raul Echeuerria, Guatemalan pastor, gives message over TGNA.
ings for new campus. one or more very outstanding men to whom the majority of believers in stinctively look for leadership in mat ters of great importance. For example, handsome and stalwart Elíseo Her nandez, for many years pastor of the l a r g e , soul-wiiming San Salvador church, is not only a recognized leader all over Central America, but also his gifts as a preacher have been utilized in most of the Latin American coun tries from Mexico to Argentina. Rafael Baltodano, a gracious gentleman and eloquent preacher, blesses both Costa Ricans and missionaries through the Word and is known in all Spanish America through the Billy Graham “Hour of Decision” radio program in Spanish. Moody-trained Raul Echever ría, a successful pastor in Guatamala, is even more gifted as a writer and teacher. To mention just one more by name, Antonio Nunez is the Associate Dean of the Central American Bible Institute, now on leave to the Dallas Theological Seminary, where he is manifesting brilliance as a student. He was also a speaker at the recent World Congress on Missions in Chicago. T h e s e m e n and many others have the fu ll responsibility over the churches, even though the missionaries are still in their midst as co-laborers. Second Line of Defense The indigenous church, described above, is the indispensable require ment for the permanence of a work, should the missionaries leave. But for continual growth and to meet the de mands and dangers of a modern world, the church needs certain vital institutions. Most of the existing in stitutions were founded under mission leadership but in every one there is an aggressive movement to develop national leadership and to relinquish responsibility. It is in institutional work that the missionary finds it hardest to decide
when, or whether, or not, he should give up his job. Some of the older institutions depend financially more on the Mission than on nationals, while some of the newer institutions are totally or largely run and financed by nationals. A glance, in outline, at the CAM institutional picture shows the nationals moving forward but the missionaries still much in promi nence: A. BIBLE SCHOOLS. Five schools, in different stages of development form a bulwark for the churches through the leaders they train. In Guatemala there are three: 1) The Central American B i b l e Institute ( C A B I ) , for Spanish-speaking stu dents, 2) The Robinson Bible Insti tute, for Cakchiquel Indians and 3) The Berean Bible Institute, for Conob and Chuj Indians. The first two, with histories of well over thirty years and with a total of over 400 graduates, are, today, governed by mixed boards of
missionaries and nationals. The asso ciate director and the associate dean of the CABI are both nationals, while at RBI they have gone a step further by naming Indian brethren to the top posts of Director and Administrator! In these two institutions the students pay their own room and board, and believers give generous offerings for special projects, but the maintenance and salaries still require substantial help from the Mission. The third school E- Berean B. I. — is gradually being built up with the help of Indian brethren, under the directorship of a dedicated Latin pastor and with the collaboration of some missionaries. The M exico Bible Institute and Seminary, in Puebla, is a unique mis sion project for the training of workers for all evangelical missions. In con trast, the Nicaragua Bible Institute, in Managua, will open its doors next year totally as a project of the CAM (continued on next page)
The literature center o f the Central American Mission in Guatemala City. Translating and preparing the copy.
11
JULY, 1961
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