The rector of Vina Del Mar, pastor Samuel Morrison and the Archdeacon of Chile, Enrique "Harry' Lago from the Diocese of Chile are sharing their ministry experiences and highlighting the needs of the Anglican Church in Chile at Synod's Mission Hour this week. Bishop Masimango Katanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo is also addressing the Synod at Mission Hour.

Mr Morrison and Mr Lago, who are in Sydney for three weeks, say they are keen to learn from a variety of ministries and training centres in Sydney and take their knowledge back to Chile. Mr Lago is in charge of lay training and training for ministers at the Centre for Pastoral Studies (CEP) and Mr Morrison provides over the Theological Education Commission.

"We are visiting Youthworks College and meeting with people from Ministry Training Strategy. We want to learn from Sydney then adapt this to our own context," Mr Morrison says.

"Chilean teenagers are more like people in Australia and the west. We need to adapt to new ways of presenting the gospel. The over 35s have Roman Catholic backgrounds and a reverence for scripture and the church, but the youth are post-modern."

Chile's 100 Anglican congregations only have three pastors with training equivalent to clergy in Sydney.

"For the first time we are reaching a stage where we will be able to have multiple staff and multiple congregations in churches. We need to know how to handle that. We have read books, but it is much more effective to talk to people who have been doing it for a long time," Mr Morrison says.

A shared past

There is a long history between the Anglican Church in Chile and the Diocese of Sydney.

Graeme and Patti Scarratt oversaw the translation and introduction of the Moore College PTC course into Chile in the 1970s, and currently there are hundreds of lay people studying the course in Spanish across the diocese.

In the year 2000, then principal of Moore College, Archbishop Peter Jensen travelled to Chile and offered Moore College's support to start a new theological college, and mentored the current principal, Rev Cesar Guzman, who was studying for his Masters at Moore College at the time.

More recently, Pato Oyarzún trained at Moore College and earlier this year returned to Chile to serve as CMS's first International Ministry Partner.

Currently, Tim and Sally Swan, Michael and Jo Charles, Stephen and Rebecca Shead are all CMS missionaries in Chile and the husbands have important roles lecturing at the CEP.

Triumphs in training

Mr Morrison says Chile is already experiencing the benefits of CEP.

"The CEP graduates know they have to establish good, Bible-based churches that explain the gospel and they know they have to try and grow," he says.

Mr Lago says the importance of a local evangelical Bible college cannot be overestimated.

"The first Biblical theology books came in English. We had no Spanish books. So the CEP is the answer to many prayers," he says.

"It allows us to teach our people in our own language. Sammy and I had to go to the USA or South Africa to receive theological training; other men have went to Sydney or the UK. But it's very expensive."

"For the same amount of money that it cost to train me overseas, we could train five people in Chile in our own language and culture," Mr Morrison adds.

The pair is also keen to learn about church planting.

"Both Enrique's and my church are going through the same process of trying to grow in the number of congregations. We are going to visit churches here who have been church planting for many years," Mr Morrison says.

Mr Morrison wants church planting to be done by Chileans for Chileans.

"Currently church plants are funded by overseas and national funds. We have to learn to pay for own church planting projects. Gathering three or four churches together might do it, but it has to be Chilean resources."

Both Mr Lago and Mr Morrison are encouraged by the support of Sydney Anglicans.

"We thank for your prayers. It's a crucial thing for us. Gracias," Mr Lago says.

"It's been good to come here and meet people for the first time who know us by name and have been praying for us," Mr Morrison adds.

More in Mission Hour

Once again this year, Bishop Peter Tasker is hosting Synod Mission Hour.

Bishop Tasker says Mission Hour is important to ensure the Diocese maintains a broad view of what is going on in the world.

"The Diocesan Mission talks about our gospel commitment not just to Sydney but to the world," he says.

Bishop of the Diocese of Kindu, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bishop Masimango Katanda and his wife Amunazo have been invited to speak at Mission Hour.

"The Bishop and his wife are in Sydney for a three month sabbatical. As well as speaking at our synod, he will be at Moore doing reading with senior staff," Bishop Tasker says.

CMS currently has three missionaries working in the Diocese of Kindu: Malcolm and Elizabeth Richards and Sue Jaggar.

The rector of the parish of Ulladulla, the Rev Geoff Deutscher will share some of his experience of walking the Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea.

Bernard Suwa will share more details about his recent appointment as Executive Director of Across - the key interdenominational Christian mission organisation in Sudan.