A Photo of our Guatemala team (missing a couple of faces)
What does ministry look like when local leaders shape it around the needs of their communities? Across Brazil, Colombia, and Guatemala, I have seen three distinct answers—and fresh expressions of a shared calling to serve pastors and leaders.
During visits to all three teams this year, I have been encouraged by the creativity of our OC Global Alliance partners, known in these countries as SEPAL. Years ago, these ministries were established by American missionaries and reported to a U.S.-based organizational structure. Today, they are independent, autonomous partners whose local leadership is shaping how they serve leaders, plant churches, and make disciples. Their approaches are increasingly diverse, reflecting the communities God has called them to serve.
Brazil: A Platform for Ministry Beyond Borders
SEPAL Brazil brings independent missionaries and ministries together under a recognized, credible name. This shared platform has helped the team grow, strengthen its ministry within Brazil, and mobilize workers internationally.
Pastoral training, leadership mentoring, and missionary member care are among the team’s strengths. Its reach is also extending alongside the Brazilian diaspora, connecting local ministry with opportunities around the world.
Earlier this year, I met a SEPAL Brazil couple who run a missionary guest house in Scotland. More than a place to stay, the house has become a ministry hub where they care for missionaries serving across Europe and the Middle East. It is a practical example of how hospitality can support workers far beyond a team’s home country.
Colombia: Creating Space for a New Generation
SEPAL Colombia is a smaller team with youthful energy and a clear focus: making disciples and developing younger leaders for the future of the church.
The team is engaging college students and other young adults, including those who have stepped away from traditional churches but still long for spiritual direction. Through small groups and house church gatherings, SEPAL Colombia is creating opportunities for them to explore biblical truth and grow as disciples.
I had the privilege of joining one of these house church services. What stood out was the participants’ hunger for Scripture and the vitality of their fellowship. The team’s approach is not simply about changing where people meet; it is about meeting a generation’s spiritual hunger through relationships and discipleship.
Guatemala: Diverse Ministries, Renewed Vision
At a recent SEPAL Guatemala retreat, I met with the team’s twelve members and was struck by the breadth of their ministry. They are providing formal pastoral training opportunities in remote areas, hosting short-term mission teams, and serving through sports ministry, ministry with the deaf, evangelism among children and youth, and discipleship.
These varied approaches reflect a willingness to respond to different needs rather than rely on a single ministry model. From training pastors in remote communities to engaging young people through sports, the team is finding ways to bring ministry into the settings where people live.
SEPAL Guatemala is also beginning a season of vision renewal. Over the coming year, the team plans to review and renew its vision, structures, and relationships, with the goal of recruiting and mobilizing more Guatemalans for local and international ministry.
One Calling, Many Expressions
What encourages me most is not that these teams look alike, but that they do not. A missionary guest house in Scotland, a house church in Colombia, and pastoral training in remote Guatemala each reflect local leaders responding to the needs and opportunities before them.
Across the OC Global Alliance, innovation takes shape through faithful, practical ministry: caring for workers, making room for younger disciples, and equipping leaders to serve. I am grateful for these teams, whose creativity and joyful service glorify God and give our shared calling so many fruitful expressions.