With the rapid advance of the Voice of Prophecy broadcast, and, the large interest manifested in the Radio Bible Correspondence plan in the South American Division, it has been necessary to adapt our methods to meet the needs of Latin-American students. All classes of Latin society and culture are represented in our Bible school., The differences between the social groups and the extremes of educational background are so great in Latin America that it has been no little problem to adapt our Radio Bible School to meet the wide range of needs encountered.
We bravely began our Bible school in 1943 by offering only one course, prepared with the hope of meeting the average needs of these students. However, this soon proved impractical because of the great difference in their educational preparation and cultural background. After a year and a half we discovered that only seventy percent of our enrolled students remained active. A year later this had fallen to forty-seven percent.
It was evident that the course of study was proving very popular with professors, lawyers, business, and professional men, and others with a certain degree of education who were disposed to study the lessons carefully and fill in the answers to the questionnaires at the close of each lesson. But many found the course too difficult and dropped out. Thus it early became strikingly evident that the field of study offered by the Bible school was more or less restricted to those of a certain educational background or culture.
To broaden this field of study, and also to include the youth, two new preparatory coufses were added late in 1945, and already these are receiving an enthusiastic reception in the field. Now, with three general courses to offer the public, it is possible to greatly enlarge the scope of our Radio Bible school. The characteristics of the courses are as follows :
1. El Curso Universal, or the universal course, the original one first offered, consists of twenty-six lessons of the conventional question-and-answer type. This is the most complete of the three courses and covers the great positive doctrines of the message with considerable detail.
2. El eurso Libre, or reading-course type, also consists of twenty-six lessons. This course is distinguished by the fact that it does not contain a questionnaire to be answered and returned by mail before the student receives the next lesson.
Each lesson in this course is prepared in a most attractive form, with large readable type and is well illustrated. A brief outline of the subject is presented at the beginning of each lesson: Each section of the lesson is headlined with a positive statement, followed by appropriate texts and necessary explanations. The simplest language is used, and the whole lesson is prepared in such a logical, straightforward style that any person who can read, can understand it.
At the close of the lesson, in place of the conventional question sheet, under a section entitled "For the Meditation of the Student," several statements or questions are prepared which summarize the moral of the lesson, with space in which the students may fill in their personal response solely for their own record, if desired. Together with this course there is offered a special question-andanswer service to encourage the student to ask questions on the lessons, and correspond with us.
These lessons are mailed every two weeks. Upon receipt of the fourth lesson, a specially prepared "control card" is sent, which must be filled out and returned to us if the student desires to continue the course. Space is also provided on this card for any questions the student may have on the lessons studied. After each four lessons, another card is sent, on which the student may express more fully his interest and ask questions as the lessons are received. As he nears the completion of the course and comes to the great positive testing truths, this control card is sent more often, to ascertain his interest and response.
In this way we are now reaching that large class of people of lesser education, and those who may be too busy or simply not disposed to fill in the conventional question sheet of the correspondence plan. With such a modified plan of follow up, we have incorporated into this reading-course type of study the great advantages of the correspondence plan by maintaining progressive contact with the student, noting his progress and interest in the truths studied.
3. EL Cuxso Jevexil, or junior course, is prepared especially for Latin youth between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. It consists of twenty-four lessons with the conventional question-andanswer type lesson sheet. It is prepared in the most simple form, profusely illustrated with pictures and stories, and printed in large readable type in various colors. Careful consideration has been given to the educational background and religious culture of Latin youth.
These three courses are considered as preparatory courses. Although they contain the great positive doctrines of the message, and are intended to give the student a basic knowledge of present truth, leading to conversion, yet great care has been exercised to avoid all highly controversial subjects which may prove prejudicial to our general radio work in Latin America. There are still places on the South American continent where intolerance and fanaticism make such a policy necessary. As a result of this plan, no one need take offense, and our radio work can go forward unmolested by these forces.
However, these courses are not intended to complete the student's preparation for baptism and church membership. A special advanced, complimentary course of nineteen lessons has been prepared for this purpose. With an ample review of the doctrines studied in any one of the preparatory courses in the light of Revelation 14, this advanced course deals primarily with the great testing truths so highly controversial in strongly 'Catholic countries. This course is not advertised to the public. Great care is taken to offer it only to those students who have completed any one of the preparatory courses and who have indicated a sincere interest in the message. It is, therefore, highly desirable that personal contact be made with these students, and that they study this course with the assistance and direction of the local Bible instructor, pastor, or evangelist.
To facilitate and make possible a convenient contact with the student by the local worker, we have chosen to make a special occasion of the completion of the preparatory course. Arrangements are made through the conference president for the local pastor or Bible instructor to visit and personally present the diploma to the student at this time. Thus, acting as the representative of the Radio Bible School, under our direction, the local worker introduces the advanced course at this time, and if possible, makes arrangements to assist the student in his or her study by an occasional personal visit.
To make this contact easier and the assistance more attractive, plans are under way to illustrate this complementary advanced course with beautifully prepared filmstrips for projection. These illustrated studies can be used in individual studies, in group or cottage meetings, with students and their friends, as conditions permit.
Our Radio Bible School, with its thousands of students, brings to a focus a large and definite interest which may thus be tied in closely to the local program of evangelism. The alert pastor or evangelist finds here a new field of soul-winning endeavor opening before him. Where large interests have been raised up, lay preachers and lay Bible instructors may be trained and directed to make contact with students.
Already from the 5,416 active students in the Universal Course alone, 2,185 have expressed a definite interest ; 360 have already completed this course and are studying in the advanced course; and 345 of these are known to be definitely studying and preparing for baptism. Nearly fifty of these have already been baptized as of January, 1946.
Thus with the enlarged scope of our Bible school, made effective by the adding of new courses, together with the plan of contact and effective follow-up afforded through the illustrated advanced course, we believe a new era of evangelism has been opened for us in South America by the Voice of Prophecy Bible Correspondence School, and that it will prove to be a mighty auxiliary in our rapidly expanding program of public evangelism.
