Rick & Susie
Biven
Missionaries to México with
BBFI
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
PERSONAL TESTIMONY
I was saved on January 16, 1974 at the Anderson Baptist Temple in
Anderson, IN. It was the first time I had been in a true Gospel
preaching church. My wife Susie and I had been invited by my sister and
brother-in-law to visit their church. We heard the Gospel for the first
time that Sunday morning when a missionary to Mexico presented his field
and preached. Susie and I went to the altar during the invitation and by
faith trusted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.
Two years later, in January 1976 on a Sunday evening, our pastor Mel
Kirk was preaching. During the message I left my seat, went to the
bathroom, and crying like a baby on my knees, I surrendered to preach
the Gospel. A short time later Susie and I surrendered to go to Mexico.
In August of that same year (1976), we arrived in Springfield, MO with
two small boys and entered BBC. We were there four years in the missions
course and worked as missionary interns at Bible B.C. in Crane, MO. We
began deputation in May 1980, and arrived in Monterrey, Mexico in May
1982 with three sons where we began to study the language and culture.
Our fourth son was born in Monterrey that October.
Our home church is First Baptist Church of Daleville, Indiana.
Our sending church is Trinity Baptist Church of Abilene, Texas.
EDUCATION
I have a BA Degree in Theology from BBC and Susie has her Missions
Diploma, ETTA Degree and A.C.E. Supervisor Certificate from Baptist
Bible College. She also has her BA Degree in Education from Louisiana
Baptist University, and Susie has a Masters Degree in Education
Administration from Louisiana Baptist University. Susie has also taken
extended studies in Psychology from the University of Monterrey.
We both have received Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degrees from Crown
Theological Seminary.
PRESENT MINISTRY
CHURCH PLANTING AND DISCIPLESHIP
Our main focus is on church planting and training the nationals to
pastor those churches. We have been involved with starting nine works in
the Monterrey area, and we are helping to establish churches throughout
Mexico and in the Dominican Republic through the Mexican missionaries
our churches are supporting.
We have a Biblical Discipleship ministry for the training of our lay
people in order to enable them “to do the work of the ministry,”
(Eph.4:12). There are three levels of discipleship training that those
of leadership potential must go through as they participate in the
ministry of the churches before they can be considered as pastoral and
missionary candidates.
We also help the churches acquire property and buildings so the works
can continue to grow and prosper. During the summer months the S.E.N.D.
groups (Sowing Evangelism Next Door) visit us to help with special
projects and to become involved in the ministry of the Mexican churches.
These S.E.N.D. groups are American church groups that wish to send their
people to the mission field. We do our best to accommodate them and
involve them in the work through evangelism, church services and
construction of church facilities.
BIBLE INSTITUTE
Another important area of ministry is the Instituto Bautista Biblico
Embajadores (Ambassador Baptist Bible College). I am the president of
the college and one of the administrators of the youth camp. We offer a
three year graduate course of 98 credit hours of study and an optional
fourth year BA Degree program through Louisiana Baptist University.
Susie and I both teach at the college as well as in several of our
churches. We have a well trained staff at the college consisting of the
director, missions director, dean of students, academic dean and several
other teachers who are also pastors.
We started the 2005-2006 school year with 42 students which has doubled
the enrollment of 2001 when we became the administrators of the school.
At present, the students come from five different states in Mexico. We
also have four graduates ministering in the United States as
missionaries to the Latino people. About 85 percent of the graduates of
ABBC are in the ministry today as pastors, missionaries and teachers.
There are four missions associated with this ministry as well, and we
have been able to secure property and buildings for their continued
growth. We praise the Lord for His blessings and for the increase He has
given.
YOUTH CAMP
The Palms Youth Camp and Convention Center is a new addition to our
ministry. We have recently acquired a 15-acre youth camp with facilities
for the Bible College and a children’s home. We have a three-phased
plan.
Phase 1 is to recondition the camp which had been abandoned for several
years, in order to begin having youth camps and retreats for the many
churches in Monterrey and the northeastern quadrant of Mexico. We have
begun this process.
Phase 2 is to establish the Ruth’s House Children’s Home. We hope to be
able to begin the home in the fall of 2006. There is a duplex house on
the property that will serve this ministry well. It will have to be
renovated before we can use it. We also have plans to begin Manna
Feeding Centers to help care for the poor children and to reach their
families with the Gospel.
Phase 3 is to move the Bible College to the camp. This will be done in
September 2007. The facility is already there, and there are three
additional houses to be used for the staff. This will draw more interest
to the institute through the youth camps and children’s home. Plus
several acres are already tilled and planted to help raise vegetables
for the school and home.
OUR VISION FOR MEXICO
It is a
three-fold vision that is beginning to be realized. First, by the grace
of God we will continue to plant churches in Mexico and train nationals
to pastor those churches. Secondly, Mexican missionaries will and are
being called out from among the churches to go to foreign fields with
the Gospel and will be (and are) supported by the Mexican churches.
Thirdly, I believe that Mexico can become the next fruitful training
ground to send forth missionaries around the world.
We are currently supporting five Mexican missionary couples in the
Dominican Republic and one missionary couple going to Israel! This is
but the beginning of a wonderful opportunity for the Mexican churches to
take the lead throughout all of Latin America (Central and South
America, the Caribbean, etc.) in training and sending out missionaries
to countries other than their own.
Thank you for your consideration of this ministry and for the people of
Mexico. We desire that much fruit will abound to your account for your
involvement in world evangelism. May God continue to bless you and your
ministry.
In Christ,
Rick and Susie Biven