Mount Hebron Publications: Spanish resources for pastors and churches

Mount Hebron Publications developed as a way to place preaching and practical ministry instruction into the hands of Spanish-speaking church workers. Begun by Brenda Ashcraft, the ministry grew through Jonathan Ashcraft’s work and the production responsibilities carried by institute graduate Alfredo Uc. Its resources included written lessons, books, and recorded sermons, with subjects ranging from personal evangelism to marriage and family life. [1, 3, 4]

The work connected the teaching ministry of Monte Hebrón with congregations beyond its campus. Materials could accompany a visiting preacher, be taken home after a meeting, and be reproduced for use in a local church. By July 2016, the available publications covered more than twenty titles or resources, alongside recorded messages. [4]

Brenda’s beginning and Jonathan’s expansion

Brenda began the publishing ministry to print and distribute preaching and teaching materials. By September 2013, it had been operating for several years. Its beginnings added another dimension to her work as a missionary, pianist, music teacher, and leader in personal evangelism: helping instruction reach people through material they could keep and use. [1]

Jonathan subsequently expanded the work and trained an institute graduate to oversee it. The publishing ministry was one of several areas he helped develop after he and Jenny arrived in October 2007. His responsibilities also included the church website and online services, creating different ways for the church’s preaching and teaching to reach people beyond an individual service. [1]

Publishing provided its own form of continuity. A message delivered on one occasion could become a written resource available to another worker at another time. The ministry’s later use of reproducible digital files made that purpose especially practical for pastors and teachers preparing material for their congregations. [4]

Alfredo Uc and the production work

Alfredo Uc became a central figure in preparing the materials. He graduated from the Instituto Bíblico Bautista Monte Hebrón in 2011 and oversaw Mount Hebron Publications while studying and for three years afterward. An accomplished graphic artist, he worked with instructional resources that included books and sermon recordings. [3]

By December 2013, Alfredo had been responsible for the publications department for several years. His work served the Spanish-speaking ministry community while he also taught an adult Sunday School class at Monte Hebrón. Production responsibilities and direct participation in the local church formed part of the same period of service. [2]

Alfredo and his wife, Teresa, both institute graduates, later prepared for missionary work in Thailand. Their transition illustrates how the publications ministry and missionary preparation overlapped: someone producing resources for other church workers was also preparing to serve in another country himself. By July 2016, they had arrived in Thailand to begin church-planting work. [2–4]

Turning teaching into reusable resources

A major part of the ministry involved putting Tommy Ashcraft’s preaching and teaching into writing. The aim was to address a shortage of useful Spanish-language material for instruction and training. By 2016, the subjects included:

• Personal evangelism and soul-winning.
• Missions.
• Leadership.
• Sunday School.
• Marriage and family.
• Bible doctrine. [4]

The range placed practical church responsibilities alongside doctrinal instruction and family life. A pastor seeking help with missions, a teacher preparing a lesson, or a worker studying personal evangelism could find material directed toward those areas of service. [4]

The ministry also offered recorded messages in MP3 format. Written resources and audio recordings gave recipients different ways to use the teaching: reading and reproducing a lesson, or listening to a sermon. Materials were offered to people in churches Tommy visited during his travels. [3, 4]

PDFs on CDs

By July 2016, the books were being supplied on CDs as PDF files. The format allowed recipients to print, copy, and reproduce the lessons and messages for their own churches and ministries. The intended use therefore extended beyond reading a single purchased copy. A church worker could obtain a digital resource and prepare copies for local use. [4]

That arrangement joined digital distribution with printed teaching. The CD carried the files, while the recipient could turn them into paper lessons or other working copies as needed. Reproduction for ministry use was an explicit feature of the offering. [4]

Reinvesting in the work

The materials were offered at cost. Tommy took no personal profit from their sale; proceeds were reinvested in equipment and supplies to continue producing resources. The financial arrangement supported the ongoing preparation and availability of the materials. [4]

Mount Hebron Publications thus extended the ministry’s emphasis on training through a different medium. Brenda’s initiative, Jonathan’s development of the work, Alfredo’s production skills, and Tommy’s teaching contributed to resources that church workers could carry away, study, and use in their own congregations. [1–4]