Promoting Missiological Reflection from Latin America

In 2023, the Avant Español Scholarship contest was formed for the purpose of promoting missiological reflection from Latin America. Every year ten different theological institutions are invited to participate, and students are given a writing topic related to the Missio Dei (the mission of God) and the church in Latin America.

The Avant Español Scholarship contest promotes biblical, theological, and missiological reflection among theology students at the bachelor and master levels in Latin America. It also provides reflection, production, and publication from students on missiological topics from the reality of Latin America. These writings become an important and needed source of missiological materials for theological seminaries and institutions with biblical theological studies.

Ashly Vásquez (winner 2023) wrote about The Missio Dei, the Church and post-pandemic normality: paradigmatic changes that demand a response. Ashly shared that “Exploring such a challenging topic proved to be a deeply enriching experience. Not only did it give me the opportunity to delve deeper into the essence of the mission, but it also allowed me to venture into the realm of writing…Without a doubt, writing became a vehicle to expand my ideas and, above all, to forge a personal understanding of the new realities we face as a church, and in how we do mission.”

Susy Estrada (winner 2024) wrote on The challenges of the church in fulfilling God's mission among unreached people groups in its own country. Describing her experience, Susy said, “The challenge that Avant extended to us to approach the topic of God's Mission has challenged me in a very personal way in my journey as a Christian. Writing about the challenges of our contexts forces us to become aware of them and to face them head on…My colleagues and I have been excited to see more people interested in research, and it encourages us to continue writing, as well as to excel in doing so. I have observed that the path of the researcher can become a lonely one, but these spaces are for me, a reminder from the Lord that He is with us, there among books and notes. Through the scholarship, the Lord showed me that His hand is there to hold us when we need it most.”

Through these scholarships, Avant Español is becoming known among the theological institutions of Latin America and the winning contestants are awarded financial aid for their continued biblical theological studies. They provide Latin American institutions the opportunity to motivate their students to write an essay on a missiological topic and win a scholarship to continue their theological studies, which becomes a blessing for the students and for the institutions.