Theological training institute

In the wake of efforts by two different Presbyterian mission co-workers to upgrade theological education for Q’eqhchi’ pastors and other Q’eqchi’ church leaders, the Estoreño presbytery itself undertook such training initially for Estoreño church leaders only (although other Q’eqchi’ presbyteries apparently inquired about it as Estoreño got started). Estoreño leaders have been asking Crescent Hill church for assistance with this project for a while, and Crescent Hill promised to send (or beam) an instructor. But, without that, the presbytery managed to land a grant from the national Guatemalan church and partner with the Presbyterian seminary in Guatemala to bring a seminary professor to El Estor for three days (maybe once a month?).

Tuesday, the mission team’s third day in El Estor, was the first day of the first week of this training institute. Tuesday morning the mission team got to hear some of the professor’s opening and lecture and then team members were introduced. The next morning, when the mission team was about to leave El Estor, the team and the institute participants took a break to sing and pray the team on its way. In the interstices, the team saw that the curriculum for the institute, which the grant had helped pay for, included copies for all of the Spanish translation of "The Presbyterian Sense of Life," by John MacKay, a former Princeton seminary president.

One residue of the mission team’s visit, besides authorizing the leftover funds after the purchase of 120 Q’eqchi’ Bibles, was this: The seminary professor lectured very effectively in Spanish. After participating in the Peter-led church history workshop, which included Ramiro translating into Q’eqhchi’, the professor apparently opted to ask for Spanish-to-Q’eqchi’ translation of the rest of his lectures.

-Perry