David and Bertha Barnes
Providing theological education in Peru and across Latin America
It’s an exciting time in Peru as the Church is growing, and new churches are constantly being planted. 17%* of Peruvians identify as evangelical Christians. This enormous growth has created the need for training leaders and church planters. However, most pastors have not been able to access theological training due to the high costs of education and, due to family, work, and ministry commitments.
Fewer than 20% of pastors in Latin America have any formal theological education.
Soon, the Seminary plans to grow in its reach across the continent, by adding postgraduate study programmes for those church leaders who want to take their education further but can’t afford to pay for postgraduate studies abroad.
*Source: statista.com, 2020
From a short-term mission experience to a life-long calling
David felt God’s call to Peru when he visited the country on a short-term mission trip back in 1988.
In 2001 we started offering theological, Biblical, and ministerial training for 40 village pastors and church planters from a 500-mile stretch of the Amazon River. Six times a year the students gathered for a week of intensive classes. This provided fruitful times of fellowship, discussion and encouragement for all. The students brought their Bibles, mosquito nets and what food they could – fish, caiman, turtle or plantains – and we all ate together and slept in our hammocks.
It has been exciting to see how the Lord has expanded our pastoral training ministry from these humble beginnings.
Now, after 30 years, we are excited to be involved in providing theological education to hundreds of pastors and church leaders, not only in Lima and in the jungles, mountains and deserts of Peru, but also through our online degrees, across the whole of Latin America and even beyond.
The internet has given our ministry a global reach: crossing borders and eliminating barriers, to provide theological education to those who want to get to know God’s word better, and to learn to minister effectively to their communities.
We are also very involved in our local church here in Lima, in preaching and teaching ministries.
We are excited to be involved in providing theological education to hundreds of pastors and church leaders across Peru and beyond.