AmigosReaching North American Hispanics

Issue 2 Summer 2006

Summer 2006

In This IssuePresident’s Column ...................................................3

Hispanic Explosion -- a Missions Opportunity ..........4

Missionary Harvest Comes Full Circle .......................6

The Upward and Outward Look ...............................8

Ministry for the Melting Pot ..................................10

The Latest ..............................................................11

Opening Doors Through Prayer ...............................12

God’s Sovereign Touch ............................................14

Honor and Memorial Gifts ......................................15

Larry Windle – President

Bob Kracht – Managing Editor

Dottie Medlin – Editor

Doug Roeglin – Art Director

Purpose: To make God’s people aware of the needs of the Hispanic World and the role that Rio Grande Bible Institute serves to provide godly Christian leadership.

Subscriptions: This publication is sent without charge and is sustained by voluntary contributions. Send requests, cancellations and address changes to Development Department, Rio Grande Bible Institute, 4300 S. Business Hwy 281, Edinburg, TX 78539 U.S.A., phone: 956-380-8100, fax: 956-380-8256, E-mail: rgbimail@riogrande.edu

Permission: Written permission is required for reproduction in whole or in part. Address inquiries to: Rio Grande Editor, 4300 S. Business Hwy 281, Edinburg, TX 78539 U.S.A.

© 2006 Rio Grande Bible Institute All rights reserved.Printed in USA

Rio Grande Bible Institute RGBI Canada4300 S. Business Hwy 281 Box 2253Edinburg, TX 78539 Winnipeg, MB R3C 4A6956-380-8100fax: 956-380-8256 Rio Grande Bookstorewww.riogrande.edu 4300 S. Business Hwy 281 Edinburg, TX 78539Bibleville Conference Grounds 956-380-81351346 N. Cesar Chavez Road bookstore@riogrande.eduAlamo, TX 78516-6895 956-787-2024Bibleville@juno.com

President’s Column

I have an alligator on the shelf above my desk! He isn’t a huge one, but he came from the jungles of Bolivia. I brought him back as

a stuffed reminder of the years I spent planting churches in those jungles. His toothy grin often stimulates conversation about the mighty work that God is doing in Bolivia. I also have a few other trinkets scattered around from my foreign missionary days, like the 24-inch thorn that I cut from an amazing tree in Aiquile, and the ancient cannon from the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.

During particular events or seasons of the year our nostalgia flows more freely, and our rel-ics carry our minds back to the times of yester-year. It is perhaps good for the soul to occasion-ally relive past escapades. We reminisce about victories and defeats, revive memories of people who have influenced the course of our ministry, and wistfully recount celebrations and traditions from days gone by.

Our calling at Rio Grande Bible Institute beckons us to live in the present with a vision-ary eye to the future. Yet we still possess an insa-tiable desire to look back, to perpetuate, to draw upon, and to honor. We treasure mementoes that remind us of events and seasons of blessing and refreshment.

The concept of providing visible remind-ers of God’s faithfulness is embraced and pro-moted throughout Scripture. In one such event, the Philistines attacked the Israelites, and God wrought a tremendous victory.

“Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.” (1 Sam. 7:12)

The Hebrew name he gave the stone means “Stone of Help.” It was a stone of remembrance, a memorial of God’s faithfulness in the past, a reminder of their present daily reliance on God, and a symbol of the bright future that God had in store for them.

Joshua observed this same practice, explain-ing, “…When your children shall ask their fa-

thers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? . . . That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty….” ( Joshua 4:21, 24)

In this year of 2006, we joyously celebrate our sixtieth anniversary of the Rio Grande Bible Institute. We have come thus far by God’s sus-taining strength and grace. We rejoice in the deep and sustained work of God in His church in Latin America. We see the intense need for prepared godly leaders to meet the great need in the Hispanic churches in nearly every part of the world. The United States and Canada are no ex-ception to this world population shift. We cher-ish the sixty years of sacrificial ministry at RGBI, and we joyfully chronicle the bright and fulfill-ing future that God has placed before us, that of training more godly leaders for the Hispanic world!

Established on the inerrant Word of God, consecrated for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and dedicated to training godly leaders for the Hispanic church, the Rio Grande Bible Institute celebrates sixty years of God’s faithful provision and hereby renews its commitment to this high calling of service.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come;

and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger, wandering from the fold of God;

he, to rescue me from danger, interposed his precious blood.

Robert Robinson, 1758 Public Domain

In His ministry,

Lawrence B. WindlePresident

On February 20, dur-ing Founder’s Week, approximately 300 persons gathered (as shown in top photo) on campus to commemo-rate 60 years of God’s faithfulness demon-strated in the ministry at Rio Grande Bible Institute. Leadership of RGBI and the community dedicated this “stone of remem-brance,” engraved with the dates, 1946-2006, and “Rio Grande Bible Institute, Training Godly Leaders,” in both English and Spanish.

The cover features language student Kevin Schreck enthusiastically greeting a member of the First Baptist Church in Edcouch, Texas (shown left). This is the Hispanic church in which he and his wife Nikki worship and minister while studying at RGBI. Their home church in Osceola, Indiana, sent them to study Spanish and then return to that area to plant churches among the growing Hispanic population. This is a growing trend for some mission-aries who enroll in the language school: their mission-minded churches send them for language training, in order to establish a ministry to Spanish-speaking residents in their own communities. The extreme need for such ministries is the emphasis of this issue.

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About the Cover

Stones of Remembrance

Bob K

racht

Vicky

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Woody Lewis, Professor

We all looked forward to those weekly gath-erings in the fellowship hall of the Community Bible Church in Cumming, Georgia. They were fun and interesting, the camaraderie was stimu-lating, and the refreshments delightful. Pedro was a regular, as were Guillermo, Marta, and oth-ers—usually at least fifteen men and women who responded to our offer to teach them English. All came motivated with the hope that someone, somehow, would be able to press this new and strange language into their minds. But in spite of the good times and strong motivation, really learning English became a “downright ornery (and seemingly impossible) proposition”!

The Hispanic presence in the U.S.A. has been well known for generations. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are more than 41,000,000 Hispanics/Latinos in this country,1

constituting the largest minority in the United States. Three-quarters of them reside in the states of California, Texas, Florida, and Illinois.2 Most of this group are well established in American society and are able to be touched for Christ by means of evangelism and Bible teaching in English, for they have learned to speak it.

Explosion brings changeBut what about people like Pedro, Guillermo,

and Marta? When my wife and I returned to

the US in 2000, after twenty years of church planting and consolidation in Spain, we began a church plant ministry among Hispanics in Forsyth County, Georgia. Thousands of them had entered into this metro-Atlanta community to provide manual labor for the infrastructure of economic development: construction, restau-rants, landscaping, maintenance, food processing, etc. Of the hundreds of Hispanics with whom we had contact and among whom we ministered, virtually none spoke English. After much effort in teaching it to dozens of these Spanish speak-ers, we came to understand that most of these adults would never learn this country’s national language well.

Between the time of our coming here from Spain in 1992 for home assignment and our re-turn in 2000, we could see a dramatic increase in the influx of non-English-speaking Hispanics, especially in the Southeast and on the Eastern Seaboard. States such as North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee—and perhaps Maryland and Delaware—have more Hispanics that do not speak English than those who do. As a certified court interpreter, I have recognized the difficulty the judicial system has had in servicing this sector of the population.

According to the Hispanic Church Planting Guide3 “the Hispanic population of the U.S. represents an economic power greater than all the economies of Latin America combined.” That could mean as much as $500 billion by now.

Seeing the world the way that God sees

it requires change.

Mexican students (above) are the largest group in RGBI’s student body. They and their classmates from eleven other countries are typical of the changing face of communities in North America — all a part of the Hispanic explosion.

A substantial amount of this wealth is being earned by recent arrivals from Latin America and sent to their families back home. This influx of wealth repre-sents the second or third source of the gross national product of their countries’ economies.

An exciting opportunityThose Hispanics who speak English

and have been living in North America for generations continue to be the church’s responsibility, as are any of our neighbors. But the burgeoning numbers of those who come from areas with less Gospel exposure and are culturally and linguistically different pose an opportu-nity for ministry that must not be over-looked.

Nothing attracts like an excellent display of the real thing! All human be-ings yearn for meaning in life, for release from guilt, for a sense of belonging, for a genuine spiritual experience. Mission leaders have noted the following quali-ties of evangelical churches that appeal to Hispanics: “simplicity, personal iden-tity, sense of belonging, festive worship, good preaching, compassion ministries, Bible teaching.”4 If a believer will sim-ply do from the heart that which is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work in his life, consequently drawing the unbeliev-

er (Hispanic or not) into friendship, he will leave a mark on that person’s mind that he will not forget, whether the be-liever can communicate verbally or not.

We have been amazed at how God provides the missing elements to make complete the work of evangelism and subsequent edification of believers, even where something as difficult as language communication seems to hinder. If one prays fervently and remains available to the Lord, he or she will certainly see the manifestation of God’s provision and power in the transformation of lives among Hispanics and others, regardless of their ability to speak Spanish. Gospel tracts and, above all, the Word of God itself, widely available in Spanish, have been used effectively of the Spirit to bring souls to the Savior.

The anticipated end result of all evangelism is that those being saved become associated with a local body of believers for growth, fellowship, and service. Certainly, if they already speak English, that would mean incorporation into a Bible-believing, English-speak-ing church. But if the person speaks only Spanish, discipleship follow-up is necessary. If a Bible-believing, Spanish-speaking church group is not available, a mature Spanish-speaking believer or furloughing missionary can be contact-ed for that ministry.

North America at a crossroadThe sudden absorption of large

quantities of non-English-speaking Hispanics into North American culture means that we stand at a unique time in the history of both our nation and the North American church. The govern-ment is caught in the dilemma of how to deal with the many-faceted immigration issue, and the church is suddenly con-fronted with a growing spiritual chal-lenge. How should we respond?

As believers, we must pray that our government leaders will deal with the social dimension wisely, fairly, and justly. As Christ’s ambassadors of reconcilia-tion—individually and as churches—we must reach out to all souls in need with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pastors and strong leaders can challenge their churches to establish a Hispanic out-reach in their community. There are individuals, denominations, and even institutions, such as Rio Grande Bible Institute, who can offer assistance in be-ginning such an outreach. Above all, fer-vent prayer must be raised that our great God and Savior, Who desires that none should perish, but that all might come to the knowledge of the truth, will provide the passion and means of establishing a Hispanic ministry.

Endnotes1 http://U.S. Census Bureau (2004), American FactFinder, Selected Population Group: Hispanic or Latino (of any race)

2 Hispanic Church Planting Guide (Cam International, 8625 La Prada Drive, Dallas, TX 75228, 1999), Intro.

3 Ibid., page 3.

4 Ibid., page 3.

Woody LewisWoody Lewis and his wife, Kelly, recent additions to our teaching staff, enjoy family activities with their two boys, David, 13, and Mark, 11. Many musical instru-ments fill their home, and they enjoy playing as a group, espe-cially using piano, French horn, trombone, and cornet.

& Missionary Language Schoolwww.riogrande.edu

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HISPANIC EXPLOSION—

a Missions Opportunity

“We are the second couple that has been sent from our church to learn Spanish. We are blessed to be part of a church with a heart to reach out to Spanish-speaking people. We are excited to see what God will do in the future in Indiana and the U.S.”--Kevin and Nikki SchreckOsceola Grace Brethren ChurchOsceola, Indiana

Bob K

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Love’s labor bears fruit for future

leadership

Story obtained from Dr. Manny GutierrezVice-President of Education

Roscoe “Rocky” Schultz came to Rio Grande Bible Institute in “God’s time.” Though the school began in 1946 with

both Spanish and English Bible institutes, ten years later the English branch closed and a Missionary Language School opened in its place. Rocky went through that first language class with a few others who would later become part of the RGBI staff, including Gordon and Grace Johnson and Isaac Friesen. Rocky came as a single student and married shortly after graduat-ing from the language program. “God’s appoint-ment” for him was to begin his first pastorate in LaGrange, Wyoming

The Gutierrez family was also new to the small town of LaGrange. Because they were the only Spanish speakers around, Pastor Rocky vis-ited them to ask if they would be willing to help him with the language. As he spent time with Ramon, Lupe, and their eight children, they be-gan to trust him. When he invited them to the church he pastored, the parents allowed the chil-dren to visit.

This was to be the beginning of a great change for the Gutierrez family. They were very Catholic, and not interested in switching re-ligions. The children would go faithfully to the Bible church but were also aware of their roots.

One day Lupe began having labor pains with their ninth child and did not have time to travel to the nearest hospital, thirty-five miles away. Ramon sent his eldest, Manny, to secure one of the church ladies, who would know what to do.

She and other women from the church kicked into high gear. Their “team” took over, placing the children in a bedroom while the ladies de-livered their little brother. Soon, however, the children heard their mother weeping, and their father came in to explain to them that the baby was stillborn. After dressing the infant, the kind ladies placed him in a large gift box so that all of the children could see him.

The church members showed the Gutierrez family the love of the Lord. The men built a tiny coffin and purchased a small burial plot. Pastor Rocky conducted the funeral—preaching, sing-ing, and even playing the piano. The ladies cleaned the home, cooked their meals, and washed their clothes for a week. This was the first time that Lupe had ever had any time off. Never had the Gutierrezes experienced such love and care as that church family gave them! The priest never showed up to offer any condolences. This opened the eyes of the parents, and, from that point on, it was all right for the children to go to the church. Lupe even went a time or two at first.

Because the children had become regular at-tendees, Rocky asked the church to sponsor the oldest ones’ participation in summer Bible camp. There, away from the direct influence of the par-ents, Manny, and later other siblings, accepted Christ. Rocky and his wife Shirley began to teach them Bible stories and verses. As change resulted in the children’s lives, tensions began to grow at home; the old ways, faith, and traditions were being ignored. Strained relations peaked when Lupe decided to have the four youngest children baptized in the Catholic Church. The priest said that he would only baptize them if they returned to the Catholic Church. This agreement created

problems with the children. Manny refused to go, declaring that he no longer believed that way.

In an act of determination, Lupe called Pastor Rocky to tell him that, if Manny did not go with her to mass that day, he would not be allowed to return to the Bible church. Rocky asked to speak to Manny on the phone. Carefully he reminded him of the Bible verse he had memorized that said, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” (Eph. 6:1) Then Rocky assured him that the church family would be in prayer for him, but he needed to show his mother that he could be obedient. When Lupe saw Manny’s response, she was even more frustrated, thinking that he would obey his pastor over her!

Things did not go well at the Catholic mass. Since her oldest child would not participate, Lupe asked the priest to counsel him. After mass the priest asked Manny why he would want to leave the Catholic Church. This provided the young Christian the opportunity to share with the priest what Christ had done in his life. The priest became very frustrated with him and suddenly asked, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Manny responded immediately, “Well, the Bible says that God created the fowls of the air, so the chicken came before the egg.”

The priest turned to Lupe and said, “I am sorry but there is nothing I can do for your son. He is a lost cause.” With that the family returned home, after which Lupe allowed the children to continue attending the Bible church. If the priest could not do anything for Manny and even said that he was a lost cause, then it must be all right for him to return to his church.

Rocky and others in the church invested in the Gutierrez family. Through their prayers, Manny and a younger sister Mary felt called to the ministry. Shortly before Manny left for Bible school, Rocky moved to South Dakota to start a Bible church, and another pastor from Michigan, Dan Johnson, came to LaGrange. Upon his recommendation, Manny went to study at Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music in Michigan. Dan, together with another pastor, established Frontier School of the Bible in their small hometown of LaGrange. Mary studied there, as did a younger sister Franny.

Following his Bible studies in Grand Rapids, Manny went to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago for a year. He then accepted a youth pastorate at the Gull Lake Bible Church in Michigan. During that year UFM International (Unevangelized Fields Mission) accepted him as a missionary. In 1971 he left for the Dominican Republic, where for four years he pastored a small church, taught in a Bible Institute, and established a mission church. During that time he also became engaged to Jane Reeves of Albion, Michigan.

In the summer of 1975, UFM accepted Jane as a mission-ary; Manny and Jane married, and a month later Manny’s orig-inal home church, the LaGrange Bible Church in Wyoming, ordained him. Two weeks later they were in Edinburg, Texas, for Jane to study Spanish at Rio Grande Bible Institute. The Lord used that time to begin dealing in their hearts concern-ing the ministry there. It was a struggle because of Manny’s love for the Dominican people and the tremendous need to prepare them in the Word. However, the Lord definitely showed them that He wanted them in Texas; in one week they were put on loan from UFM International and accepted by the board of Rio Grande.

Manny and Jane have served the Lord in a number of areas for over 30 years at RGBI. Today Jane oversees the housekeeping area for the school. After completing his doc-toral studies, Manny was named Vice President of Education and oversees the Bible Institute and the Missionary Language School. The Lord has blessed them with two fine young men. Their younger son Joel will study at a local university in the fall, and Andy is a student at Moody Bible Institute, preparing for ministry.

Rocky, now semi-retired, lives in Colorado. Though he and Manny only see each other once in a great while, the relationship goes deep as they recall how the Lord used a young missionary who took an active interest in the Gutierrez family. Manny’s parents and almost all of his eleven siblings have accepted Christ. His sister Mary serves at Rio Grande Bible Institute with her husband, Moises Figarola.

God’s cycle has been completed and now it begins anew in the lives of many other young men and women going out from Rio Grande.

Dr. Manny GutierrezIn addition to his many duties with the institute, Manny has been an asset in other areas of the community, including The University of Texas—Pan American, his local church, individuals whom he has disci-pled, and his fam-ily. When he can make time for it, he thoroughly enjoys yardwork.

The big smile on the face of Rocky Schultz ex-presses his joy in gradu-ating from RGBI’s first language school class. Little did he realize the role he would play in the future of a young boy who was destined to be a future leader of this institution.

The men built a tiny coffin and purchased a small burial plot.

Manny at 21 at candidate school on his way to the mission field.

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Missionary Harvest Comes Full Circle

RGBI

Arch

ives

Paul adds, “And you He made alive.” (Eph. 2:1) There follows the distressing view of our earlier darkness. (1-3) Then comes the bonus: “But God . . . rich in mercy. . . made us alive together with Christ . . . and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (2:4-6)

W h e n the Holy Spirit reveals to us, through our obedient faith, our in-heritance of reigning with Christ from the throne room of heaven, we are equipped to give an outward look to a dying world around us. Without that delegated power in union with a Risen Christ, we cannot minister effectively in the name of Christ. But reckoning on and affirm-ing that position in Him, we do become God’s “poem,” “His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10)

It was the Lord of the harvest who said to self-centered disciples, “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white to harvest!” ( John 4:35) What a rebuke to the twelve who did not see a mission field around them. In their view the people there were, after all, only Samaritan dogs! But to our Lord that one Samaritan woman was a fore-taste of a harvest so close to Jerusalem and Nazareth. Yet it was a harvest so far from the disciples.

Our Lord had an upward look: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.” ( John 4:34) The disciples had none.

God has brought the Hispanics to our shores, but we often allow a few bar-riers of language, race, and prejudice to limit our vision. The lands to the south are ripe for harvest as never before. Why can’t we partner with agencies and institutions that are equipping future leaders?

What is our greatest need? Not to see the harvest, but to see the Lord of the harvest, and our position of reign-ing in His delegated authority—letting Him multiply our efforts in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Well should we sing:“Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of

truth Thou hast for me;Place in my hands the wonderful key that

shall unclasp and set me free.Silently now I wait for Thee, ready, my God,

Thy will to see;Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Open my mouth, and let me bear gladly the warm truth everywhere;

Open my heart, and let me prepare love with Thy children thus to share:

Silently now I wait for Thee, ready, my God, Thy will to see;

Open my heart, illumine me, Spirit divine!

Words and tune by Clara H. Scott, 1895 Public Domain

*All Scripture references are from the New King James Version.

Dr. Gordon E. JohnsonDr. Johnson, who has been a part of RGBI since 1954, served as Academic Dean for 13 years and President for 14 years, and still teaches in both the Bible Institute and the language school. He and his wife Grace have four daugh-ters, who serve with their spouses in full-time ministry.

By Dr. Gordon E. Johnson, President Emeritus and Professor

Eyesight is a treasure from God. Most of us could never imagine the darkness that the loss of eyesight would bring.

If physical sight is God’s gift to us, how much more is the ability to see light in God’s light! David put it concisely: “For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.” (Psalm 36:9) The briefest analogy of God is John’s state-ment: “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5) John then challenges us to walk in the light as He is in the light.

Light speaks of safety, beauty, protection, openness, honesty, and most of all, the transpar-ency of God’s character—holiness, truth, mercy, and goodness. Darkness by contrast conjures up all the opposites and adds the lurking danger of the “prince of the power of the air.” In Colossians 1:13-14, Paul’s striking contrast describes the position of every believer: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

To see light in God’s light, we need spiri-tual eyesight. This is precisely Paul’s prayer for his beloved converts in Ephesus. (Eph. 1:17-19) It is the upward look that transforms the totality of our life and service. When we see—in God’s light—who He is and where we stand in Him,

then the outward look around us leads to com-mitment and service. One cannot serve accept-ably, however, without that prior upward look. Any service rendered without that full appre-ciation for the work of the Cross is mere activity that God cannot register, much less bless.

Notice carefully the contents of Paul’s prayer: “(I) do not cease to . . . mention you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and rev-elation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your un-derstanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” (Eph. 1:15-19)

Paul begins to spell out for us what that up-ward look means. It is ours already in Christ. It is our inheritance by virtue of our spiritual rebirth. We do not work for it, nor do we merit it. But we must see it in its fullness. He tells us how we obtain its outworking in us. It is God’s exceed-ing greatness toward us who believe. Again the simplicity of saving faith becomes sanctifying faith. It is ours in union with Christ, now seat-ed in heavenly places above all principality and power (Eph. 1:20, 21), everything is put under His feet (22), and He is the head of all things to His church, His body. (23)

We can easily affirm those glorious truths with reference to Him as the Risen Christ. But

www.riogrande.edu

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The Upward & Outward Look

When we see—in God’s light—who He is and where we stand in Him, then the outward look around us

leads to commitment and service.Students from across the Spanish-speaking world are coming to RGBI for theological training as pastors, church-planters, and missionaries. The church in Latin America continues to grow at an exponential rate, and the number one need is trained, godly leaders for the Christian church. Are you interested in investing in this next generation of leaders?

Opportunities exist NOW for qualified Bible, ESL, biblical languages, and music instructors. RGBI is looking for the next generation of teachers who will train godly leaders for the Spanish-speaking world. RGBI is developing lead-ers who know God, understand His Word, and desire to pursue full-time ministry in their home country.

Applicants must be:

Dedicated to mission work in the Spanish-speak-ing world

Called of God to the mission field

Excited to train the next generation of church lead-ers for the Spanish-speaking world

Proficient in Spanish

Able to raise their full monthly support

Qualified master’s or Ph.D. level instructors with 2-5 years’ experience

Current job openings include:

Bible Professors (3)

ESL Teacher (1)

Bible Greek Professor (1)

Music Teacher (2)

If you are qualified for one of these positions and are ready to serve God’s global church, please contact Larry Dick at (956) 380-8179 or ldick@riogrande.edu. Our stu-dents are waiting for instructors like you to answer the call. Will you?

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Wanted: Teachers for Tomorrow’s Leaders

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An enthusiastic group of 123 Winter Volunteers filled the campus during the south Texas “winter” to bring their annual blessing to the RGBI campus. Donating labor and money, friendship and meals, they served in offices and maintenance, construction, and hand-work, and did mission work in Mexico. The sewing group created or repaired clothing, curtains, and made Christmas gifts; a quilting team produced 460 quilts plus many serged blankets for alumni pastors and missionaries. As a part of creating a more inviting campus, the construction crews:

Remodeled the women’s dormitory (new baths with showers for each suite, new carpet, fresh paint for the inside).

Added new steel roof and extra front “patio” area for the Thompson Building.

Completed the lighted “mall” walkway from the south flora-filled brick circle to the one in the north flagpole area.

Built approximately 500 feet of block wall or steel picket fence around two sides of the campus.

And more. We thank God and His servants who once again have been willing, wonder-working volunteers.

Seven students in the Bible Institute and eight-teen in the Language School will graduate on May 11 and disperse throughout the United States and Latin America. Some of the BI students will be getting further training, others doing intern-ships as Christian workers, or returning to serve in their home churches; and many of the missionaries will go directly to Spanish-speaking areas to begin their ministries.

Rio Grande Bible Institute expects at least 300 Hispanic pas-tors on campus for the third bi-annual Pastor’s Conference May 2�-2�. General sessions will inspire and encourage, and seven workshops will offer help for biblical counseling in discipleship. Outstanding and experienced pastors, professors, and counselors, including David and Nancy Hormachea, will focus on topics such as: technological help in counseling; counseling women; principles and con-cepts for biblical counseling; professional counseling for pastors; and marital counseling.

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Bob K

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Copyright © by Mary Chambers. All rights reserved.

Dr. John H. RedmanExecutive Director, Conservative Baptist Association of Southern California

The face of Southern California is changing—literally!

As a resident there, I am surrounded by the convincing evidence. Predominant among the new faces seen are those of Hispanics and Latinos. Walk into any Sears store in any mall and you hear the majority of announcements on the public address system in Spanish rather than English. Stroll along the downtown streets of any of the cities of the region and you hear español being spoken all around you.

The latest demographic statistics put the population of the United States at 296,497,000 with 42,765,000 of those being Hispanics. This ethnic group accounts for no less than 11,200,000 of California’s 33,870,000 residents—approxi-mately one-third of the total. In Southern California alone, they make up 38% of the population.

The challenge to reach this growing segment of our popu-lation is enormous. The denominational convention with which I serve in Southern California has 38 Hispanic congregations, approximately one-fourth of our churches. The demographics around individual churches are changing, sometimes rapidly, as Anglos move out of areas and Latinos move in. Generally speaking, the congregations that are declining are those that do not recognize and relate to the demographic changes in the neighborhoods surrounding their churches. We have a divine imperative to minister to this large number of Hispanics and we must respond.

It is at this very point that we face the enormity of the task. Historically many of their churches have been served by part-time or bivocational pastors. Experience over decades shows that those congregations will grow to around 70-80 people and then plateau. There is a tremendous need for pas-tors who are properly trained, doctrinally sound, and able to serve in full-time leadership positions in their local churches.

There appear to be two reasons for the willingness to settle for part-time pastors rather than those who can serve

full-time. One factor is that those who come to saving faith in Christ from a Roman Catholic background, are accustomed to contributing token amounts to the church rather than fol-lowing the biblical principle of tithes and offerings. There has been a reluctance to share and teach these principles and, to some extent, this has worked to prevent people from entering into the full blessing that is ours when we walk in obedience to the Word of God.

Another factor is that some of those Anglos who have worked among them have encouraged the bivocational ap-proach to pastoral leadership. The feeling has been that Hispanics are generally less affluent and therefore cannot be expected to support a full-time pastor.

We are so thankful for Rio Grande Bible Institute and for the outstanding preparation for ministry that their students receive. Our Association has been greatly blessed by those graduates who have served in our churches, not only as pas-tors, but also in communicating the vision and need to plant more churches. Different models are in action in our region but all are committed to solid biblical integrity.

With a Great Commandment passion and a Great Commission vision, we are solidly committed to reaching the diverse population of this amazing region with the message of the Gospel. Our goal is to develop faithful followers of Jesus Christ who will win others to Him. However, for us to be able to reach these Hispanics, we must have properly trained, bibli-cally sound pastors and church planters. I firmly believe that Rio Grande Bible Institute is one of God’s prime institutions for preparing godly young men and women for the work of the ministry. He has brought it into being “for such a time as this.” May God raise up an ever-increasing number of believ-ers to pray for, fund, and fully support this vital ministry and those who serve under its auspices.

Dr. John H. RedmanDr. Redman is gifted in many areas from electronic engi-neering to musician to Bible expositor. He has served 23 years in missions from the Philippines to California and is currently Executive Director of Conservative Baptists of Southern California and CEO of ViewPix Media Services. He and his wife of 40 years, Anne, have two sons and eight grandchildren.

10 Rio Grande Magazine Rio Grande Magazine 11

The Latest

Aaron

Halls

trom

You provide the meeting place.You provide the DVD player and TV.

You invite your Spanish-speaking neighbors.

As easy as... ...pushing a button

Courses available in Spanish:Synopsis of the Old Testament 1 & 2

Synopsis of the New Testament 1 & 2Bible Study MethodsDiscipleshipSpiritual Life

RomansHomileticsChristian CounselingFamily Finances

You can start a Spanish Bible study

We provide the Spanish-speaking Bible teacher.

Call our bookstore at 956-380-8135 or purchase at our website, www.riogrande.edu.To offer the courses for credit, call 956-380-8140.

Email: cursos@riogrande.edu for a catalogue and prices.

By Woody Lewis, Bible Institute Professor, and Kelly Lewis, Missionary Language School Professor

We were doing door-to-door evangelism in a Hispanic neigh-

borhood in Cumming, Georgia, when we knocked on the door of the Legaspi family from Mexico. Having prayed that God would guide unerringly in our outreach, we looked forward to His opening opportunities for witness.

As Adolfo opened the door, I could see anx-iety on his face and sense the heaviness of his heart, so I asked if we could pray for him. He invited us in and told us his great apprehension concerning a risky surgical procedure scheduled for the following week. The operation on his se-verely injured back could potentially leave him paralyzed.

We prayed earnestly for him, his wife and sons, the surgeons, and for his understanding of God’s spiritual provision of salvation. At the close of our prayer Adolfo’s face was wet with tears. God had prepared his heart to quickly respond to His gracious offer of salvation through Christ as we explained to him the way to do so.

My visitation partner and I gladly rearranged our schedules so we could be with Adolfo and

his common-law wife Rosa during his successful surgery and recovery. In God’s good time, Rosa also made a profession of faith, as did their two sons and several more relatives. Their baptismal service on Lake Lanier was a wonderful celebra-tion of God’s grace in the lives of these families. Other loved ones and friends were touched by Adolfo’s changed life—from a heavy drinker and profligate to a man who never drank beer again and who legalized his marriage to Rosa in a beautiful church ceremony.

Prayer: privilege and mandateAdolfo’s story illustrates well the exciting

results that come from a believer’s exercising his special privilege of ministering through prayer. God’s Word constantly invites us to pray for oth-ers, such as in Ephesians 6:18: “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and sup-plication for all saints.” Jesus taught that “men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” (Luke 18:1) Our Lord’s prayer life impressed His disciples greatly. We are not told that they asked Him to teach them to evangelize or to preach, but they did request, “Lord, teach us to pray . . .” (Luke 11:1) Surely they must have realized that ha-bitual, specific, and fervent prayer undergirded Jesus’ life-changing ministry to people.

It must be the same with us. If we long to minister effectively to the “world at our door-step,” may I recommend that we pray specifically and fervently for spiritual fruit among those Hispanics that God has permitted to come into our neighborhoods? The incident in Cumming,

Reaching Hispanic

neighbors with

prayer

Georgia, resulted in one of six pioneer church plants with which we were in-volved in the United States and Spain. Prayer has been an essential component of each.

Not only can we pray for our Hispanic acquaintances, but we can also pray with them for great mutual spiritual benefit. As church planters we were able to speak Spanish. But even American Christians with no knowledge of Spanish, yet with a genuine concern for these neighbors, can use prayer as an instrument to exemplify God’s grace to them. Most Hispanics have a Roman Catholic background and are impressed by the concept of “communicating with God.” Even while yet unsaved, they will sense that a true believer prays with evi-dence of biblical faith, sincerity, and per-sonal knowledge of God. As they hear us pray for them in their presence, their response will invariably be positive, even though they might not understand all that is being done and said in a different language.

Overcoming hurdlesHurdles are best overcome by

prayer, also. Several factors are invariably present among Hispanics in the USA, especially those who are first generation immigrants. One of the most crucial is that they are constantly aware of the language barrier. They all discover that any language—but especially English—is very hard to learn! Many who come here as adults are never able to cross that barrier.

When you visit in a home where there are children or teens, they will al-most certainly know some English and Spanish. We have found them generally willing and even eager to interpret for English speakers. Normally, the older the child, the more accurate the inter-pretation. Yet even a small child can un-derstand and share simple thoughts and the eternal, biblical message of salvation, when explained patiently by a consider-ate Christian.

In addition to the children’s assis-tance, you can offer your personal help to the adults in their attempt to understand some English. This is a very effective

means of establishing friendships and involving them in activities and social contacts that last beyond their discour-agement in learning the language. We have sometimes discovered that there are a few American youngsters moti-vated to learn Spanish who are willing to befriend Hispanics and help bridge a ministry gap, resulting in spiritual profit. We should even feel challenged to pray specifically that God would raise up people with this vision.

It is also in and through prayer that the Holy Spirit can help us in our “in-firmity of timidity” and lead us to reach out to others in the spirit of “power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7)

We cannot overemphasize that it is in the constant, persistent manifestation of interest and care, bathed in prayer, that the natural reticence and resis-tance is overcome in the heart of most Hispanics. They usually already value friendships highly; they need only to see the authenticity of persistent friendli-ness without ulterior motives to become loyal, sincere, and generous friends.

Our desire is that our Christian friends would not only utilize prayer in sowing the seed and watering it, but would also prayerfully “lift up (their) eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white al-ready to harvest.” ( John 4:35)

Woody & Kelly LewisWoody and Kelly Lewis, with their two teenage sons, are an-other international family on our staff, having lived in Costa Rica, Spain, and the United States. In addition to their teaching duties, Woody is one of our busiest in-terpreters for chapel services and other meetings.

How may we help each other?

Rio Grande Bible Institute, dedicated to the training of godly leaders for the Spanish-speaking world, does it through two avenues: the Bible Institute, for the ministerial training of Spanish-speaking students, and the Missionary Language School, for linguistic equipping of missionaries and potential Christian workers among Spanish-speaking peoples. There are ways in which you or your church can utilize this ministry while benefiting North American communities who wish to reach the Hispanics within our boundaries. A local church in the US or Canada may wish to:

Send someone for training. Your church could sponsor and support a member of your congregation to complete a year of study in the Missionary Language School, to return and be able to minister among the Spanish-speaking people of your com-munity. (See cover story for examples.)

Partner with RGBI by including our Student Sponsor Program in your budget.

Consider having a staff member come to your church. This person could present his or her ministry to your missions com-mittee or to the church as a whole.

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Bob K

racht

12 Rio Grande Magazine Rio Grande Magazine 1�

The World at Our

Doorstep

Opening Doors Through

Prayer

Honoring or remembering your loved one results in furthering the gospel through preparing more leaders.

(In honor of:)

William & Margie Rygh

Anonymous

Bob & Irene (Parks) Stahly (for their mar-riage Feb. 11, 2006)

Lloyd & Dolores Stone

(In memory of:)

Arlene AdamsHarold & Jackie BrownOrville & Elsie GibbsAlvin & Elma KleinsasserDave & Verna MatthewsMrs. Viola MillerEldon & Mildred RootBob & Fay WhitmanHarold & Frances Wishart

Lawrence AmblerViola Friesen

Mr. & Mrs. Carl W. Anderson

Dr. & Mrs. Robert E. Nordby

Jack AshcraftDavid AdamsJerry & Claudia AxvigPhyllis BerryClarence & Ardys BloomHarold & Jackie BrownVivian DennisOrville & Elsie GibbsMr. & Mrs. W.A. HultgrenMarvin & Bernice

IntermillClara JohnsonIvan & Phyllis JohnsonRaymond & Mary

JohnsonAlvin & Elma KleinsasserPhil & Olivia LemenMrs. Viola MillerMorris & Molly

MontagueMr. & Mrs. Loren

MosmanPaul & Helen PatchinEldon & Mildred Root

Elton & Joyce StreyleTerry & Elnora ThompsonMr. & Mrs. Richard M.

ThorwallJames & Jean Van MarkBob & Fay WhitmanHarold & Frances Wishart

Valera BakerMary ReedEd & Sharon Swartzen-

druber

Joyce BenedictDavid AdamsLester & Marlyn BeachPhyllis BerryHarold & Jackie BrownVivian DennisCy & Della EarhartClara JohnsonIvan & Phyllis JohnsonMarvin & Mamie

JohnsonRaymond & Mary

JohnsonAlvin & Elma KleinsasserCurtis & Joyce LarsenPhil & Olivia LemenDave & Verna MatthewsGeorge & Jean MelbyMrs. Viola MillerMr. & Mrs. Loren

MosmanHarry & Doris NelsonElva E. NortonEd & Mary QuickEldon & Mildred RootDon & Donna SarverGladys SneesbyTerry & Elnora ThompsonWilliam & Delores WhiteViola WillieHarold & Frances Wishart

Bob BerrySvea C. May

Harold BloomOrville & Elsie GibbsAlvin & Elma KleinsasserElva E. NortonGladys SneesbyBob & Fay Whitman

Richard BlumJames & Harriet Blum

Weslyn BraunArmidee Braun

Arlow CareyJerry & Claudia AxvigPhyllis BerryClarence & Ardys BloomHarold & Jackie BrownMr. & Mrs. W. A. HultgrenMrs. Clara J. JohnsonAlvin & Elma KleinsasserMr. & Mrs. Loren

MosmanHarry & Doris NelsonDonald & Luella NorbergElva E. NortonJohn & Kathy SirjordGladys SneesbyTerry & Elnora ThompsonHarold & Frances Wishart

Marjorie CaswellOrville & Elsie GibbsAlvin & Elma KleinsasserBob & Fay Whitman

Meil CecilOrville & Elsie Gibbs

Max ChambersSvea C. May

W. H. CooneyMorris & Molly

Montague

Doris DavenportOrville & Elsie GibbsBob & Fay Whitman

Joan DeLooffMrs. Viola Miller

Marvin FolkertsOrville & Elsie GibbsBob & Fay Whitman

Fred HabermehlHarold & Jackie BrownOrville & Elsie GibbsPhil & Olivia LemenBob & Fay Whitman

Laura HansmeierViola Willie

Clarence HoekstraSvea C. May

Howard HortonOrville & Elsie GibbsPhil & Olivia LemenBob & Fay Whitman

Glen JeskeDelores M. Jeske

Mable JohnsonViola Willie

Norma JohnsonJane FrazierRonnie & Renée Horn

Ruby LiebeltOrville & Elsie GibbsAlvin & Elma KleinsasserPhil & Olivia LemenEldon & Mildred RootBob & Fay WhitmanViola Willie

Roy MayOrville & Elsie GibbsSvea C. May (3)

Emma (Fitzgerald) McAllister

Mrs. Louise Cartwright

Phyllis MurrayRobert & Helen BeglinRosemary DavisKorey EspinozaNelson & Barbara

EspinozaPhillip & Nicette FittsDwayne & Margot

HamiltonKiwanis Club of AlbionMarjorie MurrayEunice L. MyersMark & Ann SayreHarvey & Patricia

Stremler

Jane NellisMr. & Mrs. Steve

Pelphrey

Rachel NorlienOrville & Elsie GibbsBob & Fay Whitman

Fern NovellViola Willie

Lloyd ReedMrs. Mary Reed

Kaye ShieldsAnonymous

Dr. Lloyd SmithBart & Rachel Smith

Ellen SoderquistOrville & Elsie Gibbs

Bert TerveenOrville & Elsie Gibbs

Ken WagnerSvea C. May

Russell WatermanOrville & Elsie Gibbs

Sterling WespLester & Marlyn BeachPhyllis BerryHarold & Jackie BrownL. John & Marjorie BuyseMax & Rosalie DeethardtGordon & Betty EhmkeBernice HoekstraAlvin & Elma KleinsasserMr. & Mrs. James E.

KlostermanPhil & Olivia LemenRichard & Judy LoganMr. & Mrs. R. W. McArdleMrs. Viola MillerMorris & Molly

MontagueMr. & Mrs. Loren

MosmanHarry & Doris NelsonElva E. NortonThomas & Karleen PeaseDon & Betty PetersonStanley & Velma PetersonEldon & Mildred RootGladys SneesbyTerry & Elnora ThompsonRaymond & Mary Lou

WespViola WillieHarold & Frances Wishart

God’s method for

shaping institute’s

“heart”

By Dr. Gordon E. JohnsonPresident Emeritus

In the life of an institution over a span of sixty years, one can observe God’s sovereign touch. Such a divine touch cannot be manipulat-ed by men because sixty years is the span of three generations. In God’s gracious leading he used two men in particular as vessels of honor: Dr. F. J. Huegel and Dr. John T Dale, whose spans of ministry in Mexico covered one hundred years.

In 1957, Rev. M. C. Ehlert, RGBI’s found-er, invited Dr. F. J. Huegel to be the conference speaker, five days in Spanish followed by five days in English. Gordon Johnson, who had recently joined the faculty from Canada, had read Dr. Huegel’s first book, Bone of His Bone and sug-gested to Brother Ehlert that he would be an ideal conference speaker. F. J. Huegel was asked to return nine times in eleven years (1957-68).

Frederick Huegel went to Mexico in 1920. He labored for some 20 years in his own strength until a profound encounter with the Lord intro-duced him to the truth of his vital identification with Christ in death and resurrection. So dra-

matic was the change in life and message that his constant theme be-came the work of the Cross in the life of the believer -- dead to sin and self and alive unto God in the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 5-8 became his central message which he lived

as well as preached throughout much of Latin America.

With Brother Ehlert’s sudden death in 1965, Presidents William Thompson (1965-68) and Leonard Hanes (1968-81) embraced the same message. It was often commented among the staff that after Brother Huegel’s departure there was a perceptible rising of true unity and humility among us.

Usually Dr. Huegel would come to Edinburg from Tamuzunchale, Mexico, where he spoke at the Bible Institute of the Mexican Indian Mission, headed by Dr. John T. Dale. Both that indigenous institute and Dr. Dale himself were similarly impacted by the same Pauline message.

When Gordon Johnson became dean (1968-81) and later president (1981-95), he asked John Dale to speak each January to the incoming stu-dents. Dr. Dale had been born in Mexico of mis-sionary parents, was tri-cultural, speaking fluent-ly Nahuatl or Aztec, Spanish, and English, and a linguist and scholar in his own right. From 1974-1993, John Dale introduced the same message of our oneness in Christ with powerful expository sermons based on the original Greek. God con-tinued his work of grace.

So in God’s sovereign ways, RGBI has had a divine touch that marks our past and present. The message of “Not I but Christ” (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:6, 11, 14) charges us with the solemn responsi-bility to live “not unto ourselves but unto him who died for us and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14-15). May we never lose that liberating truth so vital to mis-sionary endeavor.

Frequent guest speakers Frederick J. Huegel c.1960, left, and John T. Dale c.1975, right.

1� Rio Grande Magazine Rio Grande Magazine 1�

Honor & Memorial GiftsDecember 1, 2005, through March 31, 2006 GOD’S SOVEREIGN

TOUCH Bob K

racht

Calling for Partners —with us, with HimThank you, friends of Rio Grande Bible Institute, for allowing the Lord to use you to provide for the needs of this ministry. God is indeed blessing financially and sending His chosen students to train for future ministry.

As we continue to observe our 60th anniversary of minis-try here in the Rio Grande Valley, our hearts overflow with gratitude to the Lord for His faithfulness. At the same time, we do recognize the faith and loyal dedication of our found-ers, faculty, other staff, and innumerable supporters who’ve made such a great ministry possible. The gifts of His people have helped us meet our budget through this financial quar-ter. We praise God for His provision!

We still have some personnel who are under-supported. Would you prayerfully consider joining a staff member’s prayer and financial team? The reason we can offer excellent Bible training at lower cost is largely due to our personnel being on missionary support.

We also have students with specific needs, in spite of the small annual cost for their tuition and room and board: $5000. Even this figure can be reduced to $2000 per year for students who are in the work-study program. As God sends us more students, we need more partners who want to change the future of Latin America by helping to train lead-ers through the Student Sponsor Program at the Rio Grande Bible Institute.

The Student Sponsor Program can be funded through cash, stocks, gifts-in-kind, or through wills and bequests. To find out more, please call Dan Antoniuk, Director of Ministerial Advancement, directly at (956) 380-8113, or write him at Dantoniuk@RioGrande.edu.

4300 S. Business Hwy 281Edinburg, TX 78539-9699

In Canada:Box 2253Winnipeg, ManitobaR3C 4A6

www.riogrande.edu

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDST. LOUIS, MO

PERMIT NO. 462

Bob K

racht