About Us
Vision Statement
Latin America Mission is a unique tool in God's ministry plan for the world. This international community of men and women works to encourage, assist and participate with the Latin Church in building His Church in the Latin world and beyond. All LAM missionaries promote evangelism. All LAM missionaries work under local grassroots ministries. Beyond these two foundations, LAM is known principally for creative innovation in international ministry.
Our service takes many forms: from friendship evangelism to theological education; medical work to youth camps; church planting to children-at-risk work; office management to micro-enterprise development; personal counseling to emergency response. LAM works where the need is greatest, favoring ministries that multiply tasks of evangelism, training and networking. The Mission is interdenominational, biblical, holistic, innovative, empowering and partnership-oriented.
- Major changes and innovations of the past few years
- Distinctives
- LAM's relationship with the North American church
- LAM's relationship with national churches and national mission agencies
- How LAM encourages the missions movement from Latin America
Major changes and innovations of the past years
The last years have proven exciting and revolutionary for the LAM. In these
years, we have placed new emphasis on work with the missions movement from Latin
America, children-at-risk, microenterprise development and leadership training.
While
other mission agencies have reduced the resources sent to the Latin world, LAM
proactively has mobilized both Latin and cross-cultural workers for the harvest.
We've bolstered and multiplied our efforts to initiate working agreements with
an ever-increasing number of Latin ministries, as well as to identify new service
opportunities for candidates. We've diversified and strengthened short-term
opportunities that include comprehensive training, on-field oversight and appropriate
follow-up. We've launched a website where visitors can receive daily prayer
requests, read online news articles, start the application process or begin
a research project on missions. In short, LAM has affirmed its commitment to
remain on the cutting edge of ministry in the Latin world, garnering the respect
and support of Latin evangelical leaders.
- Biblical - Following a common statement of faith and Jesus' command to go into all the world and preach the Gospel.
- Inclusive - Ministering alongside all sectors of evangelical Christianity.
- Holistic - Focusing on service to every aspect of a person's life.
- Empowering - Equipping the church and training leaders.
- Innovative - Valuing creativity and taking risks in ministry.
- Partnership oriented - Submitting to national associate ministries.
- Committed to excellence - Applying administrative integrity and quality missiological principles.
- Strategic - Working where the need is greatest, favoring ministries that multiply the action of evangelism, training and networking.
LAM's relationship with the North American church.
The Latin America Mission, founded in 1921 as an interdenominational ministry,
has a long history of uniting diverse North American Christian denominations
in international ministry partnerships. For example, the Evangelism in Depth
movement promoted by the LAM in the 1950's was, for many U.S. churches, their
first interdenominational outreach. The LAM is formally associated with North
American churches associated with a variety of Protestant denominations, and
these churches are in agreement with the LAM's mission statement, doctrinal
statement and ministry objectives. LAM missionaries are sent from and supported
by many churches throughout North America (United States and Canada). The Mission
also works to empower, equip and encourage the North American church. LAM staff,
board and missionaries speak, share and provide leadership at conferences, conventions
and mission fairs throughout North America each year. LAM works in partnership
with churches to improve mission education and mobilize short-term teams. Whatever
the church background of the specific missionary or project, the Mission promotes
inclusiveness by ministering within all sectors of evangelical Christianity.
LAM's relationship with the national churches and
national mission agencies in the countries where we minister.
LAM functions under a unique modus operandi of assigning each missionary to
work under the direction of a local grassroots ministry. We work with legally
established national ministries and churches that have a clear evangelical identity
and a qualified, responsible structure. There are no field directors in the
LAM. We relate directly to national church outreach, assigning all resources
(human and material) to the direct supervision of national leadership. We affirm
that God has given a specific agenda to the Latin Church. Our primary goal and
highest value is glorifying God by honoring His agenda and not our own.
We work to encourage the growth of the missions movement
in Latin American churches. We do this by:
Developing awareness of the missionary responsibility in national churches.
Teaching missions seminars Creating Latin American missions materials, based
on the experience of Latin missionaries Recruiting, raising support, seeking
overseas contacts for placement for missionaries. Administering and providing
member care services for national mission agencies.
