About - Rio Grande Bible Ministries

“RÍO GRANDE BIBLE MINISTRIES EXISTS TO GLORIFY GOD BY SERVING THE CHURCH THROUGH EQUIPPING LEADERS, EDIFYING BELIVERS AND EVANGELIZING THE LOST.”

LETTER FROM PRESIDENT

Rio Grande Bible Ministries is a multifaceted ministry with the commission of by serving the church through equipping leaders, edifying believers, and evangelizing the lost. Our ministries include a Bible college and seminary, several Spanish radio stations, conference grounds, a printing ministry, and promotion of missions in local churches throughout the world.
I love Christ’s assurance in Matthew 16, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”

We see the marvel of the fulfillment of this promise in our day in every geographical region of the globe. And in our Hispanic world, people are responding to the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Christ like never before! We see Hispanic churches established in every part of the world because Hispanics are now dispersing to almost every country on our planet.
The harsh reality in these Hispanic congregations is that a great number of them do not have trained leaders or pastors, which is exactly why God established the Rio Grande Bible Ministries!

Jesus called Rio Grande into the harvest to prepare Christ centered leaders with a biblical worldview for the global church. Our printing ministries support both our evangelism and our leadership training efforts. Our radio stations provide strong evangelism, discipleship, encouragement, and teaching that are all remarkably effective. Vast numbers of listeners tune in every day to listen to our well-planned programming, and the fruit of that impact is readily visible in the communities and local churches in the ministry areas. How else could we reach two hundred thousand people every day? Our conference center provides strong training, and it mobilizes the residents into action in evangelism, pastoral, and support ministries.

God is handpicking, selecting men and women and calling them to fulfill the amazing assignment of making disciples, followers of Christ, in all parts of the world. A great many of them He’s also sending to Rio Grande to receive their education, their spiritual preparation and their ministerial training.

Our graduates and trainees are all over planet Earth fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission.
And one day in eternity we will stand before the king of kings, along with men and women from every tribe, every tongue, every people, every nation, worshipping the lamb that was slain.
And what a joy it will be to know that many of them were reached, discipled, and commissioned into the harvest by graduates of Rio Grande.

STATEMENT (ARTICLES) OF FAITH

The general doctrinal position of Rio Grande Bible Ministries may be described as adherent to the view of man’s universal depravity, his free will, and the security of the believer; dispensational in interpretation and biblically fundamental in doctrine. We hold to the pre-tribulation rapture of the saints and the fullness of the Holy Spirit as the heritage and inheritance of all believers in Christ. We do not hold the “Pentecostal” interpretation of the work of the Holy Spirit, nor tongues as the evidence of the fullness of the Spirit, nor an “experience-related” Christian life. Each worker and board member is required annually to subscribe to the Statement of Faith without mental reservations.

SECTION 1: OF THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally inspired in all its parts and is the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore is truth without any admixture of error. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions shall be tested. II Tim. 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21; Mt. 1:22; John 10:35; Isa.8:20.

SECTION 2: OF THE TRUE GOD
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; infinitely glorious in holiness, and worthy of all worship, honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.Ex. 20:2; Mt. 28:19, 20; I Cor. 8:6; Rev. 4:11.

SECTION 3: OF GOD THE SON
We believe that the eternal Son of God became incarnate as the Lord Jesus Christ, who is true God and true Man, having been begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of Mary, a virgin. John 1:14; Isa. 7:14; Mt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:27,35.

SECTION 4: OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation of the universe; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the Agent in the new birth; that He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ; and that He seals, indwells, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps every believer. We also hold that believers are admonished to be filled with the Spirit. Gen. 1:1-3; Mt. 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35; 4:14; 24:49; John 1:33; 14:16, 17, 26; 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; 11:16; Rom. 8:14-16,26-27; I Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 1:13-14; 5:18.

SECTION 5: OF THE DEVIL, OR SATAN
We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the evil god of this age, that he directs and energizes all the powers of darkness, and that he is destined to the judgment of eternal justice in the lake of fire. Mt. 4:1,3; II Cor. 4:4; Rev. 20:10.

SECTION 6: OF THE CREATION
We believe the Genesis account of creation and that man came by direct creation of God and not by evolution. Gen. 1, 2; Col. 1:16, 17; John 1:3.

SECTION 7: OF THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that man was created in innocence in the spiritual image of God, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless state, in consequence of which all men are now sinners by nature and by choice; and that, therefore, all men are under the just condemnation of God, without defense or excuse. Gen. 3:1-6; Rom. 1:18-32; 5:10-19; Eph. 2:1-3.

SECTION 8: OF THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly by God’s grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself the nature of men, yet without sin; that He honored the divine law by His perfect, personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for the sins of all men; that His atonement did not consist of setting men an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord bearing the sins of men in His own body upon the Cross; that having bodily risen from the dead, He is now seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, and, uniting in His wonderful Person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and an all-sufficient Savior.Isa. 53:4-7; Mt. 18:11, 28:6-7; Mark 16:6, 19; Luke 24:26, 51; John 3:16; 20:27; Acts 1:9-11; 15:11; Rom. 3:24-25; I Cor. 15:3-4; II Cor. 5:21; Phil. 2:7; I Tim. 1:5; Heb. 2:14, 17; 5:9-10; 8:6; 12:2; I John 2:1; 4:10; Rev. 3:21

SECTION 9: OF GRACE IN THE NEW CREATION
We believe that in order to be saved from the guilt and penalty of sin and to enter the Kingdom of God, the sinner must be born again of the Spirit of God; that the new birth is an instantaneous act of creation, not a process; that in the new birth the sinner dead in trespasses and sins is made a new creation, a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life as the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner beyond our comprehension solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with the Word of God, so as to secure the voluntary obedience of the sinner to the gospel; that the proper evidence of the new birth appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life.John 3:3, 7-8; Acts 16:30-33; Rom. 6:23; II Cor. 5:17, 19; Eph. 2:1, 8-10; Col. 2:13; I Pet. 1:23; II Pet. 1:4.

SECTION 10: OF THE JUSTIFICATION
We believe that the great salvation blessing which Christ secures to those who believe in Him is justification, which includes the pardon of all sin and the imputation of the righteousness of Christ. This justification is given, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which man renders to God, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood. Isa. 53:11; Zech. 13:1; Acts 13:31, 38-39; Rom. 3:21-26; 5:1, 9;8:1; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7.

SECTION 11: OF THE CHURCH
Of The Local church -We believe that a local church is a congregation of born-again believers, associated by mutual faith for fellowship, edification and service; observing the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper as instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors or elders and deacons whose qualifications and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures; we further believe that the true mission of the Church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity. Mt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2:42, 47; 6:1-7; 14:23; 20:17, 28; I Cor. 11:23-32; Phil. 1:1; I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; Heb. 13:15-17; I Pet. 5:1-3.

Of The True Church -We believe that the true church consists of all believers on the Lord Jesus Christ and is the Bride of Christ which will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air at His return, Christ being the Bridegroom. I Cor. 12:12-13; I Thes. 4:13-17; Eph. 5:22-32; Rev. 19:7-9.

SECTION 12: OF THE SECURITY OF THE SAINTS
We believe that all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ, having been sealed by the Spirit until the day of redemption. Eph. 1:13, 14; 4:30; John 10:28-29; Rom. 8:35-39; Phil. 1:6; Jude 1:24.

SECTION 13: OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only those who through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His sight; while those who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in life and after death in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. Gen. 18:23; Prov. 14:12; Mal. 3:18; Mt. 25:34-41; John 3:31; Rom. 6:17, 18, 23; I John 5:19; II Thes. 1:7-9.

SECTION 14: OF THE CIVIL GOVERNMENT
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things clearly opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth. Ex. 18:22; 2 Sam. 23:3; Dan. 3:17-18; Mt. 22:21; Acts 4:19-20; 23:5; 5:29; Rom. 13:1-7; Titus 3:1-2; I Pet. 2:13-14.

SECTION 15: OF THE PERSONAL, VISIBLE, PRE-MILLENNIAL RETURN OF CHRIST AND REALTED EVENTS
A. We believe in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds to rapture His church. I Thes. 4:13-18; James 5:8; Heb. 9:28.
B. We believe in the resurrection of the righteous dead. I Cor. 15:42-44,52; I Thes. 4:13-18.
C. We believe in the transformation of the bodies of the living believers in Christ at the rapture. I Cor. 15:51-53; I Thes. 4:13-18; Phil 3:20-21.
D. We believe in the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus to the earth to occupy the throne of David. 2 Sam. 7:8-16; Isa. 9:6-7; Zech. 14:4,9; Luke 1:31-33; Acts 2:29,30; 15:14-17.
E. We believe in the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. Psa. 72:8; Isa. 32:1; 11:4-5; I Cor. 15:25; Rev. 20:1-6.

SECTION 16: SUBSCRIPTION TO THE ARTICLES OF FAITH
During September each year, or as soon thereafter as practical, each Board member, Faculty and Staff member and Officer shall be required to subscribe in writing, to the official articles of Faith. Any new member of the Staff or Board shall be required to sign the Articles of Faith upon appointment.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Rio Grande Bible Ministries is incorporated as a religious, nonprofit organization under the laws of the State of Texas. Its tax-deductible receipts are recognized by the Internal Revenue Service and its financial records are audited annually by an independent accounting firm. Copies of our audited financial statements are available to the public upon request. Rio Grande is accountable to the Association for Biblical Higher Education, and the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. The authorization to function in Texas is overseen by the Texas Workforce Commission.

The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) is an accrediting agency in the United States nationally recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The ABHE is inter-denominational but requires annual affirmation of a common statement of beliefs. The association is a full member of the International Council of Evangelical Theological Education, operating under the auspices of the World Evangelical Alliance. Rio Grande Bible Institute is accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education Commission on Accreditation (5850 T. G. Lee Blvd., Ste. 130, Orlando, FL 32822, 407.207.0808) to grant certificates and degrees at the Associate and Baccalaureate levels.

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) is an accreditation agency to promote fiscal integrity and sound financial practices among member organizations. It comprises over 2,000 evengelical Christian organizations which qualify for tax-exempt, nonprofit status and receive tax-deductible contributions.

Files with public information for the year ending June 30, 2023.

Public copy of form 990

Audited Financial Statement

HISTORY

The Rio Grande Bible Institute, Inc. was founded in 1946 by Rev. M.C. Ehlert, a Baptist pastor and evangelist, who came to the Rio Grande Valley in 1937 to do tent evangelism. He saw a great need to train Hispanic believers and new converts because there was very little Bible training available for them.

Mr. Ehlert’s vision led to the purchase of 40 acres of land in Edinburg, Texas, the heart of the lower Rio Grande Valley. The first buildings were erected, and classes began in the spring of 1947. The school was unique in that it was bilingual, offering three years of comprehensive Bible training in either English or Spanish.

In 1955, the English Bible Institute was discontinued and the Missionary Language School (designed to teach Spanish language skills to missionaries) was begun in its place. Later the Bible Institute program was lengthened to four years, one- and two-year programs were added, and the Missionary Language School was integrated into the college program as the Intercultural Studies program.

In 1999, the Rio Grande Bible Institute (Seminario Bíblico Río Grande in Spanish) was accredited by the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE). In 2016, the Intercultural Studies program received accreditation. The online studies department has grown exponentially and in 2020 approval was granted to offer 100% of the college program online for credit. In November 2023, the first master’s level program was approved by the ABHE and online classes for the Graduate program began in January, 2024. In February, 2024, Rio Grande received reaffirmation of accreditation status for an additional ten years. The authorization to function in Texas is overseen by the Texas Workforce Commission.

God has prospered the school. More than 6,000 people from mainly Latin and North America have come to study. Annual enrollment in the Bible Institute averages 120 students on campus. About a dozen of those are enrolled in the Intercultural Studies program (formerly the Missionary Language School). In addition, around seventy online students are enrolled in undergraduate studies. The master’s program’s first cohort has more than a dozen students.

Throughout the past 78 years, God has blessed Rio Grande with a forty-nine acre campus and expanded the ministry beyond its perimeters. In 1983, God added the ministry of broadcasting through Radio Esperanza. In 2008, the radio station broadcasting from Roma, Texas, was acquired, with the signal reaching the lower and mid-Rio Grande Valley and deep into northern Mexico. Recently, another station with its tower in Port Isabel began broadcasting, dramatically improving coverage in the lower Rio Grande Valley. Radio Esperanza currently broadcasts over on AM and three FM stations. Through the internet, Radio Esperanza can be heard all around the world, touching lives with God’s Word.

In 1993, Bibleville, a non-denominational Bible Conference Center near Alamo, Texas, was added to the Rio Grande family of ministries. There “Winter Texans” host Bible conferences and music concerts during the winter months and have become important prayer and ministry partners to Rio Grande Bible Ministries staff and students.
Rio Grande Global is the mission mobilization arm of Rio Grande Bible Ministries.

Rio Grande Global exists to mobilize the Latin American Church for God’s global harvest. It is our vision to see the Latin American churches actively engaged in praying for world missions, sending missionaries around the world, funding the missionaries that they send, and encouraging other churches to become involved in labors towards God’s global harvest.

Rio Grande Global comes alongside local churches and pastors, teaching and encouraging them to embrace the great commission mandate to go into all the world to make disciples of all nations. It usually begins with teaching and conferences. Rio Grande then comes alongside the local churches to help them form formal missions committees, begin actively praying for and supporting missions, and finally choosing their own missionaries and preparing them for a life of service overseas.

About our Names
Question: I’ve seen Rio Grande Bible Institute, Rio Grande Bible Ministries, and Rio Grande Bible College in your publications. What is the difference?
Answer: Yes, it can be confusing. Let us explain:
(1) Rio Grande Bible Institute, Inc. is the historical and official name of our organization.
(2) Rio Grande Bible Ministries is the title that we use to indicate all the divisions and branches of our organization (Seminario Biblico Rio Grande, Radio Esperanza, Bibleville, and Rio Grande Global).
(3) Seminario Bíblico Río Grande is the Spanish name of our Bible college.