IBD: History and update (August 2026)

 What is IBD?

The Misión Evangélica del Uruguay (MEU) is the association of Uruguayan churches connected historically with EMU. These churches are now essentially independent, but we continue to encourage and support their ministries, not only in the context of Camp Emmanuel but also by our participation in the MEU Bible institute. Still occasionally referred to as “the first Bible institute in Uruguay,” at some point it also picked up the name of its founder, Dr. Fred Dabold. Today, almost eighty years after its beginning, the Instituto Bíblico F. V. Dabold, or IBD, still attempts to do what the Dabolds began: train men and women in Uruguay for the work of gospel ministry. In 2019 I took the baton of leadership from Pastor Gabriel Gómez, who as a teacher continues to be a valuable asset to the institute program. One day soon, if the Lord wills, I expect to pass on the baton to the next person or group of people. 

What does IBD look like today?

The 2020 shift to online instruction not only responded to the COVID-19 pandemic but also ultimately propelled us to combine what had been two separate institute programs. For many years previous, the Montevideo program met in person with live teachers, whereas the churches in the interior of the country used recorded video classes (from Oremundo) supplemented as desired by the pastors of those churches. Beginning in 2023 we combined everything into a single online program with two certificates: a 30-credit option (intended to help train church workers) and a 60-credit option (more focused toward the preparation of pastors or missionaries). The classes are currently taught via Zoom by several MEU pastors and church leaders. Other courses are delivered via pre-recorded online Oremundo classes, now updated. Approximately 40 students are regularly enrolled in anywhere from one to six classes each semester. These students live throughout Uruguay and, on occasion, in Argentina or Peru. Students participate in the ministries of their local churches and in evangelistic efforts in Montevideo and in other locations around the country.

Since my family arrived in Uruguay in 2013, we’ve been part of both IBD and FEBU in varying roles from year to year. The differences between the two institutions justify their separate existence, whereas their similarities make it possible for the two schools to sometimes share resources and combine classes. IBD’s history, the trust it continues to enjoy among the MEU churches, and its accessibility both economically and academically make it a viable option for many beginning students. FEBU’s more extensive program and connection with a wider base of churches positions it to contribute in other ways to the same needs in Uruguayan churches.

Where does IBD go from here?

Here are some of my assessments and hopes for the future of the Bible institute.

I believe that the MEU pastors and churches are able to shape, direct, and teach the Bible institute in ways that are compatible with and supportive of the association’s mission, vision, church culture, and doctrinal emphases.

At the last workers’ retreat we discussed options for more pastoral involvement in the Bible institute. The three main possibilities we considered are these:

1.     Some pastors are able to teach an entire Bible institute class.

2.     Some pastors are able to combine a weekly Bible study (already part of their church schedule) with an institute class. This has been done in the past with some success.

3.     Some pastors are able to teach one or two weeks (2-4 hours) per semester in collaboration with others, sharing the teaching responsibilities among themselves within a single course. A variation of this is for a primary teacher to regularly invite another pastor to participate at key points in the courses they teach.

Every church that is aided by the institute (and, for that matter, by the camp) should support it (or the camp) in some way. Pastors’ participation as teachers is not the only way to support the institute but is an excellent opportunity for them to commit to current church members and future pastors and missionaries the training they have received and the valuable experience they have gained in the ministry.

Every pastor and teacher should continue to prepare himself both in knowledge and in godly character evidenced in servant leadership. Annual conferences have been and continue to be a great blessing in this regard. FEBU and other institutions also offer options for continued training. I trust these opportunities will not only continue but will also increase in their doctrinal precision and their delivering of tools for pastors to do their own exegesis and theology.

If most MEU pastors would teach one institute class per year, either as a separate class or as a class combined with another church activity, classes could continue to be offered at the current rate that allows a student to finish both certificates within three years. Courses can continue to be supplemented by recorded Oremundo materials as needed. The online Oremundo courses by themselves provide robust instruction for the first 30-credit certificate and/or as part of the second 60-credit certificate.

Ultimately, the church trains her own leaders. The Uruguayan church is doing this; at the same time, many needs remain. I believe there is still a wide-open door for IBD to assist Uruguayan churches in their evangelism and ministry training. We ask your prayers that the Lord would be pleased to allow this.

This post first appeared in the EMU Newsletter (August 2026).

The Difficulty of Illness in the Home

INTRODUCTION: The serpent offered Eve the fruit, saying, “You will not die.” By saying this, he not only denied the reality of death (when she would indeed die) but also hid what that death would look like. Death is not only seen at the moment of passing from this life to eternity. It is seen throughout life as our bodies deteriorate. We have all experienced sickness. What is happening? You could say that we are slowly dying. And beyond the pain and discomfort of sickness, there is another reality that the serpent did not share with Eve: that sickness can create conflict in the home.

Illness disrupts the plans not only of the person suffering from the illness but also of his caregivers, both short-term and long-term. It entails unexpected expenses. Sometimes these costs are unbearable and result in heavy debt.

The caregiver endures sleepless nights and has to continue working during the day. Some illnesses are obvious. In these cases, people outside the home are aware of the situation. A wheelchair, for example, is a constant reminder that something is wrong. But when someone is unwell but shows no obvious symptoms to others, people forget or never notice and, therefore, can end up causing even more harm with their words or their silence. If we add to the illness the possibility of accidents or mishaps, the situation leads to further complications. If someone is at fault for causing the accident, the injured person may be tempted to harbor resentment toward another.

These conditions can provoke the person suffering from the illness to react negatively. The person suffering from the illness may even lash out at those who are actually there to help. This can cause the caregiver to respond with anger, fear, and discouragement as both suffer under an unexpected and unwanted burden.

Undoubtedly, these moments require help: the extended family, the local church, and even the wider community can participate in alleviating the suffering. But due to time constraints and the nature of the topic itself, I will focus only on the home. More specifically, I will focus on how we think about these situations. And, to be even more specific, I am thinking primarily of those who are the caregivers.

As with any other storm, it will help to have fixed points of reference, to be rooted to solid ground for stability. These fixed, stable points are truths that do not move, even when everything else seems to. God wants the truths of the Bible to keep us firm in times of illness. So let’s allow the realities of God's Word to keep us firm. We will look at six realities.

1. Sickness is not God's final will.

We are so accustomed to correctly repeating that God is sovereign that we can sometimes give (or believe) the idea that God takes pleasure in sickness or, even worse, in sin itself. It is necessary to remember that God is not the author of sin, that sickness is the consequence of sin, that the original creation had neither pain nor sickness, and that in the new creation there will be none of these evils (Genesis 1:31; Revelation 21:1-4).

We are also accustomed to hearing about the “circle of life,” the idea that it is normal for an organism to go through certain processes and to eventually die. But, for the Christian, this is not normal. Sickness and death are interruptions in God’s design.

Therefore, it is right to grieve and let others grieve when sickness strikes.

Sickness is not God’s final will. But, despite this first reality…

2. Sickness is the common condition of humanity.

Our experience is that normal life requires the stronger to care for the weaker. Real life consists of caring for babies, those with conditions like Down syndrome, those with terminal cancer, and the elderly.

It is necessary to recognize this reality because if we don't accept it, when illness strikes one of our family members, or when it strikes us, we might think it's unusual. But it isn't. It's real life.

But even recognizing these realities, illness puts tremendous stress on us. It is necessary to recognize a third reality:

3. Sickness is not the real cause of conflict.

James 4:1-4 explains that conflict stems from our own frustrated desires. The desire may not be bad. In fact, it may be right. Sickness in the home may disrupt short-term plans (postponed vacations, a missed study session) or long-term plans (“I was going to be a pastor,” or “I am a pastor, but challenges at home hinder my ministry”). These are good plans and good desires, but when circumstances rob us of what we wanted, we may react in the ways James describes in this chapter.

The good news: God offers forgiveness (James 4:6-10).

God not only offers forgiveness; He also offers truths, realities that can support us in these moments. Here is another:

4. God saved you in order that you would care for your loved one.

Have you ever stopped to think about why God saved you? Ephesians 2 tells us that He saved us for good works (see especially verse 10).

This implies that He saved you not only to live in His presence for eternity. God saved you to clean up vomit. God saved you to hear the same story for the hundredth time from your loved one who has already forgotten she told it to you. God saved you to wake up again to give the medicine every four hours. God saved you to be there for your loved one, to clean them, to give another massage.

Having this perspective doesn't take away the difficulty of the illness, but it encourages and motivates.

There is another related reality.

5. God will save you through the illness.

God has committed to completing in you, the caregiver, the work He began (Philippians 1:6). What work? How will He do it? Through everything that touches you (Romans 8:28). This promise is for every believer; those who love God are the justified who will be glorified. We began by saying that sickness is not God's final will. But God's sovereignty encompasses everything, even the sin He hates. It also encompasses the effects of the Fall. God will use your loved one's illness to save you. You are already justified, but the process of sanctification continues.

Take heart with one more reality.

6. God can give opportunities and fruit even in the worst circumstances.

Consider Paul in Rome, hindered by house arrest (Acts 28:30–31). Yet the work was unhindered (read the passage).

Finally, think about this.

7. The way you treat your sick loved one is the way you treat Christ Himself.

Read Matthew 25:31–46.

As you give the medicine, wipe, and listen to that story again, it's worth thinking, "I am serving Christ Himself directly."

CONCLUSION: Christ has solved the problem of sin (and, therefore, physical illness)... yes, but not yet. We continue to grapple with sickness, and the front lines of the battle are in the home, where one gets out of bed (or not) and (sometimes) where one dies. Let this part of Christ's kingdom, the home, be a place where we think biblically, rooted in biblical realities. We conclude by recalling the first reality we saw, a glimpse of the end times (Revelation 21:1-4):

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘The dwelling place of God is now among the people, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’”

Original notes in Spanish; translated with Google Translate with minor edits.