History of the Ministry
Ministry History: Living Water Teaching was founded by Pastors James and Marion Zirkle in October 1979 with the vision that God gave them that - “All Central America would know the Lord Jesus, and God’s sent ones would be taught and trained in His Word” - [Pastor James L. Zirkle 1983]. After dissolving their construction firm in Ohio in 1976, James and Marion Zirkle and their three children moved to Broken Arrow, OK. During two years of intensive study in God’s Word, Jim was presented with an opportunity to minister to a group of missionaries working in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.
It was during this time of ministry that the Spirit of God called him to Central America. Soon afterwards, the vision that today guides the entire ministry began to unfold. Since the beginning of Living Water Teaching in 1979 by the Zirkles, LWT has grown to include outreaches in eleven countries throughout Latin America.
The Word of God is going forth through Bible schools, evangelistic campaigns, medical campaigns, Operation Shoebox (an outreach taking the Gospel and gifts to needy kids at Christmas time), and through the ministries of the Bible Institute graduates in these eleven countries.
When their Douglas DC-3 aircraft went down on November 1, 1998, taking the lives of Pastor Jim, their son, son-in-law, two missionaries, and six group members from the United States, Pastor Marion knew that the vision was not completed. She picked up the mantle on that fateful night, and by the grace of God, continues running with the vision of changing Central America for Jesus. On July 12, 2003, Marion married Pastor Clarence Wright and they, along with the Living Water Teaching family, are taking the Gospel to all Central America, Cuba, Mexico, Bolivia, Colombia, Uruguay, and Paraguay in South America.
Living Water Teaching is in its 31st year on the field and has currently graduated over 29,000 Bible school students. The ministry has seen over 700,000 born again over the last 30 years. More than 100 denominational groups have trusted us to train their leaders and young people. At present, the Living Water Teaching is composed of a local church, the Bible School in Quetzaltenango and the Christian Training Schools throughout Guatemala, Bible Schools in other countries, the ACE Living Water Teaching Academy, medical clinic, an audiovisual ministry, Kenneth Copeland Ministries’ office for Latin America, Mercy Wings Ministry and others. Many of the staff are volunteer missionaries who come from the United States of America and different parts of Central America, plus more than 50 employees, mostly Guatemalans.
Living Water Teaching has a campus in Quetzaltenango where the Mission, the Bible Institute, and the Academy are located plus the local church property in the business area of town. The campus has a complex of buildings that provide housing for missionaries, employees, and on-campus students. It also has the facilities of the Bible Institute, Living Water Teaching Academy, KCM offices, dining room, warehouse, maintenance and mechanic shop, and housing to receive people from short-term missionary groups, pastors and other visitors, as well as for different church groups that hold retreats and seminars on the campus.
History of the Living Water Teaching Bible Institute
The Bible Institute was founded in Quetzaltenango in 1981 as part of the original vision of the founding pastors. At present it is under the direction of Carol S. Ruano.
To fulfill the vision of Living Water Teaching, the Bible School has 4 types of teaching programs:
1. The Bachelor Degree.
2. The Associate Degree.
3. The Extension School Diploma. (Christian Training Schools)
4. Seminars.
Besides the general ministry buildings, the campus has a two-story Bible Institute building, fully equipped classrooms, a library, a computer lab, offices and auditorium. The LWT campus also has a kitchen, dining room, dorms for the internal students, and a prayer chapel.
