From March 31 to April 3, leaders from the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) region attended the Latin America Olivet Leadership Institute (OLI) Leadership Training, a spiritually transformative time marked by in-depth lectures, heartfelt reflection, and renewed commitment to ministry. Leaders from countries including Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and El Salvador received teachings from senior pastors and directors, growing in their understanding of the gospel, the cross, resurrection, sanctification, and biblical community.
**Day 1: The Cross – The Foundation of Christian Life and Ministry**
Senior Pastor Simon Jang of Sean Church in Korea opened the training by focusing on the meaning of the cross. Drawing from Isaiah 53 and Acts 2, he spoke of Christ’s suffering as the Lamb led to the slaughter. Despite being sinless, Jesus bore the punishment for humanity’s sins. Pastor Jang emphasized that the crucifixion was not only a historical tragedy but also a personal matter for each believer, calling for deep repentance and humility. He challenged the leaders to adopt the mind of the cross, to live out humility and service, and to correct others not with condemnation but with love and a spirit of atonement.
**Day 2: Sanctification – Living a Life of Holiness in the Gospel**
Pastor Sofia Hong, Director of Olivet Seminary, led the second day with a message on sanctification. She taught that while believers are justified by faith, the journey of sanctification is a lifelong process of becoming holy through God’s Word, prayer, and community. She warned against legalism and emphasized the grace of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome sin. Pastor Hong also addressed the importance of unity in the church, referencing the divisions in the Corinthian church. True unity, she said, comes from each person being rooted in Christ, the vine. Church leaders were urged to be faithful stewards of God’s mysteries, using their time wisely, controlling their desires, and bearing each other’s burdens in love.
**Day 3: Resurrection – Hope in the Power of New Life**
On the third day, Pastor Mark Shin, Senior Pastor at Revival Church in Korea, delivered a powerful message about the resurrection. Through John 11 and Romans 6, he spoke of Jesus raising Lazarus and the deep spiritual significance of overcoming despair through resurrection faith. He reminded the leaders that resurrection is not just a doctrine but a source of power that enables believers to overcome hardship and live with hope. The faith of resurrection, he said, is key to missionary work—it fills us with courage, gratitude, and joy even in tribulation. In the second session, Pastor Shin highlighted the historical reality and unshakable truth of the resurrection, calling all believers to be witnesses of the risen Christ and to live with the hope of eternal life.
**Day 4: The Church – Living Biblically as One Body**
The final day featured two lectures from Pastor Sarah Yoon, Director of OAAP OLI. She outlined the biblical principles that guide the identity, practices, and traditions of the church community. Starting as a humble Bible study group, the church grew through love for the Word, early morning devotions, and a culture of offering the first hour of the day to God. Pastor Yoon explained how the community practices Kerygma (proclaiming the Word), Koinonia (fellowship), and Diakonia (service), emphasizing that faith must be expressed in action.
She stressed the church’s unity, rooted in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, where members work together like the body of Christ. Pastor Yoon also explained the concept of front-line and support-line ministries, where different parts of the church serve with mutual respect and purpose. She introduced the community’s vision for marriage and family—rooted in faith and lifelong care—emphasizing “Faith and Family” as a key to church stability.
In her second lecture, Pastor Yoon urged leaders to live out the gospel daily through relationships of love, sanctification in the church, and humility before one another. She emphasized the need for organized ministry, accountability, and complete dependence on the Word of God. Bible teachers must focus solely on the truth of the Bible, not worldly issues, she said. The Word must be preached as life-giving power, not just knowledge. Sanctification, she concluded, must be practiced together in community through prayer, material integrity, and Spirit-led living.
**Conclusion: A Renewed Vision for the Gospel in Latin America**
Throughout the four-day training, CAC leaders were deeply moved by the teachings and reaffirmed their calling to expand God’s kingdom in Latin America. They resolved to carry the message of the cross and resurrection, live holy lives of sanctification, and build churches grounded in the Bible and love. With renewed vision, they committed to planting the Word of God in their hearts, living by the power of the Holy Spirit, and delivering the gospel of life to the ends of the earth.