GOSPEL THROUGH COLOMBIA

Equipping Church leaders in Colombia to proclaim the gospel throughout Latin America April 2014 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Thank you for the tremendous support and encouragement you gave us in the month of March at our banquets and visits with supporting churches. We thank our Holy God for confirming your commitment to GTC so that we can provide pastoral training through the Seminario Reformado Latinoamericano. On May 3, 2014 we will joyfully witness the first SRL graduation in Medellin. Many supporters from the U.S. will be attending the graduation ceremonies and services, as well as a conference entitled The Church against the Gates of Hell. In one weekend the GTC ministry partners provided about 32% of the $252,000.00 operating budget for this year. Apart from low operating costs, and a modest compensation for the Assistant Director, the bulk of the support goes directly into the mission field. We are also thankful to the Lord that SRL has been properly registered with the Department of Education in Colombia and in the State of Florida. At the banquet in Florida, Dr. Richard Pratt stressed the importance of instructing men in the Seminary with intense spiritual, evangelism and counseling training— alongside the academics. The church must be protected from mere academicians, i.e., intellectual seminarians with uncaring hearts. Pastors are called to be soldiers who have wounds from fighting spiritual battles and who labor faithfully in preaching the gospel to the lost. SRL prepares men to be this type of soldier in the army of Christ. Dr. Julio Benitez, president of SRL, echoed Dr. Pratt by stating that the Seminario Reformado Latinoamericano is a “boot camp” where the spiritual development of pastors is as much a priority as the academics. Attached, please find a brief excerpt from the speech which Dr. Benitez presented at the March banquets. Please pray for the students who will graduate in May. Pray that they would continue to spread the reformation FIRE in their towns and cities as they serve as missionaries, pastors, and leaders of pastoral mentoring groups. Please also pray for the new students who will come to SRL at the beginning of May. In forthcoming newsletters, we plan to keep you updated about how the Lord is working in and through SRL to spread the reformation throughout Colombia. On behalf of SRL and GTC we thank you so very much for your prayers and support. In Christ’s love, Robert Coleman, Assistant Director

DeLand Banquet guests singing “And Can It Be”

Dr. Benitez describing the ministry of Sem. Reformado Latinoamericano

Dr. Pratt explains that academics is only one part of ministry training.

The following is a brief excerpt of Dr. Julio Benitez banquets speech regarding The Seminario

Reformado Latinoamericano:

The main objectives of SRL are the following: FIRST: RESIDENT STUDENTS. About 25 resident students participate in this program on a yearly basis. They come from all over Colombia and other countries, and they live in the seminary for an entire year. GTC provides room, board and education at the cost of $5,000 per student per year. Imagine— $5,000 dollars to prepare a missionary and a pastor who is knowledgeable of the gospel and sound doctrine, knows the language and culture, and does not have to be financially supported after graduation. It is a great investment in the Kingdom of God! SECOND: PASTORS’ MODULAR PROGRAM. In this program, SRL helps those pastors who want to study and learn the Gospel of Grace, but are not able to commit a year in the seminary. Every three months, a different group of 20 to 25 pastors come to the seminary on a

Dr. Julio Benitez, Dr. Richard Pratt, and Mr. Bryant Skinner

Pastor Rick Tyson, Mrs. Tyson and guests at Banquet in Philadelphia

Banquet in Pennsylvania at Willow Grove Calvary Presbyterian Church

Pastor Harry Stoliker and wife Ruth Emmanuel Bible Church, NJ

Dr. Benitez and Dr. Bruce McDowell at Tenth Presbyterian

Dr. Benitez preaching at Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia

GTC Team with Dr. Liam Goligher and P. Marion Clark of Tenth Pres.

Dr. Benitez with Pastor Bill Harrell of Immanuel Pres. Norfolk, VA

rotating basis and receive a 30 hour course together with the resident students. These 100 pastors must also complete-- on their own-- the 14 courses graciously provided by Third Millennium Ministries. They will complete their education within 4 years. These pastors receive their room, board and education with your help through GTC. It is my responsibility, as well as the responsibility of my staff, to spend time with these pastors— to answer specific questions, encourage them to reform their churches, and help them with matters in their personal, pastoral and spiritual life. Again, it is not only the academics that matter, but equally important is their spiritual growth, pastoral training, evangelism training and the establishment of relationships. THIRD: THE PASTORS’ MENTORING PROGRAM. In addition to the pastors’ modular program, the seminary will manage the pastors’ mentoring program in major cities. SRL will send itinerary teachers to present courses to groups of pastors and interested men in general. In each of these cities a designated mentor will meet with these pastors for three or more hours per week for eight consecutive weeks, to further develop the course taught by the professor, to help internalize the courses provided by Third Millennium Ministries, and to provide spiritual mentorship and development. FOURTH: VIRTUAL COURSES. For many pastors who can only come from time to time to the seminary, SRL will have a virtual theological education program on line. FIFTH: REFORMED CONFERENCES AND CONVENTIONS. Another responsibility of the seminary is to organize annual Reformed Pastors’ Conferences, Conventions and Retreats in major cities, as well as, other countries in Latin America, with the objective of presenting the Doctrines of Grace to a vast majority of pastors who have not been exposed to them. SRL will naturally draw students for the seminary from these same conferences and conventions. SRL seminary is expecting to have a beautiful campus in the mountain area outside Medellin. It will contain dormitories for 180, classrooms, library, living facilities for visiting professors, and a multipurpose dining room. A Puritan-style church building will dominate the view of valleys and incredible horizons which exquisitely proclaim the glory of God and evidence the importance of the History of the Reformation to visitors from Latin America and others parts of the world. My dear brothers and sisters, sometimes I think this is only a dream. By God’s grace it is becoming a reality. Thank you for inviting me to share this reality with you, and thank you for helping to expand the kingdom of God in Latin America. It would be a blessing if you will visit us. Medellín is not far from Florida. It is a beautiful city, clean, safe, and a real jewel in the Kingdom of God. Please give us the opportunity to serve you, establish relationships and fellowship with you in Medellín. I, also, thank God for all of you and for the opportunity to fellowship with you in the USA, a magnificent country that God has given you. May God help us to honor Him with the

proclamation of our precious Lord Jesus Christ in the Seminario Reformado Latinoamericano. To God Alone be the glory. Soli Deo Gloria!”

To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.Eph. 4:12 ESV

PO BOX 741034, ORANGE CITY, FL 32774 – PHONE: 386-868-8422 & 386-738-6898 Web: www.gospelthroughcolombia.org – E-mail: rcoleman985@gmail.com & nsatulip@aol.com