Sensible Santiago

I write the evening of Day Two of our Institute for Excellence taking place in Santiago de Chile.  Eighteen schools, all training Christian leaders for Latin American churches, are represented by their principal accompanied by several other seminary leaders.  We are 47 in all.

Our host school here in Santiago is the Instituto Biblico Nacionale, a well-respected and highly influential seminary, founded by an American Assemblies of God missionary.  It is now independent and serving a wide variety of churches and is led by a Chilean, Daniel Ramos.

Choosing IBN as our host school as we conduct this Institute on the topic of financial sustainability was no accident.  Over the past few years, largely under Daniel’s leadership, the seminary has made substantial progress in becoming financially sustainable.  Not unlike many schools founded by Western missionaries, in earlier years it depended totally on donations from overseas for its operations.  Students contributed not a peso in tuition.  But IBN has experienced the unreliability of Western gifts, and has made a dramatic shift in the towards local and more dependable sources of funding for its expanding ministry.

Several years ago students began paying a modest amount of tuition fees, not so much that access is considerably restricted, but sufficient to provide a significant amount of dependable income.  Almost all students are part-time, meaning that they have some means of paying fees from their employment. Extension sites were started throughout Chile, not only expanding IBN’s reach, but increasing its financial base.

The main campus is located in a desirable downtown area, very close to a subway station and in the midst of a number of universities and academies.  They are also owners of an adjacent building, under-utilized in the past, and recently rented out to a music academy.  This provides a further dependable source of income.  There are plans to convert their parking lot into a multi-story parking garage, with almost certain profit from subway users.

The school started a modest Christian bookstore, aimed primarily at the needs of their students, but also generating some profit.  A small catering service does the same.

Yes, IBN is a “business”.  It pays salaries and utility bills.  It “sells” a service.  It conducts financial transactions, and can only do so as long as income meets expenses.  But, IBN is also a “school”.  It strives to have an effective educational model which results in competent graduates fit for service.  And, IBN also has a “mission” – to be a partner and servant of the Church in Chile.  To be truly financially sustainable, IBN must fulfill all three successfully; it must have a sustainable financial model; provide an effective education; and fulfill an appropriate mission in service of the Church.

Our goal this week is that other seminaries in this region will do the same.  Pray for God’s work among us this week – for each of the facilitators and participants.

Warmly in Christ,

Scott

Dean of the Institutes