Latin American Biblical University Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

Heir of a strong ecumenical tradition and commitment with the Church in Latin America, the Latin American Biblical University (UBL) celebrated its first ten years of life during Monday 23 to Friday 27 of April.

The celebration was attended by delegates of the institutions with which the UBL has accreditation and work agreements. These organizations comprise part of the “Alliance of Theological Institutions in Abya Yala.” This network of organizations makes the UBL almost the only Christian university that shares its academic programs, by extension and research, with other institutions. This allows it to have a presence in almost all the countries of Latin America. Representatives of “first world” ecumenical organizations who have been companions in the mission of the UBL also attended the event.

The UBL gives continuity to the decades-long academic work of the Latin American Biblical Seminary, founded by the Latin American Mission, in 1923, based in San José, Costa Rica. Responding to a fervent call of the Lord Jesus to serve in these lands, Enrique and Susana Strachan initially established a school of preparation for women for medical attention and nursing. Soon the necessity arose to form men and women for pastoral work and in this way the Biblical Seminary was founded.

During the anniversary celebration the attendants actively participated in one intensive week of reflection that sought to touch on the main themes which currently challenge education in Latin America and which constitute the axes that transverse the theological task of the UBL: context, gender, generation, cultures and inter-religious dialogue (original peoples, peoples of African descent, deaf communities).

The week began with an analysis of the regional situation, Latin America’s political and economic panorama. For this analysis Helio Gallardo and Henry Mora were invited. The rising challenges of specific contexts like Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador were addressed by the Ambassador of Bolivia, the Press Aggregate of the Embassy of Venezuela, and a representative of the FEINE and the ISEA of Ecuador.

In the afternoons the reflection turned around pedagogy and didactics, addressing gender, with emphasis on masculinities; generation, with emphasis on youth, the cultural and religious panorama with the presence of the research projects in Bible and Culture, Indigenous Communities and the Deaf Community.

The week was enriched with exhibitions of art and books.

The meeting of the delegates of the Institutions of the Alliance also served as a framework for the accomplishment of a time for strategic planning for 2007 – 2011, led by the Director of the UBL, Rocha Violet.

On the evening of Friday 27, during the closing ceremony, Rocha remembered the main historical moments that gave rise to the UBL, like the Million Names of Women Campaign led by then-director Elsa Tamez, who also outlined the present identity of the UBL.

In the ceremony recognition was given to the people and significant institutions in the life of the UBL for their support of the institution’s work.