Theological Education is Helping Latin American Churches Reach the Nations

Some years ago, I met a group of indigenous church leaders from a remote tribe in the Brazilian Amazon who were attending a theological training workshop in a nearby town. To get to this training, they had to travel hours by boat under the unforgiving heat and humidity of the Amazon. 

Returning at night, under the cover of darkness, they had to feel their way through the low spots in the river so as not to run aground. The sacrifices they made to attend, their hunger for the Word, and their joy in receiving biblical training were encouraging and humbling. 

Surprisingly, this hunger for theological training is more common than uncommon across Latin America. From the mountains of Panama to the Patagonia region in southern Argentina, believers are hungry for theological education in their desire to be obedient to the Great Commission. 

Yet, theological education can be a slow and challenging process that requires significant investment. Is it really a necessary component to help Latin American churches reach the nations? 

The answer to that question is a resounding and uncompromising “Yes!” There are at least three reasons why. 

Theological Training Equips Churches to Obey the Great Commission

First, pursuing theological education helps churches in Latin America be faithful to all of the Great Commission. Some of Jesus’ last words to his disciples help keep us centered on the mission he gave to us. 

Yet, we must remember what that mission is. It is to take the gospel to places where Christ is not known and make disciples by baptizing and teaching them. It is dangerous to assume that Jesus meant to teach new disciples a few facts and then call it a day. 

Instead, Jesus said to teach “them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20), which includes the depth and breadth of Jesus’ teaching. Theological education flows from that command. To ignore or neglect theological education is to short-circuit the plan Jesus gave to reach the nations. 

This natural progression from gospel preaching to discipleship, baptism, church planting, and theological education can be seen throughout Latin America. Many theological institutions in the United States have developed programs in Spanish and other languages. We should praise God for that and be grateful for this collaboration and investment in Latin America. 

At the same time, we should see more and more healthy indigenous theological institutions started across Latin America. It will be a sign of a healthy, self-sustaining movement when Latin American seminaries raise well-trained pastoral scholars who serve the churches faithfully in their context and contribute to the broader theological debate. This is what it looks like to obey all of the Great Commission, and we want to see that happen across Latin America. 

Churches Need Trained Pastors

Second, as Christianity grows in Latin America, the need for more local churches and pastors also grows. Of course, these pastors must receive theological education. In some ways, it is a simple math equation. 

For example, the Argentine government reports that the evangelical church has grown by 3.2 million in the last 15 years. Assuming the average church has around 100 attendees, that growth represents a need for 32,000 more churches and pastors. That is an overwhelming number when we consider the time and energy it takes to raise up pastors to shepherd the church of Christ. 

Without pastors, these churches will never be planted. Without churches, these new believers will flounder in their newfound faith. Even if these pastors are raised up without some theological education, they will be unclear on what makes a Christian a Christian, why the divinity of Christ matters, and the truth of the resurrection, among other beliefs that are essential to the Christian faith. The health of these new believers, the new churches, and the evangelical movement is connected to their access to theological education. 

Latin American Missionaries Need a Good Theological Foundation

Why does the health of these local congregations matter? To put it simply, healthy churches send healthy missionaries. As evangelicalism continues to grow in Latin America, the next step is for churches to begin sending out their own missionaries. 

Of course, this has already been happening in the era of “missions from everywhere to everywhere.” But the desire in Latin America to send missionaries is growing, and the potential missionary force is huge. 

Latin American missionaries are capable of going anywhere in the world to share the gospel and plant churches. Especially in places like North Africa, where there is a great deal of cultural similarity, this missionary force could be what God uses to bring light into darkness. We would be foolish to believe that the missionary task lies solely in the hands of the North American church. 

If we want to reach the hardest parts of the world, one of the most important things we can do is invest in places like Latin America and Africa to help prepare the next generation of missionaries. 

Here is where we return to the need for theological education. If Latin America is to send missionaries, they must be well-prepared and well-trained. Missions history is full of stories of workers who went out with good intentions but bad preparation, causing more harm than good. 

To avoid this error and obey the Great Commission, we must invest in theological education in Latin America. Doing so will be a blessing to the church here and the future churches planted by Latin American missionaries around the world.