Name: Tim and Sally Swan (Lachlan, Annabelle, Edward)
Location: Santiago, Chile
Years on field: 3
Most recent work: Tim Swan is Academic Dean at Chile's new Anglican Bible College the Centre for Pastoral Studies ("CEP' in Spanish). It started in 2003 with 5 full-time students and one full-time lecturer, the Rev Cesar Guzman. The strategic importance of this initiative for the Spanish-speaking Latin America, Tim says, has been highlighted with the first students from Bolivia and Paraguay enrolling for 2007. There also has been interest from the Anglican Diocese of Northern Argentina in sending their ministry students to the college.
"In Latin America, well-trained pastors are very light on the ground," he says. "And the result is distressing: in Chile Christianity is theologically splintered into literally thousands of denominations, weakening the call to repentance and faith in the risen Christ."
Snapshot: Tim says has seen the dramatic impact of the College's ministry in the lives of his students who have been thoroughly enmeshed in a cultural Catholicism. One, named Cesar, was literally in tears when through his studies "he began to see how deep the Father's love is for him… when he understood what grace looks like instead of works'
How he saw God working in 2006: Chile is a far more patriarchal society than Australia and Tim has seen the students develop new attitudes to family life as they have studied the Bible. "It is not unusual for pastors to neglect their wives and family for church work," says Tim. "We are seeing husbands caring for their wives more as they study the Bible."
Prayer points for next tour: 1. As Academic Dean, Tim needs prayer as he spends time in Australia looking at options for after-college training for Chile. 2. The Swan's local congregation is based in the CBD of Santiago but is doing little effective ministry to the business community. Despite their already busy schedule, they are keen to explore the possibility of running a "Bible Means Business' style of ministry. "We do need wisdom to know what to be involved in," Tim says.
