The Adventist University of Bolivia (Universidad Adventista de Bolivia, UAB) presented a new missionary strategy aimed at training and sending more missionaries to the world, strengthening the role of the Adventist Volunteer Service (Servicio Voluntario Adventist, SVA) as a key platform for outreach.

The initiative, led by the new director of SVA Bolivia, Arturo Betancourt, seeks to foster a “missionary lifestyle” among students by reinforcing existing programs and integrating professional training with practical service in both local and international contexts.

A strategic shift toward global mission

UAB President Alfredo Santa Cruz, highlighted that Betancourt's arrival comes at a key moment for the institution, which has a School of Missions dedicated to preparing and sending students to various parts of the world.

"The pastor comes with vast experience (...) to establish projects that will send our students to different parts of the world," Santa Cruz stated, emphasizing that the goal is to move from a stage of internal maturity to one of global expansion.

Bolivia as a sending center

Betancourt emphasized that the strategy focuses on aligning students’ academic training with missionary service. He described the university as a training center where young people from diverse fields can combine theory with hands-on experience in mission settings.

He added that one of the primary goals is to position Bolivia as a source of missionaries to regions where the Adventist Church has limited presence.

"We want to transform Bolivia into a source of missionaries for a world that needs pioneers," Betancourt stated.

Next steps

In the coming weeks, the initiative will focus on student recruitment and training. The program includes an open invitation for students from all academic disciplines to participate in volunteer service, along with specialized preparation based on the book Passport to Mission and skill development for fieldwork.

Students will also take part in weekly outreach activities, including visits to hospitals, orphanages, nursing homes, and public spaces.

A call to serve

Betancourt encouraged students to see mission as essential to spiritual growth.

"Spiritual life doesn't grow solely through the Bible and prayer; mission is the other element that you may be missing to have a living Christianity," she affirmed.

UAB leadership reaffirmed its commitment to combining academic training with service, positioning itself as both an educational institution and a center for mission engagement at the local and global levels.

The original article was published on the South American Division Spanish news site.