The Timothy Principle: Training Faithful Men

By Diane Henzler

In the spring of 1933 as the willows and rose bushes bloomed in the Southern Hemisphere, a little Chilean boy was born. His parents were farmers, working closely with the handiwork of the great Artist who had so richly endowed the south of Chile. Not only did they work directly with creation, they also enjoyed a direct relationship with its Creator. They passed this personal knowledge of God on to their children and at the age of 15, Laureano Saez received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.

Five years later as Laureano reached adulthood, the national Chilean Baptist Mission, with which Laureano's family fellowshipped, became concerned about training young people. The group contacted ABWE and invited them to come to Chile for the specific purpose of providing theological education needed to prepare lay-workers, pastors and evangelists. In 1953 ABWE formed a team of experienced missionaries who enthusiastically began their work in Chile. Evangelistic tent campaigns in the Santiago community of San Miguel bore fruit as young people came together under the tents to study the Word of God. They formed the first class of the ABWE Baptist Bible Institute of Chile. A year later, Laureano Saez was among the students at the new school. Motivated by the desire for a deeper knowledge of God's Word, he left his home in the south and moved to Chile's capital, Santiago.

During his three years at the institute, Laureano worked in the two ABWE church planting works in existence at that time. After graduating from the institute, Laureano and his new bride, Deborah (also a student at the institute), returned south where he worked at his carpentry trade and in the church pastored by Deborah's father. In 1962, the Lord led the Saezes back to Santiago where Laureano continued his carpentry and worked with an elderly pastor.

One day Laureano and Deborah received unexpected visitors. On the recommendation of Laureano's Bible institute professors, ABWE missionary Dave Toro and the deacons of the church in formation at San Miguel asked him to pastor the San Miguel church. The responsibility seemed too great for the young carpenter. He had attended the Bible institute with a sincere desire to grow in knowledge of God's Word, but had not sensed God's leading him into a pastoral ministry. He and his ever-supportive wife agreed to pray about the matter for six months. At the end of that time, confident of God's leading, Laureano consented to be the first pastor of the San Miguel Baptist Church. Dave Toro became - and has remained to this day - his counselor in the ministry and a dear friend.

God blessed the church. Many people were saved and the work grew under Pastor Saez's leadership. The Lord used this man to build the church not only spiritually, but literally as well. Putting his carpentry skill to good use, Pastor Saez personally headed construction of the church building. Within seven years, the congregation had outgrown its facilities and Pastor Saez led the congregation in another building program - this time a new work in a new community. He sent out a team of trained men and women from the San Miguel church to start the new work. Five times, in five different communities, this process of building and edifying churches repeated itself under Pastor Saez. He trained his people so thoroughly that the first of the daughter churches has since reproduced itself.

Pastor Saez continued to work closely with his alma mater; speaking in chapels and Bible Conferences, and sending many young people to the institute. When the Lord led ABWE to advance its theological training by opening a four-year seminary program in 1990, the first student to enroll and pursue the more rigorous studies was Marcelo Henriquez, an institute graduate brought up under the pastoral care and teaching of Laureano Saez.

After 25 years of outstanding ministry in the San Miguel Baptist Church, Laureano resigned. The church called his son-in-law, Pastor Carrasco. He and his wife Esther had been involved in ABWE's work in Argentina and were greatly impacted by Dan and Cindy Gelatt, Ivor and Ruth Greenslade and Jim and Sharon Evans.

The Saezes' son is an integral part of the San Miguel ministry. He previously served in Ecuador as well as working with his father. Laureano Saez's desire to better know God and His Word has produced the vibrant testimony of a faithful man of God. We are challenged to continue building on the foundation already laid, while always seeking to lay new foundations. But this is not ...

THE END

of the story! Pastor Saez resigned from San Miguel because God lead him to return to his birthplace as a church planting missionary, supported by the San Miguel church. During his three years of ministry in Curacautin he has invited groups of ABWE seminary students to work with him in evangelistic outreach. Early in 1996 Marcelo Henriquez was commissioned and sent out by the San Miguel church as a missionary to Chile's southern islands. Laureano Saez continues his lifelong ministry of leading and edifying the body of Christ.

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2

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