Graham’s Evangelistic Association, has launched an internet project to help over 100,000 mainly impoverished pastors in Latin America with education, the organization announced Saturday December 21.
"From its major cities to remote villages, the Church in Latin America is growing at a rapid pace. However, 80 percent of pastors have no theological training–most work two jobs and earn less than $500 per month," said Christianity Today International (CTI) Senior Director Robert E. Cooley.
He said CTI "is cooperating with its Spanish ministry partner Desarrollo Cristiano Internacional (DCI) "to Give the Gift of Christmas Hope" by making "practical, trusted, and indispensable biblical resources" available to the pastors via the Internet.
"We need your help as we partner with DCI to deliver Spanish language resources to pastors and church leaders via the Internet," Cooley said in a statement to supporters. "We all know the great pleasure of giving a gift that delights and satisfies the recipient. The Greatest Gift, the Living Christ, arrived in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago."
REMOTE CITIES
Church leaders say Latin American governments are pushing the Internet as the primary mode of communication and commerce. Even in remote cities along the Amazon River 50 percent of the pastors have reportedly access to the Internet at a relatively low cost.
"The Internet is an extraordinary, accessible resource whose impact is akin to the 15th century printing press. This former tool of the elite now carries information to people and places that were once out of reach," said Randy Wittig, president of DCI in Costa Rica.
"The new DCI website makes practical resources and training materials easily available to pastors and church leaders," said Wittig. A gift "will help spread the Good News of the Gospel–not just for this Season or the coming year, but for eternity, he explained.
CHRISTIAN LEADERS
Cooley suggested that every dollar given "will be matched" up to $120,000 to help DCI enhance and expand their ministry website as well as providing Spanish-speaking Christian leaders with resources for training.
Founded in September of 1955 by Dr. L. Nelson Bell and his son-in-law, William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Christianity Today magazine won awards and has been regarded as ground breaking in its coverage of evangelicals and their views on world events.
