Theological

Education In
Latin America
Biblical Seminary of Colombia
Medellín, Colombia

Open my eyes, that I may

behold wonderful things from
Your law... - Psalm 119:18

Our mission is to play an integral part in the formation and training of Latin American
Christian leaders within a contextualized and academically rigorous environment. !This
training is critical in providing the biblical, theological and spiritual foundation for the
growth of a healthy Latin American church that it might be a transformational and
prophetic witness both within the church and society as well as a powerful force in the
worldwide Christian missions movement.
 The Need 2 Timothy 2:15 15 - Do your best to
The evangelical church in present yourself to God as one approved,
Latin America suffers from a worker who does not need to be
a crisis of trained
leadership, shallow ashamed and who correctly handles the
discipleship and word of truth.
nominalism, a stifling
legalism, theologically
questionable church
practices, as well as the sufficiently large enough The Opportunity
rise of aberrant church to support its own Gustavo has been invited to
movements. The work of missionaries; however, join the New Testament
the Biblical Seminary of this enthusiastic and department of the Biblical
Colombia (BSC) is brave core of believers Seminary of Colombia.
critically important for must still possess a solid Currently, this department has
providing a much needed theological training for only a few professors; none of
biblical and theological the work they will whom hold doctoral degrees.
foundation for the growing undertake in other parts Gustavo is being asked and
church in Colombia and of the world. The BSC's encouraged to pursue doctoral
Latin America. high academic standards, studies as an investment into
within a multi-cultural the future of the school as well
and multi-denominational as for the long-term
In addition, the church in
environment is providing development of theological
Colombia is now
the needed training for education in Latin America.
many future missionaries.
PhD Studies
Gustavo will begin formal studies in September, 2009 with the London School of
Theology (LST) in pursuit of a Ph.D. in New Testament. This semi-residential
program is jointly administered by Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and LST,
allowing Gustavo to study while living in Boston.

The challenge of
equipping pastors with
strong theological
John Contreras foundations is a major
issue affecting the
is one of the Church in Latin America
150 full-time today.
students Some leaders receive
studying for a great training in
Bachelors in traditional seminary
settings; others take
Theology. advantage of TEE
programs (Theological
Education by Extension),
yet many pastors still
don’t have access to
quality training.
 POPULATION
Statistics Medellin Metro: 3.5 million

The Church in Colombia Colombia: 45 million

% of Evangelicals: less than 5%

% of Charismatics/Pentecostals: About 6 – 12%
(Operation World places the Charismatic / Pentecostal figure at 17%, though it is disputed by Colombian
nationals who minister there. The figure is also much debated because it incorporates many movements of
abberant theology and biblically questionable practices.)

The Ministry of Biblical

Seminary of Colombia
(BSC)

The BSC is the only non-denominational 4) Bellavista Prison Bible Institute –

undergraduate theology program in
Colombia and one of only a handful in all
of Latin America.
In addition to an undergraduate degree in
theology, the BSC offers the following
programs:
1) Nationwide extension program of 5
courses to help prepare lay leaders for the
church.
2) Medellín Institute of Ministry –
Citywide extension program of 24 courses
in: Bible and Christian Ministry, Old
Testament or New Testament.
3) Network of Institutes – Network and
resources to strengthen and help in the
development of other national bible
institutes and theological training schools.
Sponsorship of one of the few Bible
Institutes in the world that is
administered within prison walls. 200
graduates since inception including 40
who are now full-time pastors.
5) Children’s Community Library -
Promotes literacy among children in
under-resourced neighborhoods.
6) Jack Voelkel Center for Missions –
Advances missiological research, creates
national missions projects and provides
formation and training to prospective
missionaries.
7) Research and editorial unit -
Encourages the publication of academic
books and journals by the university
faculty.

BSC Facts: 2009

• 148 Full-time students of theology
• 66 students in the ESL program
• 100 students in the Medellin Institute of Ministry
• 892 students in nationwide extension programs
• 31 denominations represented within student body
• 7 full-time faculty and 5 part-time
• Accredited by the Colombia Ministry of Education
• Member AETLA - Evangelical Assoc. of Theological Education in Latin America.
 Personal Vision Of Work
Our vision for training leaders for the church in Latin America is multi-faceted and incorporates the
following aspects:

1) An academically rigorous preparation in bible and contextualized theology within a multi-

cultural and multi-denominational environment - This fosters critical thinking utilizing a
robust biblical framework within a Christian community of diverse beliefs, customs and
religious practices.

2) Spiritual guidance and mentoring of students - This fosters the students’ devotion, character
and calling to ministry. Studying theology should always lead to a greater vision of God and
his work, to Christian maturity and greater clarity for what God intends for his servants.

3) Development and oversight of practical ministry experiences - Theory and practice should
never be divorced from the theological project. The needs of the church and society should
always be at forefront of our learning objectives. !

Because professors, students and administrators live, work, minister and play together on campus, it
aids in the fulfillment of this vision and allows for the growth of rich relationships, stimulating
interactions and the modeling of a healthy Christian community.

Our vision for training leaders will also include Gustavo becoming an active contributor to the
theological discourse of the Spanish-speaking continent.! This includes research and writing, teaching in
other theological institutions in Latin America as well as participating in regional conferences.

Ultimately, our vision for the ministry of theological education is the formation of strong Christian
leaders who passionately love God, have a servant spirit, and who will utilize the resources of their
theological training to help transform their churches, societies and the world with the message of the
gospel.

Projected Time Line

Academic Year 2009 – 2010:
Gustavo begins New Testament doctoral
studies with London School of Theology.
His dissertation will focus on leadership
in the early church.
Spring 2010: Gustavo to teach a
class in New Testament at Gordon
Conwell’s urban campus (CUME)
Summer 2010: Gustavo to teach an
intensive class in New Testament at BSC
in Medellín, Colombia
Academic Year 2010 – 2011:
Gustavo to complete second year of
research and writing of doctoral
dissertation and to continue teaching
with CUME.
Early Summer 2011: Karakey
family to relocate to Medellín.
Academic Years 2011 and
2012: Gustavo to teach part-time at
BSC while finishing up dissertation
part-time.
Missionary Family Profile
Shortly after we married in October, 1996,
we felt a conviction to dedicate our lives to
full time ministry. Given Gustavo’s passion
and professional teaching experience as well
as his bicultural and bilingual upbringing, we
felt led to serve the Lord on the mission
field in Latin America in the area of
theological education and leadership
development.
Upon graduation from Gordon Conwell
Theological Seminary with a Masters of
Divinity in 2003, we were commissioned as
Park Street Church missionaries serving
with Latin America Mission (LAM) in
Paraguay, South America. Following one
year of language studies, Gustavo ministered
as a professor at a bible institute for four
years and as a pastor of a church in the
interior for two years.
Wanting to have a greater impact on the
development of the Latin American church and
its theology, it became clear that advanced
studies were required. Thus, Gustavo
completed a Masters in Theology (Th.M.) as a
prerequisite to his doctoral studies which are
scheduled to begin Fall, 2009.
We believe the Lord has gifted Gustavo with
the ability to clearly communicate through
teaching and writing, to counsel and mentor
students and to assimilate effectively in
different cultures. The Lord has given both
Gustavo and Rochelle the desire to be used
where resources are limited and the needs are
great. We believe the opportunity to serve
with the BSC is not only an answer to prayer
but an excellent match for our gifting and
desire.
Gustavo, Rochelle and their children, Emilio
(11), Caroline (9) and Natalie (7) are looking
forward to continuing their missionary service
in Medellín, Colombia beginning Summer, 2011.
 How You Can
Partner

Latin America Mission

Our Missions Agency (www.lam.org)

"The Latin America Mission is an inter-
national community of men and women who,
motivated by their love for the Lord Jesus
Christ and in obedience to His commands,
encourage, assist, and participate with the
Latin American church in the task of building
the church of Jesus Christ in the Latin world
and beyond."
The LAM works directly with hundreds
of churches and Christian agencies
throughout Latin America by assigning
qualified personnel to work with them in
carrying out their ministry in the region,
and to participate with them, at their
invitation, in evangelism and discipleship.

Invest Financially
We are inviting individuals and partnering churches to financially support
our missionary work via charitable donations to the Latin America Mission.

Pray With Us
A critical need in our ministry is for
people to join us in prayer:
* for this time of preparation
* for BSC in Medellín and its students
* for the Latin American church
* for our transition to life in Medellín.
If you would like to receive updates and
prayer requests, please email us at
gustavok@karakey.com.
Partnership
We are seeking individuals and
partnering churches to help us reach
the goal of preparing for and serving
as missionaries to BSC in Medellín,
Colombia.
Harvesting the fruit together
Summary
We are in need of partners who will help
us with the following financial obligations. Partnering Goals
Ongoing Financial Needs
* Salary & Benefits (health, life, FICA,
retirement) Monthly = Annual Number of
* LAM Administrative Fee Gift Gift Partners Needed
* Travel & Equipment expense
* Educational Needs (PhD) $ 50 $ 600 20
* Initial Outgoing Expenses $100 $1200 15
$200 $2400 5
$400 $4800 3
Inception Date $600 $7200 2
Our full-time missionary status with Latin $800 $9600 1
America Mission (LAM) begins on
September 1, 2009 when Gustavo begins * Total donations needed to cover salary,
his full-time PhD studies. benefits, children's education, LAM administrative
fee and travel & equipment fund equals $6700
Of particular importance is that our monthly.
financial needs will also begin on
September 1st, as Gustavo transitions Special Donations
from a salaried position at Park Street * One time donations needed to cover PhD
Church to that of a full-time PhD tuition equals $7500 annually for 3 years.
student.
During this study leave, our monthly * Outgoing Expenses for relocation and set-up
salary will comprise of the actual estimated to be $24,000.
donations received by LAM on our behalf.
All donations are tax-deductible

How to Partner With Us:

Complete the enclosed Pledge Form. To donate, choose one of the following options:

1) Use the enclosed Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) form to set up an automatic donation

2) Make a donation online: https://www.lam.org/donate/

3) Send a check to LAM along with the completed pledge form

Please see partnership.karakey.com for complete details.

 Theological Education in Latin
America

Biblical Seminary of Colombia

Medellín, Colombia

Gustavo and Rochelle Karakey

35 Phillips St.
Weymouth, MA 02188
617-516-7224
gustavok@karakey.com
www.karakey.com

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell

where his influence stops.
Henry Brooks Adams
American Historian