Is this phrase familiar to you? It is a biblical phrase, and it seems it was one of the favorite phrases of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of John, seven times Jesus said, “But the hour cometh, and now is,” or in other words, “the time has come!” Using this powerful declaration, Jesus wanted to awaken His disciples to the reality God was starting a new season. Some of His promises were being fulfilled, and His people needed to act.
After much waiting, prayer, and planning, North American Ministries CEO David Crowe, Cross-Cultural Officer Rick Bowling, and Pastor Gene Williams of Parkers Chapel FWB Church in Greenville, North Carolina, felt God directing them to relocate and relaunch the Hispanic Bible Institute. The Institute is a branch of North American Ministries founded by Rick Bowling and Earl Hendrix in 2004 with great success.
This is great news for many of us! But perhaps some of you are asking “Why is this relevant to me? Why do we need a Hispanic Institute again?”
Allow me to share important details regarding this great vision God has given us.
Why?
We need the Hispanic Institute to teach, train, equip, and prepare ministers of God for full- or part-time ministry among the Hispanic people. Nearly 64 million Spanish-speakers now live in the United States.
We need the Hispanic Institute to train pastors and preachers with sound doctrine to reach people with the true biblical message of salvation and transformation through Jesus Christ.
We need the Hispanic Institute because it has a legacy of great success, with 200 student graduates. Forty now serve as pastors, and others serve in churches around the United States and internationally.
We need the Hispanic Institute because Spanish is the third most spoken language in the world (after Chinese and English). Many nations speak Spanish, and we can potentially reach students in those nations.
Program
Students at the Hispanic Institute experience four months of intensive training, five days a week, with six hours of classroom learning each day. This way, students will receive in four months the training most institutes take two to three years to accomplish. Also, it is easier for working people, or those with families, to commit to four months rather than two or three years.
Each week, classroom instruction is paired with hours of practical service among Hispanic people in the surrounding area.
In addition to classroom instruction and practical service, daily prayer is emphasized as a vital part of successful ministry. Students must be equipped with prayer to be strong for the sometimes-difficult work of God. The institute is not just a learning center; it is a transforming and empowering center.
Students
The institute is open to members of all Hispanic Free Will Baptist congregations in the United States and other countries. Those attending must present a letter of recommendation from their pastor and/or association.
While students do not necessarily have to be from our denomination, they must understand and accept the basic principles of our denomination before entering the institute.
Parkers Chapel will help provide apartments for the students, and they will attend classes and eat their meals in the Parkers Chapel facilities.
Teachers
Pastors from Spanish-speaking Free Will Baptist churches are a crucial part of this project. They will volunteer one or two weeks to teach at the institute, and only transportation and housing costs will be covered for them. We are grateful for their dedication to this work.
Courses
Courses covered include New Testament, Old Testament, Systematic Theology, Methods of Bible Study, Homiletics, Church History, Apologetics, Successful Evangelism in the 21st Century, Cults, and many more. Each class includes a final test with grades given. Students receive a Certificate in Theological Studies after completing four months of study.
Costs
Our goal is to keep expenses as low as possible, so more students can attend the institute. We set tuition at $4,000 per student, which includes housing, meals, and courses. The actual expense is much greater than this, but we’re taking a step of faith and appealing to God’s providence through His people to make it possible to keep tuition low and classes accessible. Your help and support are vital to realize our vision.
Time
Our goal is to complete one, four-month class each year. The first class at the institute began August 11, 2024, and ends December 13, 2024.
The time has come!
We all can contribute to this great vision. If you know Hispanic believers who desire to serve the Lord, encourage them to join our Hispanic Bible Institute. If God leads you to be a part, your prayers and your support are very valuable. It will bless the lives of thousands of Hispanics and will even result in the planting of many Hispanic churches.
About the Writer: Before moving to Greenville, North Carolina, to relaunch the Hispanic Bible Institute, Jaime Hernandez and his family served as cross-cultural church planters with North American Ministries and the Indiana State Mission Board at Primera Iglesia Bautista Libre in Elkhart, Indiana, for 13 years. While serving the Institute, Jamie and his family will plant a new Hispanic church in conjunction with Parkers Chapel.
