Pastors and church leaders in Honduras are the first to hear Coram Deo in Spanish

Share This Post

In the mountains of Honduras, an hour and a half from the capital, thirty pastors and church leaders sat at wooden tables surrounded by pastel-colored walls. They had come to listen to Coram Deo’s *first-ever Spanish-dubbed video.

Matt and Ellen Zell work with pastors in rural Honduras. Like many people in the mountain regions, these pastors have received very limited education, less than sixth grade for most, and some have had no formal schooling. Matt and Ellen wanted to share Coram Deo’s Basic course, but many of the pastors struggled to follow the Spanish subtitles. So Matt and Ellen found a local person to begin recording a voice-over in Spanish.

It was slow going, but finally, Lesson One was finished. Thirty pastors from five denominations came to San Pedro de Tutule to see, hear, and learn. One couple walked an hour and a half .

For the lessons, the pastors were arranged in groups of four, purposefully mixed to mingle with those from other churches. After every video, each small group discussed the lesson and one person from each group reported to the larger body.

The videos presented God’s transforming story as revealed in the breadth and depth of the biblical narrative from the beginning of the world to the end of time. One statement in particular struck the pastors: “Either the church disciples the culture or the culture will disciple the church.” Confronting the culture was a new idea to most of these men and women. It began a discussion among them that continues to this day.

The pastors were especially challenged by the teaching regarding machismo.

Matt explains, “In a typical Honduran home in that area when they wake their kids up for school the boys get dressed and play until breakfast while the girls get up and have to clean and prepare the breakfast. This is basically repeated when the kids come home from school.”  “When a girl is born they have a ‘dicho’ (saying) that ‘es comida para los perros’ which basically means ‘food for the dogs’. When a boy is born they say ‘se ganó la gallina,’ which literally is ‘the chicken won,’ but actually means ‘it’s time to kill a chicken to cook for a celebration’.”

The group appreciated the teaching from Genesis 1:27 that specifically points out that the image of God in humans requires both male and female. None of them had ever thought it was the church’s responsibility to come against this cultural lie. Identifying this cultural lie and others like it has been a huge step forward for these churches.

At the end of the class the pastors were given reading material to take home. They loved the lesson and learned a lot. “They were so excited and so thankful and very, very eager for the next lesson!” Matt said.

Matt continues to teach the local pastors, and they in turn continue to disciple their flocks at the level of culture.

Please pray for the Zells and the pastors as they pray and work to see God’s kingdom come to their villages in rural Honduras. 

*Another voice-over project is now underway in Latin America to audio-dub all of the Basics Course in a form that will be shared across the Spanish-speaking world.

Learned something new? Have a question? Enjoying this post? Let us know!

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Like what you're reading?

Subscribe to the DNA blog and get updates directly in your inbox.

Recent

Podcast Episodes

Understanding the Battle of Worldviews with Dr. Jeff Myers

“If you don’t understand the battle of worldviews, you can’t really understand anything.” This statement from today’s guest, Dr. Jeff Myers, summarizes the episode well. Dr. Myers, president of Summit Ministries, brings us boots-on-the-ground perspectives from three of the most active theaters in the battle of worldviews: the battles over truth, the hearts and minds of Generation Z, and the Israel-Hamas conflict. Dr. Myers offers a treasure trove of strategies poised to inspire anyone involved in or seeking wisdom in these crucial battles. You’ll hear a clarion call to uphold personal integrity amid societal manipulation, and be reminded to recognize your indispensable role in God’s ongoing cultural commission.

Podcast Episodes

Easter Part 1: The Continuing Work of Christ

The Hebrew people in the Old Testament anticipated a Messiah that would be a priest and a King, radically changing every area of our worldly experience, and restoring it to God’s original intentions. Welcome to a two-part Easter series as we look at the practical impact that Christ’s death and resurrection has on each of our lives. When Jesus came, He never intended for us to keep our faith relegated to attending church and being privately spiritual. The same power that rose Jesus from the grave lives in us, and gives us power and purpose to continue His work in the world. Jesus says He is with us always and that He has all authority in heaven and on earth. He also calls us to make disciples, teaching them to obey everything He has commanded. This is an all-encompassing call, given by an omnipotent God. Where is He calling you to partner more fully with His ongoing work in the world?

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
small_c_popup.png

Let's have a chat

Learn how we helped 100 top brands gain success.