Lifeword Media Leadership Training

Lifeword Community Radio trainee Bro. Baldemar watches, helps and learns from Bro. Luis Gonzalez on the La Concepcion installation in March.

By Holly Meriweather

One part of Lifeword’s three-pronged vision is media and leadership training patterned after the ministry of Jesus and his disciples and Paul’s ministry and his discipleship of Timothy and Titus. Central America, Ghana and the Philippines have established this training process. The formula, outlined in Exponential by Dave Ferguson and John Ferguson, looks something like this:

1. I do. You watch. We talk.
2. I do. You help. We talk.
3. You do. I help. We talk.
4. You do. I watch. We talk.
5. You do. Someone else watches. You talk.
6. Repeat the process with someone else.

Steps one and two of the process began in Central America when Lifeword Programming Director Luis Ortega trained BMA Honduras Leader Denis Lopez seven years ago while he watched, then helped install Lifeword Community Radio in Honduras and Guatemala.

Steps three and four were realized when Bro. Denis Lopez became Central America’s visionary leader, training others in media and leadership including Luis Gonzalez, a young Garifuna living in the remote village of Batalla

Bro. Gonzalez brings freshly cut trees from the jungle to be used as poles for the radio antenna.

(Honduras). Gonzalez was trained at Tela, Honduras, one of Lifeword’s Community Radio training bases where he was led by other Garifuna brethren and Lopez. Assisted by Bro. Denis Lopez, Gonzales helped with the installation of Lifeword Community Radio in three areas/dialects: Garifuna villages, Kekchi villages of Guatemala and in Diria, Nicaragua.

A mission team from Wyatt Baptist Church, in El Dorado, Arkansas, along with Nicaragua Missionary Oscar Gaitan, were able to get a close-up look at step five of media and leadership training on their yearly Spring Break mission trip. After two days of travel from Honduras, Bro. Luis Gonzalez met Wyatt pastor Adam Thomas, the Wyatt team and BMA leader Bro. Oscar Gaitan on an assignment to set up Lifeword Community Radio in the remote village of La Concepcion in Nicaragua

After nineteen hours of travel by bus, a two-hour boat ride and another two hours by mule and on foot, the teams arrived at La Concepcion. With tears of joy, Bro. Gonzalez exclaimed, “Words cannot describe the feeling of being able to serve these beautiful people. The spiritual and physical needs are many, but to be able to partner with other BMA people to meet both physical and spiritual needs was and is the highlight of my life. The greatest joy was passing on to them the knowledge and training I have received both in regards to the gospel and media to make disciples. Like the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:3, I can say that ‘I delivered unto [them] all that which I also received.’

Bro. Adam Thomas said, “It was awesome to see this radio ministry get off the ground. I was even more amazed

Wyatt team members make part of their journey to La Concepcion by boat.

when I realized that a lot of the people in the area had phones with FM receivers in them. This could have a huge impact on this young church! Thanks for all y’all do at Lifeword. Also, the young man who installed it (Gonzalez) was an excellent representative of Lifeword. Loved having him on our trip.”

Two days after the trip, BMA Nicaragua leader Bro. Oscar Gaitan said, “This is perfect and practical for this village! This has already proven to be one of the best tools for them. We are rejoicing over the first fruits this radio has already produced along with the other efforts! You cannot imagine the joy this is bringing to all. A neighboring village has already caught wind of what is happening in La Concepcion, and they are requesting we come to their village too.”