Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is LATN?

The Latin America Training Network (LATN) is an educational program that uses technology to overcome obstacles faced by evangelical leaders in Latin America. We are a “school without walls” that uses computer-based training and Internet connectivity to deliver necessary content to every part of Central, South, and North America, as well as Europe and other parts of the world. Leaders in ministry can study, communicate, and fellowship around Master's level courses without leaving their families, ministries, or countries.

2. Why is LATN needed?

An estimated 8,000 people are coming to know Christ every day in Latin America. Although this is wonderful news, it does create a dilemma for the Latin American church--a lack of trained leaders. LATN equips key Latin American leaders who are responsible both for the care of these new believers, and for the church as a whole. Although the church needs leadership training at all levels, LATN follows God’s call to equip those in the higher levels of leadership. These leaders then disciple and train other leaders in Latin America’s Church Planting Movements. In this way, LATN can have maximum impact for Christ and his church in Latin America.

3. How does LATN equip Latin Americans?

LATN brings training right into students' homes. We use Internet tools such as web-based content delivery, computer conferencing, threaded discussions, and e-mail. Materials for some courses are also delivered via multimedia CD’s and textbooks.

Although they are distance learners, LATN students are not isolated. Trained facilitators lead the classes and encourage interaction. Students are also assigned mentors who make spiritual formation a significant component of their educational experience. Students study together, forming close-knit learning communities. They meet periodically for intensive face-to-face dialogue, both with professors, and with each other. They also use these meetings for fellowship and prayer.

4. Why does LATN use the distance-education format?

Technology has impacted every part of our lives, including education. Just as chalkboards have made way for whiteboards, overhead projectors, and computer projection equipment, the traditional teacher has made room for computer-driven distance education.

Distance education has taken tremendous strides over the past twenty years. It is now possible to create a robust, interactive learning environment which delivers the quality of traditional instructor-led education. Multiple studies have concluded that there is no significant difference in results between the two methods. Distance education reaches beyond classroom walls to leaders who cannot otherwise attend classes.

5. Is LATN’s distance education method relevant to Latin America?

Distance education is actually more common in Latin America than in the USA. For example, Costa Rica trains 50% of public school teachers through distance education. It is less common, however, in evangelical theological education, which has largely followed the North American resident model. LATN is helping pioneer the integration of distance education technologies with Latin American theological education.

6. Do Latin Americans have the technology for LATN’s courses?

Latino church leaders do have access to basic technology. They simply may not have the latest or the fastest computer (though in some cases they do). LATN staff has researched this question, and has concluded that access to computers is not a major limiting factor for our target population. However, unlimited Internet access is prohibitively expensive for many students. LATN removes this obstacle by delivering media-rich content on CD’s, and limiting Internet use to interaction. A few students prefer to use Internet cafes rather than pay for their own Internet connection.

7. Why don't you also try a traditional residency program (with dorms and classrooms)?

Many people have received excellent education from traditional universities and seminaries. However, the tuition for these schools is too expensive for most Latin Americans.

Additionally, LATN’s target audience – currently ministering church leaders – is unable to change locations. It would disrupt ministries that are already having an effect for Christ. Quite often, going to seminary means going to another country. This has a tremendous impact on students' families and finances. LATN makes graduate training both affordable and accessible for Latin leaders, but does not sacrifice quality or community. Although it is doubtful that LATN will offer a large resident program, plans are underway to include a face-to-face component once we reach a critical mass level for number of students in a particular country.

8. What will LATN teach that is different from other programs of study?

Since LATN is a learning organization, we are free to develop curricula relevant to current theological needs, and to emphasize methods of renewal and growth in Latin America. We therefore emphasize the integration of theological education with Latin American culture. At the same time, our program has many of the same courses found in a traditionally conservative evangelical seminary.

9. What are LATN’s distinctives and values?

LATN is guided by core values. These include:
MULTIPLICATION
Rather than trying to add leaders to the church one by one, we help leaders to multiply themselves by equipping them to train others.

ACCESSIBILITY
We must identify and overcome barriers to equipping leaders. We therefore do all we can to make our courses accessible.

BIBLICAL BASIS
The Bible is our authority and guide. LATN emphasizes Scripture’s authority, and not a denominational affiliation. We seek to develop a biblical world view among staff and students.

SPIRITUAL FORMATION
Unless we are following Christ and becoming more like Him, nothing we do at LATN is of any eternal value. We do everything we can to develop the character of Christ in both staff and students as we follow His leading.

CONTEXTUALLY RELEVANT
We do not offer a canned approach to theological education. Rather, we recognize that Latin American culture determines many of our teaching elements. The program must be informed by the needs of the culture, and the Spanish-speaking world has a significant impact on what we do and teach.

LEADERSHIP FOCUSED
Focusing on its leaders provides the church with the greatest potential for multiplication. We believe that the church will go as the leader goes, and that leaders are the key to impacting both church and culture.

MASTERS LEVEL IMPORTANCE
Although we affirm all levels of need, equipping leaders at the master’s level offers the greatest potential for strengthening the Latin American church. This level also has the fewest current equipping options.

KINGDOM MINDED
God is pleased with biblically synergistic kingdom-partnerships. We view LATN as a gift to the Church in Latin America. Thus, LATN seeks out partnerships for accomplishing its mission more effectively. In the process, we help others with their own missions.

LEARNER CENTERED
We teach leaders the higher-level critical thinking skills (such as synthesis and evaluation) that enable them to address the issues they face with greater clarity and perception.

10. What Biblical model does LATN follow?

We practice the apostle Paul’s admonition to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2, "And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also" (NASB). Paul instructs a pastor (Timothy) to teach (entrust) the gospel to faithful men who can teach others. LATN follows this model by focusing on the “equippers of the equippers,” the “Pauls” and “Timothys” in Latin America who are leading those “faithful men able to teach others.”

11. Why does LATN focus primarily on the ‘equippers of equippers’?

Our focus emerges from an extensive feasibility study in 1998-99. After visiting seven countries and listening to Latin American leaders share their burdens, it became clear that there was a huge unmet need. They plead for training denominational leaders, professors of pastors and missionaries, and influential lay leaders. These people hold heavy ministry responsibilities, but are ill-equipped to carry them out. Leaders from country after country said the same thing--the vast majority had no hope of receiving training apart from a program like LATN.

12. What role does LATN have in multiplying healthy leaders in Latin America?

Our first priority is to provide advanced training for Latin American's top leaders. Our vision is not exclusive to any single denomination. It embraces Spanish, and eventually Portuguese-speaking leaders in need of biblically grounded training within a Latin American context. We desire to provide training for godly men and women of Jesus Christ, so that healthy leaders will be multiplied among all people.

13. Will LATN partner with other institutions and organizations?

We look forward to partnering with evangelical institutions that are theologically and educationally compatible. We realize that it will take more than one institution to equip Latin America’s church leaders. In recent years, our staff has visited sister institutions across Latin America in order to develop relationships. We have signed a formal partnership agreement with another excellent Latin American seminary. We are currently discussing partnerships with other organizations.

14. Where is LATN located?

The production and administrative center is in San Jose, Costa Rica. However, our personnel have also been working in seven other countries. Since LATN is not a brick-and-mortar institution, it exists wherever training takes place. Our mentors will often travel to various remote places while teaching a course. This is another advantage of distance education.

15. Why does LATN only equip at the master’s level?

LATN, though ambitious, can't begin to address all of the Church’s educational needs. We are initially limited to one level of education. We targeted the master’s level because of its high leverage potential. It can give the greatest return on its investment of time, personnel, and financial resources. However, we are already assisting other institutions in developing courses at the bachelor's and popular levels.

16. What are the greatest challenges LATN is currently facing?

Our leadership would like to advance more quickly. Like most missionary endeavors, however, we are held back by a lack resources, both human and financial. As Scripture says, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matt 9:38-39, NIV).

17. What has LATN done so far?

By the grace of God, LATN has accomplished much in its young history. As of January 2010, we have created and tested 27 courses. We have taught (alpha and beta tested) courses to nearly 150 students in twenty countries, including the U.S., Spain, Germany and Switzerland.

18. How many students does LATN project to have in 2011?

By October 1, 2011, LATN plans on serving 350 students.

19. What about the undergraduate and PhD levels?

Latin America's theological needs extend beyond the Master’s level. Although we focus on the Master's level, we anticipate developing partnerships with other institutions who will provide courses for more levels of theological education. We are currently helping two sister seminaries develop their undergraduate distance courses.

20. What master’s degrees does LATN offer?

We currently offer two master’s programs: a Masters in Religious Science with an emphasis in Contextualized Biblical Theology, and a Masters in Religious Science with an emphasis in Contextualized Christian Leadership. In the future, we will add other programs such as Missions, New Testament, Old Testament, Church History, and Education.

21. Is LATN an accredited program?

Although the institution has not been formally recognized by a Latin American accrediation organization, it received a powerful endorsement from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (Deerfield, IL) which stated that graduates from LATN will be considered for specific Ph.D. programs at T.E.D.S. We are also dialoguing with a major Latin American university which has verbally committed to place LATN under their accreditation umbrella. In December 2009, LATN was accepted as a member of AETAL (the Latin American Association of Evangelical Schools).

22. How long does it take for an LATN student to graduate?

Students need to complete 60 hours of credits in order to graduate. The length of time they need is determined by the amount of time they have for their studies. The more courses they take per semester, the quicker they finish the program. Since nearly all LATN students are involved in full-time ministry or full-time secular employment, many find it difficult to go through the program quickly. A modest estimate of completion time is about three to six years.

23. How much does it cost to develop an LATN course?

When the budget process began for the first LATN course, rough estimates placed the cost between $35,000 and $50,000. Professional distance education consultants affirmed this as a reasonable cost compared to industry standards (which are between $150,000 and $250,000 per course). The initial budget for our first course was $30,000. But by God’s grace and mercy, we were able to do the first two courses for less than $30,000! We now estimate the cost for a course to be somewhere between $4,500 and $9,000. This is a real bargain considering that the courses are designed to be taught for five to ten years, which gives them a robust shelf life.

24. How much will it cost to get LATN fully operational?

The initial cost to launch an entire Master’s level curriculum will be between $500,000 and $750,000. After that, the yearly budget to develop new courses and maintain the infrastructure should be around $80,000 (This does not include the salaries of missionaries who work for LATN and raise their own support). When fully operational, however, we expect to serve from 1,000 to 3,000 students per year, with continued growth afterwards. This is a remarkably efficient use of funds. We can develop and deliver an entire program for less than the cost of one new building in a residential program. As LATN transitions to Latin American leadership, the costs will increase accordingly.

25. What about Hispanics in the US?

A wonderful aspect of LATN is that it makes no difference where a student lives, since the Internet is available virtually anywhere. Therefore, we can serve the Hispanic population in the US.

26. What do you call LATN in Spanish?

In Latin America, LATN is called ProMETA. ProMETA is the acronym for Programas de Maestría en Estudios Teológicos Accesibles (Accessible Theological Education Master’s Programs). Eventually, the institution will exclusively be called ProMETA.

27. How long will it take for LATN to be fully functional?

LATN was officially launched in January 2006. Since then, new students have been able to take courses continually through graduation.

28. What do you see happening with LATN in the future?

As God continues to bless LATN, we plan to have students and centers in every country in Latin America, North America, and many countries of Europe. We will partner with many Latin American institutions to produce courses both for their students, and for other institutions in Latin America. We will also develop new master’s programs for specific needs, continually evaluate the programs' direction and utility, and slowly transition toward a Latin American led seminary.

29. What are the development plans for LATN?

A four-stage development process shows the creation and development of LATN. These four overlapping stages are:

Creation and Foundations (1996-2001).
LATN staff carried out a 10-country feasibility study to determine the needs of Latin America. God grows a vision among a group of leaders who present that vision to ReachGlobal, the international mission of the Evangelical Free Church of America. The "project" is launched in October 1998 with the first family moving to Costa Rica by the end of 1999. By the end of 2001, five families, one single, and one Costa Rican employee form the initial team. Funds are raised, work begins on the first two online courses, and an office building is purchased in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Development and Testing (2001-2006).
LATN develops its first courses, and tests them with students throughout Latin America. These students evaluate the courses, providing valuable data for improvement. Our academic program begins taking shape. The team grows to 13 full-time and 14 part-time staff, and develops partnerships with other institutions and missions organizations.

Growth and Consolidation (2006-2011).
LATN finalizes its academic program, and identifies regional centers to operate with students. During this phase, LATN becomes an autonomous insitution called ProMETA. It is led by a board of directors composed primarily of Latin Americans, as well as ReachGlobal missionaries, and missionaries from other organizations. They design a three-year plan, Vision 2011, to launch ProMETA with regional impact.

Expansion (2011-?).
ProMETA is an accredited theological institution with significant partnerships throughout the region. We have centers in every Latin American country, and many throughout the United States and other parts of the world.

30. What is LATN’s potential impact?

Because we embrace such a new method of ministry, only God knows what our impact on the future of the Latin American church will be. We do know that LATN employs new methods to follow the biblical directives of teaching the Word, making disciples, and training others for ministry. A cursory look at the Bible reveals the positive or negative impact a leader can have on God’s people and God’s work. Jesus invested most of his energies in equipping twelve men for ministry. Investing in the education of God’s people in Latin America will produce eternal benefits, both to them, and to those they influence.

31. What are LATN’s major expenses for the next two years?

LATN’s major expenses are:
Oct. 2009 - Sept. 2011

Course development	$45,000
Scholarships	$42,000
Building	$15,000
Libraries and accreditation	$30,000
Staff training and strategic events	$15,000
Research and development	$15,000
Administration	$15,000
Equipment	$10,000
Totals	$187,000

32. Why is LATN a good project in which to invest?

There are many reasons to invest in LATN. These include our: IMPACT OF ENTIRE CONTINENTS
This is a big project. It touches the entire Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world by addressing a need long identified by missions--accesible training of church leaders at a Master’s level--in a way that lets YOU have a significant part.

UNIQUENESS
LATN is among the first to offer this unique theological training in Latin America. Every year, more Latin American organizations paricipate in distance education, and we are seen as a pace-setter.

CONTEMPORARY APPEAL
This high-tech ministry for a high-touch area of the world will capture the attention of many.

PRACTICAL BENEFITS
Stateside churches can use their available resources to help develop Spanish-speaking evangelical leaders, not only overseas, but also in their own communities.

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITES
Those interested in helping the work of LATN can contribute. Short-term teams, technical teams, and small construction teams can help different aspects of the ministry. And just as we deliver courses through technology, remote participation by those willing to share their talents is also possible.

CURRENT WORK
LATN is not merely a hypothetical possibility. It is happening right now!

FOCUS ON THE NATIONAL CHURCH
We strongly emphasize helping the national church mature, and avoiding being paternalistic.

HIGHLY COMMITTED AND WELL-PREPARED STAFF
Our professors have PhDs or similar academic degrees which qualify them to teach at the Master’s level in an accredited institution.

GOOD STEWARDSHIP OF MISSION RESOURCES
An LATN course has the potential to be used countless times around the world. The digitized format of the courses, tied in with efficient use of Internet technology, enables these courses to be offered without having a missionary professor and classroom each time the course is taught.

33. How can I invest in LATN?

Tax-deductible donations can be made at the web site of the Evangelical Free Church of America using the following link:https://my.efca.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=359. Donations may be made online as a credit card charge. There is also a paper form that may be downloaded and mailed to the EFCA home office.
Important--please designate your donation using one of the following two accounts:

LA Training Network: 2600-5215.
Donations to this account are used for course production and general expenses. Please indicate how you would like your donation to be applied.

LATN Scholarship: 2600-5216.
The scholarship account was set up to give qualified, but economically disadvantaged, leaders financial help.

Donations to a particular LATN missionary can also be made at the same web site. However, please communicate with one of the following contact people for specific information on account numbers.

Keith Anderson: (630) 544-2213,
Keith.Anderson@efca.org

Henry Happ: (630) 544-2213,
Henry.Happ@efca.org

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