School of Ministry saw its beginnings in 1996 as two families were sent as missionaries under Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa to a small fishing village in Sinaloa, Mexico called Boca Del Rio. Looking back we had no idea what we were doing or how the Lord was going to use us but we were sure that God had called us. So, with a two year commitment Thomas and Naomi Quirk, myself and my wife Lupe Kanno along with our two daughters Brooke and Priscilla answered the call to serve the people of Boca Del Rio and to open a School of Ministry. The vision of the school was to train up Mexican national pastors and leaders to plant churches throughout Mexico. That two year commitment turned into over twenty years of service in Boca Del Rio and continues on till this day.

Miraculous Attendance

Starting with the first year of School of Ministry we experienced the Lord’s miraculous hand in all that we did. Boca Del Rio at the time was a very rural village with dirt roads and tar paper shacks. We had spotty electricity, the water supply would often be shut down for days and there was no such thing as cell phones. So, the challenge in opening up a School of Ministry in Boca Del Rio would be how anyone would even know that the school existed? From the very first year we saw God’s miraculous hand in the school as students started showing up on our doorstep. Without advertising, social media or emails, students found out about the school and miraculously started showing up. In the years to follow the Lord would faithfully send ten to twelve students that would miraculously show up on our door step. Every year we would wonder if we would have any students and every year the Lord would bring them.

The Fruit

The fruit of years of School of Ministry has been miraculous as well.  What a blessing to see our graduates go on to plant churches, pastor in their own churches and even establish schools of their own. Currently the core leadership team for the school is entirely made up of School of Ministry alumni. It’s truly a blessing to see graduates from over twenty years ago now passing on what they had learned along with decades of experience in ministry to new students in attendance. Pastor Tom still oversees and teaches at the school and recently has made a three year commitment to be at the school in Boca Del Rio six months out of the year.

Thank you for your prayers and support and may the Lord continue to use us all in raising up pastors and leaders to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Pastor John