Inspiration for Latino Pastors

It’s 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Latin American Bible Institute and the students are in for a treat. The president of the school, Isaac J. Canales, is delivering the morning message.

For these students, many of whom have felt a calling from God to be pastors, chapel is the high point of the day. But listening to Canales means learning Scripture in a humorous new way.

“Like gladiators, you need to put on armor to protect yourself as you battle the devil every day,” Canales said. “The helmet of salvation is to protect your mind, the breastplate of righteousness guards your heart, and the girdle is to protect . . . well, that’s just to protect those hormones and private parts.”

Some students nearly fell out of their seats in laughter.

It was typical Canales.

Combining an intimate knowledge of theology with an off-the-wall sense of humor, Canales preaches about the Bible as easily as a comedian delivers a punch line. That combination of intellect and charisma built his Mission Eben-Ezer Family Church in Carson into a dynamic church of 1,500 members. That demanding but deeply spiritual style of teaching earned him a reputation as a popular professor at the Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena and one of the most respected Latino theologians in the country. Now, as the new president of the Latin American Bible Institute, Canales is bringing his talents to a different stage.

The Latin American Bible Institute, in La Puente, is one of 18 private, post-secondary schools administered by the Assemblies of God, the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination. Canales, 51, was appointed president of the institute in August 1999.

“Well, they asked me to consider the presidency. And, first, I took a long time to pray,” Canales said during an interview on the campus.

“But I took the job because I felt I could bring some strengths to the school that would make it more attractive to pastors and leaders. It put a call on me from God,” he said. “God was taking me to another level to train our children to become leaders. For me, it’s a blessing.”

Pentecostals have a long tradition of Bible schools as the center of their educational programs. Founded in 1926, the Latin American Bible Institute was established to educate and train those interested in serving as pastors of Latino Pentecostal churches. Enrollment grew as a result of increased emigration from Latin America and the large numbers of Latinos leaving the Catholic Church. There are now about 12,055 Assemblies of God churches in the country. About 1,800 are Latino--the largest ethnic group in the denomination.

Students at the institute choose to work toward two-year diplomas in biblical studies, three-year diplomas in ministerial studies or bachelor of theology degrees in theological studies. The institute also has agreements with Vanguard University of Southern California and Azusa Pacific University, where students can transfer credits from the institute and obtain bachelors’ degrees in ministry and leadership.

By providing students with a choice of pursuing studies in Spanish or English, the institute quickly gained an international reputation as being at the forefront of bilingual theological education. As word spread, Spanish-speaking students from Latin America flocked to the school. Currently, the institute has 1,873 students, 200 of whom live on campus. About 45% are from outside the United States, from countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru and Argentina.

School Lacks Accreditation

But in some religious circles, the institute has been labeled a minority program. It lacks accreditation, and some scholars have criticized its curriculum as academically weak and have deemed it a vocational school for pastors.

Canales was brought in to change that.

And already, “this is not the same place,” said Jerry Brown, an instructor. “For a long time, we have allowed the academic quality to fall. But Isaac has a vision that the school can become a real force at a professional level without losing contact with the people.”

Like many of the students at the institute, Canales comes from a poor family. They were so poor, he recalled, that their $26-per-month rent in the projects was sometimes more than they could handle. Canales, whose father was pastor of a Pentecostal church, said the family lived on whatever the congregation could afford to give.

Eventually Canales received his bachelor’s degree in religion from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, then a master’s degree from Harvard and a doctorate from Fuller, where he taught for 20 years. While teaching at Fuller, Canales took over as pastor of his father’s church in Carson and started his own family. He and his wife, Ritha, have three sons: Joshua, 22; David, 19; and Jacob, 16.

“I loved Fuller dearly and I’m grateful because it prepared me in terms of leadership to take this job,” he said. “I mean, there’s no college course on how to become a president.”

“The school is already prestigious. But it needed a major tune-up,” he said. “The African American community has the Tuskegee Institute and Howard University. This belongs to the Hispanic community. Now I think we’re on a similar track to becoming the institution that produces the most powerful leaders of the Hispanic Pentecostal church.”

Since taking the helm of the institute, Canales has begun talks with the Accrediting Assn. of Bible Colleges to accredit the school as an associate degree program. He appointed academic department heads for the first time and is developing a more challenging academic curriculum that will include guest professors teaching contemporary topics such as women’s studies, social justice and race. Also on his list are adding a more aggressive recruiting program and establishing a donor base of alumni and Latino churches.

“He has a desire and a vision for excellence that is all-encompassing, even in the physical state of the school,” said Sergio Navarrete, dean of academic affairs. “He’s only been here a year and a half, and he’s already changed the image of the school for the better.”

Friendly Reputation Among Students

Students like Wendy Rosales, 18, are also impressed by the school under the leadership of Canales. Rosales is working toward a two-year diploma in biblical studies and, like most of the other students, wants to transfer to Vanguard for a bachelor’s degree. She said the warm environment that Canales has created on campus gives the school a feeling of family.

“When you’re walking down campus and you see Pastor Isaac, he will give you a hug. And it’s not like a simple hug. It’s a big, warm hug, like he means it. It’s an offering,” she said.

Myrna Calvillo adds: “He’s hilarious. And he’s down to earth. On hot days, you’ll see him walking around the campus in shorts, saying hi to everybody.”

But Calvillo said the most appealing part of the institute is being around other students who share the same level of faith.

“I love it here because we’re learning about the Bible and experiencing it. We all share that same hunger. We want to know more about God,” she said.

Students like that are the reason he took the job, Canales said. Walking on the campus with a pocket-sized Bible under his arm, he greets almost every student who passes him with a hug or an affectionate “Hola, mija, hola, mijo.” (Hello, my daughter, hello, my son.) Passing a group of smiling students returning from lunch, he remarks, “Those look like satisfied customers.”

They erupt in laughter. Canales whispers, “Ain’t they cute?”