TIBI celebrates its 15th graduation!
On July 25, 2020, TIBI celebrated its 15th graduation. For the first time, the service was not held in any church building, but rather totally on Zoom, due to the pandemic. We had 17 sites of graduates and participants connected in one Zoom classroom, and streamed the ceremony live to our YouTube channel (see recording below). More than 800 people have viewed it since.
Click here to see the video of the graduation (in Spanish).
Pablo Hernandez, from Mexico, received our Christian Worker Certificate after taking the 16 courses of that program. Another 10 students received the Bachelor of Biblical Studies degree, with its 40 courses. Here are the graduates and the countries where they live and work.
Argentina:
Corina Elena Diaz Sanabria
México:
Francisco Javier Patlán Camacho
Nicaragua:
Cristhian Fernando Ilovares Maradiaga
Perú:
Yasnuary Marley Albarran Montilva
Venezuela:
Eli Josué Almao Alvarez
Manuel Alejandro Garcia Gutierrez
Lourdes F. Gonzalez G.
Cruz del Valle Gutierrez de García
José Rafael Medina Cumare
Alfonso Junior Tarazona Ballesteros
We are proud of these graduates and their wonderful achievements in TIBI and their churches. We pray for them in their ministries and communities.
TIBI AND COVID-19
The leadership of TIBI is carefully monitoring the developments of COVID in the many countries where our students and faculty reside. We are saddened by the news of graduates having contracted the disease as well as by the news of colleagues and students who have lost love ones. We pray for comfort and strength from the Almighty.
While we are taking precautions regarding the practicum work, our students continue to attend full-time classes on Zoom with no interruptions. As we prepare for fall classes, we anticipate little or no change. Lord willing, all regularly scheduled courses for Fall 1, 2020 will begin on August 17 via Zoom as planned. We eagerly look forward to seeing new students and beginning new studies!
We are thankful that TIBI has been uniquely prepared for such a time as this, allowing us to continue offering spiritual education with little changes in the midst of a global crisis. We continue to pray earnestly, however, for all of those impacted by the many effects of the pandemic.
TIBI EARNS GUIDESTAR PLATINUM SEAL OF TRANSPARENCY
Guidestar, the world’s largest and leading source of information about nonprofit organizations, has awarded TIBI its Platinum Seal of Transparency. This is the highest seal awarded.
It indicates that TIBI is among the top thousandth of one percent of the 2.7 million nonprofits in the US in terms of transparency regarding our goals, methods, metrics, data, and results.
More than 10 million people visit GuideStar each year for guidance on how to give charitable donations. Those with the platinum seal receive twice as many views, and receive 11% more donations than the Bronze, Silver, and non-seal holders combined.
All major US-based donor-advised funds use Guidestar, as well as millions of visitors to donation platforms like AmazonSmile, Facebook, JustGive, and many more.
We strive continually to achieve our mission the best way possible, and to be transparent about our work and results. We hope this will benefit TIBI. We welcome any questions you might have.
STATISTICS FROM 2009-2019
When TIBI launched its international program in the summer of 2009, the school was growing more and more quickly, so we began to keep more detailed statistics about our students’ work and results, including the churches where they work.
From August 2009-May 2019, more than 4450 baptisms have been reported in places where we help train workers. In addition, our students have helped plant 63 new congregations. These are just the numbers we know about; we are certain many more have happened, but we don’t have those figures.
Carlos Garcia, Isla Margarita, Venezuela, with a new brother
There are a total of 176 full-time students or graduates of TIBI now working in 112 congregations, in 77 cities, and 18 countries. If we could add information from all our part-time or even one-time students, these numbers would be even higher.
The Iglesia de Cristo Versalles, in Matanzas, Cuba, has helped plant over 50 congregations since 2006, some of which are connected to TIBI students.
From the numbers reported to us, we have had a total of at least 20,000 students who have taken one or more courses from us since 2004. At least 15,500 of these are in Cuba–and in that country, if a course is sent to one person, it is likely seen by several more, though we only count it as one.
We clarify that most of the credit for these wonderful accomplishments goes first to the Lord, then to the students and churches who are doing such a wonderful work. We are grateful to see that our work impacts an ever-greater audience.
We are pleased and honored to have a part in this Kingdom growth, and look forward to how the Lord continues to open doors.
TIBI HELPS WELCOME SECOND COHORT TO MASTERS PROGRAM
In August, TIBI helped welcome the second cohort to the Masters of Practical Theology program. This 12-course, 36-hour MPT program is offered by the RIB–Red de Institutos Bíblicos (Biblical Institute Network), composed of several brotherhood schools. The goal is to further prepare men and women for effective service in local congregations.
First night of class for second cohort, August 2019
TIBI CELEBRATES 14TH GRADUATION IN HOUSTON–JULY 2019
On July 27, at the Southeast church of Christ in Friendswood, Texas, TIBI rejoiced with 12 students who completed work with us. Eleven of them received the Bachelors of Biblical Studies degree, and one the Christian Worker certificate. About 90 people attended from 12 different sites.
The bilingual recording of the graduation is here if you would like to see it.
FIRST GRADUATION OF BACHELORS STUDENTS IN CUBA
In October 2018, the administrative team of TIBI and several TIBI board members traveled to Cuba to attend the first graduation of the first Cuban students who have received the Bachelors of Biblical Studies degree. In all, 30 students achieved this milestone, mostly done at nights and weekends over as much as six years time. They helped each other, studied hard, spent their own money, and now are better equipped for the study of God’s Word and ministry in their churches and communities.
In addition, a total of 36 Cubans have received the Obrero Cristiano (Christian Worker) degree, a selection of 16 courses, with a combination of text and ministry courses. Below is a picture from our trip in March 2019 of those students, along with Carlos Camacho, our supervisor of fieldwork for TIBI.
TIBI HELPS LAUNCH NEW MASTERS PROGRAM
In conjunction with Sunset International Bible Institute and Quito School of Biblical Studies, TIBI helped begin a new Masters of Practical Theology degree. There are a total of 12 courses for a total of 36 hours credit. This degree is a non-thesis degree; the steering committee chose to have the students focus, in each course, on a useful, well-developed project in their local ministry and congregation.
The degree lasts three years and the courses are taught by a variety of professors from 5 countries in Latin America. All the professors have masters or doctoral degrees. The first cohort of August 2018 consists of 14 students from 8 countries. The second cohort of August 2019 consistes of 10 students. The third cohort is currently is in the application process.
If you would like more information, please go to www.redinbi.org.
TIBI Overview–February 17, 2020 English