A shared love of serving in missions brought Jason and Abby together a few years ago when their persistent matchmaking friend Harry Nachtigall, a North American serving the Church of God in Costa Rica, introduced them from afar.Abby and Jason are excited to have the opportunity to work and raise their son Josiah in the region that has played such a critical role in their individual calls to missions as well as in the formation of their relationship.
We tried something different and…. it was a success!
Each year the Church of God Seminary in Ecuador offers a week long intensive to help train leaders in the Ecuadorian Church. This year we expanded the reach of the Seminary by offering more class options, moving to a more spacious location, and including more Ecuadorian leadership.
Pastor Rodrigo teaching Christian Ethics.Pastor Luis teaching Homiletics.Pastor Jorge teaching Life Stewardship.Pastor Paula teaching Hermeneutics.Pastor Patricio Teaching Evangelism.Pastor Pol teaching the Book of JohnPastor Katita Preaching.Sister (future Pastor?) Veronica sharing during worship.Pastor Delia Praying before her Focus on Tonsupa class.
Sister Delia Praying before her Focuse on Tonsupa class.
Veronica sharing during worship.
Katita Preaching.
Pastor Patricio Teaching Evangelism.
Pastor Paula teaching Herminutics.
Pastor Jorge teaching Life Stewardship.
Pastor Luis teaching Homiletics.
Pastor Rodrigo teaching Christian Ethics.
Pastor Pol teaching the Book of John
Last year we had a total of twenty-five participants with one international student. This year we had seventy-six participants with several international students!
Our students this year!
Last year we offered five classes for the edification of the students. This year we were able to offer ten classes and a writing seminar!
Pastor Jorge Palacio from Pennsylvania helped expand our class options by teaching Leadership Development.
Last year two Pastors from outside the Church of God and the Missionary taught classes. This year Seven classes were taught by our Ecuadorian Pastors, three were taught by Visiting Professors and the writing seminar was taught by the Missionary!
This year we were blessed to host visiting Missionary Abby Torgeson teaching Biblical Sexuality.
Last year we held classes at the Seminary building in Quito. (We are blessed to have such a wonderful building but it could not have housed all of our students this year). We were able to hold classes at a campground that could have facilitated double the number of students!
Doctor Eric and Doctor Bonnie Newell helping attract new students by co-teaching Christian Education.
Last year the student surveys evaluated the classes as valuable but somewhat lacking. This year the surveys and comments were overwhelmingly positive.
Perhaps the best indicator that this year was a success is the feedback we have already received about the students from their Pastors. This year the students returned to their Churches excited and willing to employ their newly acquired knowledge in their Churches.
The students are eager to employ their new knowledge in their Churches!
Of course all of the many successes of this year were build on the firm foundation of years past. For many years Missionaries like Jon and Karen Lambert, Gregory and Linda Robertson, Jonny and Paula Snyder, Karvin and Sandy Adams, and Narciso and Udelia Zamora developed the Seminary program. In addition to so many dedicated Missionaries countless visiting Professors have poured their time talent and treasure into developing our Seminary program. It is on the shoulders of so many great leaders that we were able to achieve such a wonderful success this year!
Pastor Paula and Pastor Delia both taught and studied in this year at the Seminary intensive!
If you donated this year to the Seminary project you where a major part of our success! By faith we planned something bigger than we have ever attempted before, trusting that God would provide the funds through His faithful Church. Your gifts added to the sacrificial giving of the Ecuadorian Church is what funded this vital Ministry! We already have a team working on the next two year’s Seminary intensive weeks and we have already received some much needed prayer and financial support. Will you join us? We need your prayers and your donations to ensure the future success of the Seminary program! We have big plans for the future but we can only reach them with your help. To donate to our Seminary fund please click here!
Young Church leaders preparing for Christian service!
Since we are already asking for your support could we ask for your help in one more important way? We need you to lend us your voice! Will you please take some time and share this success story with your Pastor and Missions committee? Will you please advocate for your church to get involved in this Great Commission ministry? We need you, your prayers, your donations and your voice. Together we can make a significant difference in the lives of our Ecuadorian brothers and sisters!
Each year the Ecuadorian Church offers intensive classes through our Seminary program. These classes have been very beneficial for the leadership of our churches. Each intensive course has given the Eucadorian Church to hear from excellent Professors from all over the world.
We are excited to announce our Professors for intensive week!
Dr. Eric and Dr. Bonnie Newell
We are happy to announce that the Newells will be co-teaching the class ChristianEducation! The Newells are uniquely suited to teach this topic as their education and ministry have prepared them to speak into the life of the Ecuadorian Church.
Dr. Bonnie is a Teacher in the Middletown School district in Middletown, Ohio. Dr. Eric serves as a Hospital Chaplain.
The Downing family has been honored to sit under the teaching of both Eric and Bonnie when they served as pastors at the Breiel Blvd Chruch of God.
Rev. Jorge Palacios
Rev. Jorge was born in San Salvador, El Salvador. He and his wife, Zoila have been Pastoring the Church of God Shalom in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the past 16 years.
From their local church they have been preparing and sending ministers to open
new works in other US Cities, and also internationally. Including some churches near Cuenca, Ecuador! He will be bringing seven students with him from the US and Honduras. Rev. Palacios will be teaching our Pastors about Leadership Development.
Our regional consultants for Latin America, Jason and Abby are responsible for directing the work of Global Strategy missionaries and projects in Latin America. They are also working in partnership with the leadership of CIID (Confraternidad Interamericana de la Iglesia de Dios).
We are honored to recive Abby’s teaching over What the Bible Teaches About Sexuality.
This year we are extremely happy to include Professors chosen from our Ecuadorian Chruch!
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Our local Professors will be teaching the following classes: Herminutics, Homiletics, Beliefs of the Church of God, Christian Ethics, How to Evangelize, The Son of God in the Gospel of John.
Two exciting changes are also occurring this year. We will be holding classes at a Christian Campground in Some, a small town near the Tonsupa Church. This change of venue has garnered much enthusiasm for this year’s intensive week! We are expecting over forty students this year.
We are also offering more classes so we are able to give our students a choice between two classes each hour. This gives our students ownership over thier course of study.
We are attempting Big Things this year and we are happy to announce that everything is coming together nicely. God has blessed us richly this year through many donations to our Seminary fund. We are still in need of some funding. Would you consider giving to this worthy ministry? We need your help!
Cada año, la Iglesia Ecuatoriana ofrece clases intensivas a través de nuestro programa de Seminarios. Estas clases han sido muy beneficiosas para el liderazgo de nuestras iglesias. Cada curso intensivo le ha dado a la Iglesia Eucadorian escuchar a excelentes Profesores de todo el mundo.
¡Este año nos complace anunciarles a nuestros Profesores de la semana intisiva!
Dr. Eric y Dra. Bonnie Newell
¡Estamos felices de anunciar que Newells estará co-enseñando la clase de Educación Cristiana! Los Newell son idóneos para enseñar este tema, ya que su educación y su ministerio los han llevado a hablar sobre la vida de la Iglesia ecuatoriana.
La Dra. Bonnie es maestra en el distrito escolar de Middletown en Middletown, Ohio. El Dr. Eric sirve como capellán de hospital.
La familia Downing tuvo el honor de establecer bajo las enseñanzas del Dr. Newells cuando servían como ministros en Breiel Blvd Iglesia de Dios.
Rvdo. Jorge Palacios
El Rvdo. Jorge nació en San Salvador, El Salvador. Él y su esposa, Zoila, han sido pastores de la Iglesia de Dios Shalom en Filadelfia, Pensilvania, durante los últimos 16 años.
Desde su iglesia local se han estado preparando y enviando ministros para abrir
nuevos trabajos en otras ciudades de EE. UU. y también a nivel internacional. ¡Incluyendo algunas iglesias cerca de Cuenca, Ecuador! Él traerá consigo a siete estudiantes de Estados Unidos y Honduras. El pastor Palacios enseñará a nuestros pastores sobre el desarrollo del liderazgo.
Nuestros consultores regionales para América Latina, Jason y Abby, son responsables de dirigir el trabajo de los misioneros y proyectos de Estrategia Global en América Latina y de trabajar en asociación con el liderazgo del CIID (Confraternidad Interamericana de la Iglesia de Dios), el cuerpo de líderes de a través de la Iglesia de Dios.
Nos sentimos honrados de recibir la enseñanza de Abby sobre lo que la Biblia enseña acerca de la sexualidad.
¡Este año estamos muy contentos de incluir Profesores elegidos de la cantidad de nuestra Iglesia Ecuatoriana!
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Nuestros Profesores locales enseñarán Herminutica, Homilética, Creencias de la Iglesia de Dios, Ética Cristiana, Cómo Evangelizar, El Hijo de Dios en el Evangelio de Juan.
Dos cambios emocionantes también están ocurriendo este año. Tendremos clases en un campamento cristiano en Some, un pequeño pueblo cerca de la iglesia de Tonsupa. ¡Este cambio de sede ha generado mucho entusiasmo para la semana de este año! Esperamos más de cuarenta estudiantes este año.
También estamos ofreciendo más clases de las que pudimos en el pasado. Podemos ofrecerles a nuestros estudiantes una opción entre dos clases cada hora. Esto les da a nuestros estudiantes la propiedad sobre su curso de estudio.
Estamos intentando grandes cosas este año y nos complace anunciar que todo va a salir bien. Dios nos ha bendecido ricamente este año a través de muchas donaciones a nuestro fondo del Seminario. Todavía necesitamos algunos fondos. ¿Considerarías dar a este digno ministerio? ¡Necesitamos tu ayuda!
Aquí le mostramos cómo ayudar: Por favor, tómese un momento para visitar nuestra página de donaciones (haga clic aquí) y haga una donación de cualquier tamaño. Luego agradece tomarse un momento para compartir esta publicación con un amigo, pastor o comité de misiones que pueda estar interesado en apoyar este ministerio. Juntos podemos hacer una gran diferencia en las vidas de nuestros Hermanos y Hermanas en Ecuador.
¡Gracias de antemano por todo su apoyo!Los Downing Timoteo 2, Elias, Angelita, Ezequiel, Esperanza, Timoteo, Adelena
Abby and Jason are excited to have the opportunity to work and raise their son Josiah in the region that has played such a critical role in their individual calls to missions as well as in the formation of their relationship.
The Downings
