Believers are looking to help Chile’s rural church grow into a missions’ minded body.

Chile (MNN)–It’s a problem seen by many fast-growing church bodies. For too many years, the dominant urban Chilean church has created a leadership dependency within the rural Mapuche church.

That often leads to other problems in creating an independent vision for a local church body, so SIM is raising money toward a special training center for Chilean church leaders.

The Metrenco Training and Retreat Center is located on the edge of native Mapuche (Ma-POO-chay) reservations where their indigenous language is still spoken. This proximity offers an ideal opportunity for language and culture exposure.

It’s aimed at strengthening the leadership in the Mapuche church. The Metrenco Center offers a Bible School for rural lay pastors. There are also plans in the works to offer “Great Commission” retreats for local churches, as well as mission camps for students. Two international mission groups are looking at a partnership for missionary training courses.

Pray that God would raise up a mission force from within the Chilean church.