Covenant News

CBCE to Dedicate Campus in Ecuador

LA MERCED, ECUADOR (October 13, 2004) - Covenant Bible College-Ecuador (CBCE) will dedicate its new campus on November 6, completing a process that began in April with groundbreaking ceremonies. The dedication will begin at 2 p.m. with a time of refreshments and music to follow.

Bob Auger, CBCE executive director, stated that students have already been learning and worshipping in the new classroom and studying in the new library. Classes began on September 10. New offices are also being used by faculty and a dining hall is nearly functional. New dormitories are scheduled to be completed in November.

According to short-term missionaries Herb and Elaine Clauson (see lower photo), CBC-Ecuador has received more than 25 work/service teams during the past two years, along with many other individuals and groups, as CBCE has used its previous property and the current one for ministry in South America. The accompanying photo (top) shows the new administration building, which formerly served as the personal residence of Ecuadorian artist Endara Crow.

"We are thankful for friends like you, people who have taken an interest in Covenant Bible College-Ecuador," said Auger in an email update to supporters. "We hope this is an ongoing friendship. We would be grateful to know that you are praying for our ministry of 'equipping men and women to live as disciples of Jesus Christ.'"

A total of 52 students are on campus this fall in La Merced, stated Covenant missionary Jenell Pluim. Some electrical issues are still being worked out as the school readies itself for a meeting with the school's executive board in November. However, ministry is occurring even as workers finish construction work.

"Our quality control supervisor, Marcelo Chavez, who is a construction engineer and also a Covenant pastor, has invited all our workers on the site to attend a weekly Bible study," stated Pluim. "At the first meeting there were 35 men and they all received Bibles and are eager to continue meeting. In addition, one of our families who have several members working for CBCE has indicated an interest in spiritual things. The men are attending the Bible study and Andy and I, as well as Herb and Elaine Clauson have started a family time with them to share faith, sing and build up the family in a Biblical way. We met at our home and 22 family members attended . . . I think this could very well develop into one of those early church examples of a whole family coming to faith at one time!

"We are so moved by God's amazing work in people's lives," Pluim continued. "Already the students in our spiritual formation group are talking about deep things in their lives and their desire to grow in faith. The openness of our workers and the Macas family to study the Bible is a joy and blessing. We see fruitful work being done by the other Covenant missionaries here in Ecuador, and we see some healing and progress being made by the leadership of the Ecuadorian Covenant Church. Lives are being changed. In our own Rios de Agua Viva Covenant Church there were 10 baptisms last week."

More information about CBCE and the three CBC campuses can be found by visiting the Covenant Bible College website at www.covenantbiblecollege.com.

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