window

on South America spring 2010

Building
Leaders
Ashaninka Bible
Institute, Peru

CIET Bolivia—
15 Years of
Making the Grade

Being Bold in Peru

CONPLEI 2012 at
The Ammi Training
Center, Brazil

a publication of
South America Mission

Window master.indd 1 3/30/10 8:30 AM

 window
on a Missionary Journey
In February, a group of SAM Bolivia missionaries traveled
to an Ayoré christian community called FÚA to build a
chapel in their village and give medical attention. As we
anticipate God’s kingdom, worship and healing are two
things we build for. These pictures offer a glimpse of
the beauty of God’s creation encountered on this journey.

Window master.indd 2 3/30/10 8:33 AM

 Our Mission
A Closer Look into the Vision and
Purpose of South America Mission
by Dr. David Broucek
Director of International Ministries, SAM
Walk into the office of Kirk Ogden, SAM
executive director, and you’ll see a framed
photo imprinted with the following text:
Purpose–To the Praise of His Glory!
Vision–Multiplied dynamic churches
across South America that transform local
communities by embodying kingdom of
God values.
Mission–Building Leaders to Build Churches.
You’ll see the same poster in the
lunchroom and throughout the office. If
you know SAM at all, you know that we
are committed to developing leaders for the
churches of South America.
Is “building leaders” an end in itself?
No. It is a means to an end. We want to see
“multiplied dynamic churches across South
America that transform local communities
by embodying Kingdom of God values.”
It takes godly, capable, committed, and
knowledgeable leaders to make this happen.
What goes into “building leaders”?
First, there is evangelism. You might not
think of sharing the gospel as “leadership
development,” but it is. Leaders need to be
born again before they can be useful in a
spiritual ministry. Can you imagine trying
to create and release unregenerate leaders in
the church? Every time someone is saved, a
www.southamericamission.org
Window master.indd 3
potential future leader of the church is born.
Neil Cole, in Organic Church, describes
the principle this way: “the leaders for the
harvest must come from the harvest itself.”
Second, there is real-life demonstration.
Educators have recognized the existence
of “learning styles.” Some of us are more
oriented to visual learning, others to
auditory learning, others to learning
through reading and writing, and others
to kinesthetic or tactile learning. While
preferred styles of learning may differ, it
is safe to say that for most of us the most
profound learning comes when we are
inspired or challenged by another person’s
good example. Think of the people who
have had the most influence on you.
What was it about their life that created
the impact? Long-time Christian educator
LeRoy Ford goes so far as to say:
Many of the greatest teachers have never
taught in a classroom. They never speak
in public. They simply move among
people – being the right kind of person.
They reflect the right kinds of values
and ideals.
What Ford’s observation means is that
every missionary is a teacher by the way he
or she lives!
Third, there are intentional, structured,
staffed and funded centers of learning.
These are the Bible institutes and training
centers. You, through SAM, have invested
deeply in creating places where the
Bible is taught and spiritual disciplines
are developed, particularly among the
indigenous peoples of South America.
You can read about these special places in
this issue of window. Today, hundreds of
graduates of these institutions are serving
in their communities and beyond. Over
time, these institutions themselves have
their own national leaders.
A newer ‘wrinkle’ on the Bible institute
concept is church-based theological
education. This approach follows a definite
curriculum but trains leaders in the church
rather than sends them away to an institution.
One curriculum for C-BTE is BILD, known
in Spanish as ETBIL (Educación Teológica
Basada en la Iglesia Local). This approach is
being used by pastors in Paraguay and has
recently been introduced to the Mil Palmeras
Church in Pucallpa, Peru, which has forty
members involved in Level 1 training.
What all SAM’s approaches to producing
leaders have in common is an intentional
focus on character development through life-
on-life relationships. If this type of ministry
is your passion, we’d love to talk with you!
3 window | april 2010
3/30/10 9:00 AM
 building leaders among

the ashaninka

These are the places where South America

Mission (SAM) extends its reach in its
efforts to cultivate a flourishing
church in South America.
An isolated Ashaninka settlement, most likely a single family, near Aoti, Peru.

W hen an individual receives a

calling from God to be a leader
in the church in the United States, there
are choices to make. What Bible school
or seminary to attend, in which areas
to focus study, what will be the specific
capacity of service, and to where will all of
this ultimately lead. All valid questions to
wrestle with when finding God’s will in a
country full of opportunities.  decades has been “building leaders to build
  Choices are a little different in the
developing world, however, especially in
places like the Amazon jungle of Peru, far
from roads and cities and other conveniences
of modern life. But these are the places where
South America Mission (SAM) extends its
reach in its efforts to cultivate a flourishing
church in South America.
Francisco lives in Portobamba, Peru,
an Ashaninka Indian community located
far up the Urubamba River near nowhere
in particular. Francisco wants to be a leader
in his local church and he believes the best
way to do it is through acquiring a greater
understanding of God’s teaching in the
Bible. SAM shares Francisco’s belief, and
its primary mission in South America over
churches” through foundational biblical
training. SAM’s desire is to help men like
Francisco return to areas like Portabamba
prepared to make a difference in the
name of Christ. This is also the aim of the
Ashaninka Bible Institute (IBA) located
in Mazamari—to form church leaders
prepared to establish a flourishing church
among the 30,000-plus Ashaninka people
living in the Peruvian Amazon.
The Ashaninka Bible Institute, started
by SAM, is where Francisco receives
his training. To get from his home in
Portobamba to the Institute in Mazamari,
Francisco had to borrow more than 150
dollars just for one way. The first leg of his
journey found him paddling a homemade
canoe.  Then he took two passenger boats—
riding on hard board seats—for the rest of
the journey. It took three days to arrive.
Francisco made an enormous effort
just to arrive at the Institute, knowing that
it would cost him nearly the same on his
journey home.  He also lost time cultivating
his farm, which would require additional
attention upon his return. Moreover,

4 window | april 2010 www.southamericamission.org

Window master.indd 4 3/30/10 10:20 AM

 Francisco made this commitment knowing
that biblical studies and leadership training
do not translate into earning opportunities
in the indigenous economy. The sacrifice is
great for Francisco, but he is grateful for the
opportunity that the IBA affords.
The Ashaninka Bible Institute opens its
doors every August and September, offering
biblical and pastoral training designed to
meet the basic needs of the agrarian lifestyle
of the Ashaninka people. The students
board at the SAM Mazamari property.
The professors teach in the Ashaninka
dialect and some specific course offerings
include: The Life of Christ and the Gospels,
Colossians and Christology, a Survey of The
Old Testament, Homiletics, Missions, and
Scripture Memorization. A basic Diploma
of Theology is obtainable through the IBA
after the completion of three, two-month
sessions, realized over three years. In 2010,
the Institute hopes to award five diplomas
and have approximately 14 students enrolled.
Last year’s two-month session included
a large class of 18 students who sat under
five professors. Fourteen of these students
were new to the Institute while two
www.southamericamission.org
Window master.indd 5
SAM shares Francisco’s belief, and its primary mission in
South America over decades has been “building leaders to
build churches” through foundational biblical training.
students returned in both the second- and professors travel alongside their students,
third-year courses. Ashaninka students offering encouragement and guidance
come from among the 100 or so Ashaninka throughout the process. This type of “obra
villages scattered throughout the central práctica” bears tangible fruit: the students
jungle region of Peru. Often spouses and gain confidence in their abilities, moreover,
children accompany the students and study the IBA is aware of one fledging church that
as well. During their stay, the families are credits its genesis to the outreach efforts
able to grow in certain fundamental areas realized through these practicums.
of learning, such as reading, or in areas of There are many other stories similar to
family life, such as learning how to manage Francisco’s—stories of Ashaninka men and
a christian household. women with their children overcoming great
The curriculum at the IBA is not purely odds to simply arrive at the doorstep of the
academic, or classroom-based. There are IBA. Their great desire to glorify God is the
practical work assignments as well. The only impetus they need to bring them all the
students do not wait until they return way. South America Mission and the IBA
to their own communities to teach what have the privilege of nurturing these future
they have learned. There are communities church leaders so that they can preach the
near the Institute that exist without a gospel, fulfilling the desire of their heart: that
functioning church and so the students their own people will be called the body of
reach out to these communities by paying Christ and that God will be made famous in
visits and bringing the gospel message. The the remote jungles of South America.
Left: IBA instructors Pablito Cordova, Bonifacio Zampatorta, and Elverio Shantiori (director).
Below left: A student studies music at the Institute. Below: IBA student works in a garden at the
Mazamari facility on work detail, cultivating a garden of yucca plants.
5 window | april 2010
3/30/10 8:35 AM
 CIET Bolivia
15years
of Building Leaders to Build Churches
F
ifteen is a significant number in Latin America. It is the
coming-of-age birthday. La quinceañera they call it, like
the sweet sixteen of the United States.
Recently, South America Mission and CIET, The Center for In-
tegral Theological Studies, SAM’s leadership training center in Santa
Cruz, Bolivia, celebrated a special anniversary of their own. March
18, 2010, marked fifteen years of CIET carrying out its mission of
building leaders to build churches in Bolivia.
CIET’s quinceañera did indeed commemorate a coming-of-age
of sorts. Among many things, CIET celebrated a recent graduat-
ing class of nine students—the most ever. And classes this first
semester of 2010 are brimming with students.
Today, just as it began in 1995, CIET exists to build a founda-
tion of leadership for the local church. The student body consists
of both men and women, pastors and lay people, many of whom
represent the 21 churches of a local church association (AIEO) that
SAM was integral in starting through a single church plant many
years ago. In many ways, CIET serves as an extension of this par-
ticular group of churches, but it also opens its doors widely to oth-
ers. Currently, four indigenous men who hail from a local Ayoré
community called Barrio Bolivar are studying at CIET, rounding
out a very diverse student body.
So how does CIET do it? An institute can easily boast academic
offerings that are just that: purely academic. CIET offers its fair
share of quality biblical and theological studies courses, but the
academic component of these courses transcends the walls of the
classroom and reaches into the communities and congregations
where the students serve. Veteran SAM missionary and CIET pro-
fessor Jeff HAuse, as part of his Introduction to the Bible course,
requires his students to spend at least four hours over the course of
a semester sharing what they learn in class with someone in their
6 window | april 2010
Window master.indd 6
family, neighborhood, or workplace. It is this type of practicum
that enables students to move from being a receiver of knowledge
to one who imparts knowledge by being engaged in peoples’ lives.
This is a significant leadership quality, one that CIET is commit-
ted to instilling.
Two other factors strengthen CIET’s church-leader develop-
ment capacity. The professors, while learned and academic in
their own right, are also pastors and/or missionaries, i.e., church
leaders themselves. CIET’s current Director—Dana Wilson—
holds a Master’s Degree and is also a veteran SAM missionary.
CIET offers courses in areas as diverse as spiritual formation,
missions, and christian education—shaping well-rounded mem-
bers of the body of Christ, people well-suited to lead a dynamic
21st-century church.
In addition to its official course offerings, CIET coordinates an
important training program for women called The Joy of Serving. A
combination of workbook and Bible study facilitated through per-
sonal devotional time and bi-monthly small-group meetings, this
program is exceedingly popular and effective. Equally significant
as CIET’s graduating nine students recently was its awarding 145
women with certificates of participation in this program.
Currently, CIET operates out of its main campus in Santa Cruz.
Lord willing in the coming months CIET will be able to expand its
reach back into the province towns of eastern Bolivia, places like
San Ignacio de Velasco, where 10 people have graduated through-
out the years via CIET’s extension program.
A coming-of-age birthday does not indicate the reaching of a pla-
teau. On the contrary, CIET is half-way up a mountain. By the
grace of God shown to SAM and CIET through the people of God,
the trek forward, leaning towards a flourishing church, will con-
tinue onward and upward for 15 years more.
www.southamericamission.org
3/30/10 10:20 AM
 Making The Grade
CIET Update on 2009
I
n many ways, 2009 was one of the most challeng-
ing years for CIET. Financial instability presented
SAM Bolivia with serious questions regarding the
center’s viability. SAM responded with determination
to persevere—believing that God’s plans for CIET are
profound and obstacles are made to be overcome to the
glory of God.
God was glorified on December 7, when CIET
enjoyed its largest graduating class in its 15-year his-
tory. Nine students received degrees and 145 women
received certificates for having completed a biblical
training program called The Joy of Serving. Over 200
were in attendance to celebrate the graduation, which
was held in SAM’s multi-purpose facility in Santa
Cruz, “El Atrio”.
At the close of 2009, the local church leadership in
Santa Cruz became stronger. Thank you CIET for your
contribution to this. 2010 has begun with a strong
headwind in CIET’s sails. Pray for CIET as it finishes
the first semester at the end of April, and begins the
second at the end of May.
God was indeed glorified on December
7, when CIET enjoyed its largest gradu-
ating class in its 15-year history.
www.southamericamission.org
Window master.indd 7
Making it Possible for CIET
M
eet Guillermo Pedriel Salvatierra. He is standing
outside of a savings and loan business in Santa Cruz, Bolivia,
where he works as a guard 11 hours a day to support his fam-
ily. Guillermo lives with his wife and son in a single room at his church.
There he serves as a teacher and director of the Sunday school program.
Guillermo has studied at the Centro Integral de Estudios Teológicos
(CIET), South America Mission’s training institute in Bolivia. He took
one class with the aim of becoming a more effective Sunday school teacher
and leader in his church. Guillermo is working to pay off the small fee
associated with the class, and as time and money permit, he will continue
his training at CIET.
Since 1995, CIET has focused on building a foundation of leadership for
the church in Bolivia. CIET is a dedicated night institute in a city of 1.8
million people. For many working men and women eager to grow as signifi-
cant influences in their local churches, CIET provides a unique opportunity
to receive training directed towards this growth. Biblical and theological
studies, Christian education, spiritual formation, and leadership develop-
ment form the basis of CIET’s course offerings.
The cost of the CIET program is almost ridiculously insignificant to us,
but it is still a challenge in Bolivia, the poorest country in South America.
A Bolivian lay leader like Guillermo, for just $35 per month, can receive
biblical training and other valuable instruction to help serve as a leader in
the church for years to come.
Will you help make it possible for people like Guillermo
to become an effective church leader in Bolivia? Would you
consider a monthly gift of $35 to help in this effort? Any
amount to which you can commit will help us achieve our
goal. Contact us using the information below, and simply
mention or select “CIET 70433” to make your donation.
1-803-802-8580 or samusa@southamericamission.org
Donate online at www.southamericamission.org
7 window | april 2010
3/30/10 8:36 AM
 Guajira

colombia
CENFOW–Wayuu Indian Training Center. Located in the Guajira desert
region of northern Colombia, this unique training center disciples leaders to shepherd
dozens of congregations scattered across the desert. Pray for the four Wayuu pastors
committed to teach the CENFOW classes. Pucallpa

Mazamari
La Paz

Pray for the work of our Leadership

Training Centers in South America.

peru
River for Christ. This program is dedicated to reaching the people who live along the 800-mile Ucayali
River region with the gospel and discipling believers. Pray for the growth of the church along this river and for
a strategic re-formation of this ministry in 2011.

CCB–Shipibo Training Center. Located in Pucallpa, Peru, CCB was established to accommodate the
lifestyles of the Shipibo river people. Students live and take six separate, month-long courses over the course of
two years. Today the CCB is owned and run by the Shipibo church association with collaboration by SAM and
others. Pray for 38 students who graduated recently to teach others in their own villages.

IBEPA–Amazon Night Bible Institute. This night Bible institute serves local churches by offering
accesible Bible education to pastors and lay leaders. It is among the only options for solid theological training
available in Pucallpa, a jungle city of nearly half a million people.

IBA–Ashaninka Bible Institute. The IBA was established to reach a specific people group known as the
Ashaninka, estimated to be about 30,000 in population. The IBA prepares people for church ministry, evange-
lism, and church planting. Students travel for days on foot, by dugout canoe and whatever means possible to
attend the intensive courses.

Window master.indd 8 3/30/10 8:37 AM

 brazil
Ammi Training Center. Located in Chapada, Brazil, Ammi is dedicated to
making disciples of Jesus Christ among the native peoples of Brazil. Over 200 students
representing 36 different tribal groups have studied the Word of God at Ammi. The
great majority of the 73 graduates are serving the Lord.

The world is hungry for leaders formed

in the biblical model – leaders with
godly character, adorned by
knowledge and understanding.
az

Chapada

Santa Cruz

bolivia
CIET–Center for Theological Studies. A dedicated night Bible institute
Asuncion
in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, CIET serves the bi-vocational leader who is eager to make an
impact in the local church. Pray that God would provide the resources and personnel
necessary for CIET to continue its work.

SEBITES–Bible Seminary for Theological Studies. Based in the capital

city of La Paz, this seminary serves 47 churches among the Aymara people of the Andes
Mountains by training isolated young leaders through extension courses. Students then
come together for classes every two weeks.

paraguay
Academia Biblica. This Bible Academy is a leadership training program at the local
church level in Asuncion, Paraguay. Presently there are 40 pastors and 300 students across
Paraguay connected with this strategic program. Pray for these pastors and students to
build a strong network nationwide to effectively disciple the church in Paraguay.

Window master.indd 9 3/30/10 8:37 AM

 for Peru’s Jungle Region
The rampant growth of weeds in the tropical rainforest is second only to the weeds of false
teachings in the churches of this area. They grow in fertile ground if local believers have
not been taught the Bible or how to think critically.
An example: A leader, an itinerant preacher, arrives at a church.
The believers invite him to preach. Bible in hand, he promises the
congregation that if they give just one chicken to God, they will
receive it back hundredfold. The poor believers bring him what little
they have, and before long, the leader leaves with a load of plunder.
Not far from there in a neighboring town lives “Pedro.” He is rep-
resentative of most believers from the jungle region. Strong supersti-
tions overshadow his faith, which often relies more on self-righteous
works than Christ’s work on the cross. His marriage is a mess. In his
congregation, lying and gossip are common forms of communica-
tion. Personal devotions are largely an unknown practice.
Considering the background from which Pedro and most other
believers come, this is not that surprising, but no less depressing.
Neither his parents nor his pastor provided good role models for
him. Actually, the pastor did not know how to preach, which re-
sulted in a spiritual diet of moral platitudes mixed with stale stories.
10 window | april 2010
Window master.indd 10
This does anything but further Christian growth. The church leader
lacked adequate training.
Finally, a new pastor was commissioned by a church association
to serve Pedro’s church, just two weeks after he had been released
from serving somewhere else—in a prison for sexual assault on chil-
dren. With this kind of leadership, both pews and hearts are now
emptier than ever before.
SAM and other missions have been training leaders for years in
this vast and difficult jungle area. The good news is that many have
been equipped in biblical knowledge and godly character. However,
78 percent of the leaders still lack biblical and spiritual training.
There is still a lot of work to do!
A Bold Leadership Development Program
Usually, only the better educated get accepted into leadership pro-
grams. But is that fair? What about those church leaders already in
www.southamericamission.org
3/30/10 9:03 AM
 ministry, who are less fortunate and have never had the opportunity
to get a good secondary education?
SAM has taken a bold approach to remedy the dire leadership
needs in Pedro’s church and hundreds of others. By bringing the bal-
anced, purpose-driven curriculum that has been developed over the
years in the River for Christ Bible Institute to church leaders in the
Pucallpa area, we are expanding our ministry to the often neglected
semi-literates in the city.
Pedro and his wife studying the Bible together.
Learning to Lead With Character
Take, for example, the biblical theology course “Knowing God Bet-
ter and Enjoying Him” that studies biblical key narratives in chrono-
logical order. As the students study God’s amazing power and mercy,
the class is driven to prayer and worship. Systematic theology courses
emphasize how doctrines are fresh and relevant to daily life. Teachers
coach students in understanding and applying biblical texts. It hap-
pens regularly that God’s working becomes evident through tears
and confessions, often right in the classroom.
Students and teachers debate real life issues in the light of the
Bible, like racism among Christians, the difference between a “ma-
cho” leader of the local culture and a true man after God’s design, or
options to the current parental discipline of burning a child’s fingers
over the cooking fire. Students learn to attend to spiritual growth
through devotional practices.
Personal relationships are as much a part of character develop-
ment as a hot and humid climate is to the tropical jungle. In order
to facilitate the discipleship/mentoring process, teachers often play
sports with the students and visit them on a regular basis in their
homes and churches.
Learning to Lead with Skill
Attending lectures is remarkably ineffective for learning how to
www.southamericamission.org
Window master.indd 11
swim—or how to lead or preach or evangelize! Therefore, Pedro
and his fellow students in the Bible institute both observe and re-
ceive coaching in group leadership, preaching, evangelism, bap-
tisms, funerals, encounters with false teachers, and counseling
role-plays. Teachers help students in learning to study and to think
for themselves. To give further help, the multi-cultural teaching
team develops booklets at an appropriate reading level, aimed for
direct and personal application and in a reproducible, ready-for-
the-pulpit format.
Leading YOU to Support Church Leaders in Peru?
Capable staff and funds are scarce. In such a challenging ministry
situation, spiritual growth and ministry progress of students is often
slow. However, many individuals, families, and churches have been
changed by the power of God. Over three quarters of the River for
Christ graduates are actively involved in ministry. Nine churches
have been planted. And as of last year, the Bible institute for the first
time has a national leader, Gidel Gatica. He has been trained and
coached by SAM missionary Matthias Drochner.
As Pedro sat in a course on how to preach, he was overwhelmed
by how God’s Word and Spirit had changed his marriage and his
life. As tears flowed down his cheeks, he shared with the class about
how his marriage had been a wreck before he began attending the
leadership training.
Now, Pedro has graduated and feels called to the ministry of the
Word. The child-molesting pastor of his church prohibited him to
preach, so now Pedro is preaching to a faithful remnant meeting in a
living room. He already is gathering building materials for a simple
church building. God is raising up a fresh and wholesome witness
for Himself in this town!
However, many more church leaders like Pedro are needed. You
can be a part of developing this important group. For more informa-
tion, contact Matthias at MRDrochner@SouthAmericaMission.org.
Pedro (right) and Matthias Drochner, SAM missionary and program
manager (center), meet with another pastor in Pucallpa.
11 window | april 2010
3/30/10 8:38 AM
 Key Leaders in South America

César and
Mirtha Surubí

place of Service Eastern Bolivia, working with the Indigenous Rural Expansion Team of SAM Bolivia.

key role As Bolivian national missionaries to the Ayoré, César and Mirtha live among this people
group in a community called Poza Verde. They have even learned to speak the Ayoré native tongue.
The Indigenous Rural Expansion Team of SAM Bolivia works closely with César and Mirtha to facilitate
the proclaiming of the gospel message and the cultivation of Christian leaders among the Ayoré. César was
recently selected to attend the Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization to be held this year in
Cape Town, South Africa. He will attend as a representative of the indigenous peoples of Bolivia.

what you can do To find out more about how you can partner with SAM to support the work of César
and Mirtha and other national leaders in Peru, Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia, call or email us, visit
our website, or send us an inquiry by mail. Our contact information is below.

1021 Maxwell Mill Road, Suite B, Fort Mill, SC 29708 | (P) 803-802-8580 | (F) 803-548-7955

samusa@southamericamission.org | www.southamericamission.org | 501(c)3: 59-0662279

Window master.indd 12 3/30/10 8:38 AM


Ministry Opportunities
A Vision for South America:
"Multiplied dynamic churches across South America that transform
local communities by embodying Kingdom of God values."
TRAINING
REQUIREMENTS
Full membership with South
America Mission requires
formal Bible study and
experience in ministry. Most
missionaries begin service
below requirement levels and
continue their spiritual and
professional development in
the context of ministry.
LANGUAGE
REQUIREMENTS
Effective cross-cultural
ministry is built on strong
communication skills.
Because few missionaries
begin with fluency, South
America Mission assigns
language training in
accordance with ministry
assignment and length
of service.
ARE YOU AVAILABLE Construction Teams
South America Mission is not
looking for perfect people.
We are looking for those God
is calling and equipping.
Together we can work to build
the Kingdom of God.
For additional information, contact Wendy at mobilization@southamericamission.org,
or visit our website at www.southamericamission.org and click on Go South.
www.southamericamission.org
Window master.indd 13
1021 Maxwell Mill Rd. Suite B | Fort Mill, SC 29708 |
803.802.8580 | www.SouthAmericaMission.org
COUNTRY
TERM OF
SERVICE
Project Teams (1-4 wks.)
Member (3 yrs. or more)
Associate (1-3 yrs.)
Intern (1-6 mos.)
SSP (6-12 mos.)
PARAGUAY
COLOMBIA
BOLIVIA
BRAZIL
PERU
MINISTRY DESCRIPTION
Leadership Development Equip and disciple leaders in the context of the local church. • •••• ••
Teachers and administrators for contextualized ministry
Theological Training training programs (pastors and laypeople) • • •• ••
Strategy, coordination and evangelism in Mission-Church
Church Planting partnerships • •• • •••
Support local churches through relational and contextual
Discipleship disciple making across age groups • •••• •••
Engage young people with an authentic lifestyle that grips
Youth Ministry their hearts and minds and gives hope. •••• ••••
Teachers and administrators for the children of missionaries in
MK Education a variety of settings. • • •• ••••
Lead through strategic planning and stewardship of resources
Field Administration and relationships. • •• •••
Children's Ministry Equip local churches to engage the next generation. • • • ••••
Provide medical care and training in a tangible extension of
Health Care the love of Christ. • • ••••••
Computer Services / Enable missionary and local church ministry through effective
Technology technology implementation. • • •••••
Vocational Training / Provide skill training for leaders and laypeople helping them to
Discipleship Worker meet their family's needs. • •••
Serve the missionary community through hospitality and by
Guest Home / Base Host nurturing community. • • ••
Use sports as a platform to develop the mind and reach into
Sports Ministry the lives of youth and families. • •• • ••••
Provide skill training for communities and their leaders
Agronomy helping them to meet their family's needs. • • ••
Build the Kingdom in tangible ways. • • ••••
Proclaim the love of Christ by initiating and directing tangible
Outreach / Holistic response to felt needs. • • ••
Use English teaching to provide opportunity and extend the
TESL reach of the local church • •••• •••
Promote missional focus and involvement in the global work
Missions of God among local churches. • • •••
Shepherd short-term missionaries in their long-term growth,
Short-Term Coordinator effectiveness and spiritual health. • • ••
13 window | april 2010
3/30/10 8:38 AM
 SAM and The Ammi Training Center of
Chapada dos Guimarães, Brazil, will host
CONPLEI 2012
July 4-8, 2012
www.conplei.org.br
And they sang a new song: “You are wor-
thy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain, and with your
blood you purchased men for God from
every tribe and language and people and
nation.” Revelation 5:9
C
ONPLEI, The National Counsel
of Evangelical Indigenous Pastors
and Leaders of Brazil, will bring
together peoples from many tribes, languag-
es, and nations for their 7th National Con-
gress in July, 2012. It will be an extraordi-
nary event like no other in the history of the
14 window | april 2010
Window master.indd 14
evangelization of the Indian peoples, a time
of encouragement where the body of Christ,
indigenous and non-indigenous, share their
struggles and victories and are encouraged to
take up the challenge once more to disciple
the nations. It is a time of training and spiri-
tual enrichment and the birthplace of many
new ideas and methods to make more effec-
tive the witness for Christ and His church.
Born in 1992 with only a handful of peo-
ple and a vision to see the church established
among the indigenous peoples, CONPLEI
grew to 1,200 in 2004 and most recently
1,600 in 2008 with 49 different tribes repre-
sented from seven different countries.
The Ammi Training Center (a SAM
institute) in Chapada, Brazil, will host the
event in 2012. Ammi provides a central lo-
cation and facilities ideal for meeting and
learning. Moreover, Ammi shares a like pas-
sion with CONPLEI—sending disciples of
Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth to lead
the church and glorify God.
The CONPLEI congress at Ammi is
expected to bring together 3,000 pastors
and lay leaders from many South American
countries. More than 60 different ethnic
groups will be represented, and many lead-
ers of organizations passionate about the
flourishing of the church among the indig-
enous populations of South America.
CONPLEI, SAM and Ammi will work
together to hold this important event,
but to meet all of the needs we need the
strength that the partnering with the wider
body of Christ provides. With 3,000 people
descending upon the campus of Ammi, we
will need to expand the meeting space, most
likely with large, temporary tents. We will
also need to erect temporary dining, bath,
and dorm facilities. Water will also be an
issue, as we will need to bring it in from a
neighboring source. Last, but certainly not
least, feeding 3,000 eager learners will re-
quire yeoman’s work.
We submit all of these needs, the funds
and human resources to fulfill them, to God
to provide. The church will be glorified as
we come together to make this happen.
Mark the date now—July 4-8, 2012!
www.southamericamission.org
3/30/10 8:39 AM
 generations
by Kirk Ogden, Executive Director, SAM

Posterity will serve him;

future generations will be told about the Lord.
They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn—for he has done it. Psalm 22

T
his is an ambitious edition of window on South America.
We’ve introduced a new format to try and better tell our
story. Even more ambitious is the story we are trying
to tell. In this issue you’ll read of our leadership development
efforts across the continent of South America. There are even
some undertakings you won’t find in these pages because they
are too new to publicly discuss.
to see women and men of character who are reshaping their
communities for generations to come with the love of Jesus. We
believe that leadership without godliness is vanity. Our programs
are built with that conviction in mind.
As you read and pray, I ask that you pray for the
transformation of South America through the Church of Jesus
Christ. Whether among the professional class, in the teeming
marginal neighborhoods of big cities or among the tribal groups

We believe that leadership without of the Amazon basin, may God use South America Mission to
raise up leaders after His own heart whose spiritual legacy will be
godliness is vanity. Our programs are a blessing for generations to come.
built with that conviction in mind.
Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever;
But the scope and variety of South America Mission’s leadership from generation to generation we will recount your praise. Psalm 79:13
programs—from Amazon to Andes—begs a question: what’s the
point? That question was crystalized for me at a recent memorial
service for a marvelous woman of prayer. I was present because of
her great support for missions and ministry throughout her life.
Greatgrandchildren and other direct descendants aside, I was among
the youngest in attendance.
Two grandchildren, my contemporaries, shared memories of their
grandmother’s life. There were stories of cookies and Christmases.
But what most gripped me was that they “got it.” They understood
the heart of their grandmother’s life. Her faith in Jesus was not
just a quaint memory, but a love they had inherited. What a great
inheritance indeed!
That’s the point, isn’t it? Our desire for these leadership
programs is not simply the transfer of skills. South America
Mission focuses on leadership development because we want Three generations of Ogdens: Kirk, Liam and Bill

www.southamericamission.org 15 window | april 2010

Window master.indd 15 3/30/10 8:39 AM