Knights and heraldry decorate the room as gentlemen from all parts of Lima, Peru, meet to learn together in The School of Biblical Manhood (La Escuela de Caballeros Biblicos). In Spanish, the word caballero means both gentleman and also knight (a noble title given to a valiant and faithful man who serves his king). I put the two concepts together as I followed God’s guidance in planning these training sessions for professional urban men.

Five biblical principles distinguish this ministry:

• We are called to be soldiers (knights) in Christ’s cause.
• Like medieval knights, we also wear armor, the “full armor of God” (Ephesians 6).
• As knights served a king, we serve the King Jesus Christ.
• We also have our “ladies”—our wives—and we seek to love and serve them sacrificially.
• As knights had a cause, so do we: the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for whom we commit ourselves to be chaste and pure and to seek after holiness.

In addition to the concept of knighthood, the men are also attracted by the interactive nature of the courses. We limit each classroom to about 12-14 men so they can participate in the dialogue fostered by the class leader. For each 6-8 week course, I prepared a syllabus with course description, objectives, required reading, homework assignments, and grading system. Each gentleman who completes the series of courses will receive a plaque certifying that he has earned the symbolic title "Knight of the King of Kings."

Is the school making a difference? Naty, the wife of one of the “knights,” wrote, “I thank God for this school because I have seen many changes in my husband. He is more loving, understanding, patient and communicative. In our home he is now concerned with his role as the spiritual leader. What most surprised me one night was when he took me by the hand and asked me to get down on my knees with him to pray together to God. Another day he surprised me with a beautiful card filled with love. We are more united than ever before in the Lord, and I will never stop giving thanks to God for this wonderful ministry.”