Much of the history of the church of Christ in our Hispanic countries remains in the memories of those who lived it. The names of many preachers, teachers, and brethren who have devoted decades to serving the Lord rarely appear in books or archives. As time passes, if those stories are not documented, important details can be lost.
For that reason, we should not wait until our brethren are no longer with us to recognize their work and preserve the memory of their service. The life and work of Tomás Haughton Ríos are part of that history and deserve to be preserved.
Born in Panama on September 1, 1945, Tomás became acquainted at a young age with the institution now known as the Bible School of the Americas. The school had begun its work on September 14, 1965, in the building of the church of Christ in Balboa, Canal Zone, under its original name, the Pan-American Bible Institute.
Years later, when interviewed by Agenor Rudas as part of an effort to preserve the history of the institution, Tomás recalled that he began visiting the school in 1966. He was about twenty years old at the time, and that relationship, begun when the school itself was still in its early years, would continue for several decades.
From Student to Director
In 1978, Tomás formally enrolled as a student and completed his studies in 1979. By that time, the school was going through a period of transition to its facilities in Río Abajo.
Upon graduating, he was immediately invited to join the faculty as an instructor in 1980. During the years that followed, he worked alongside Julio Cruz, one of the men closely associated with the history of the school and someone with whom Tomás would serve for many years.
In 1986, Tomás was appointed director of the institution, a responsibility he held until 1995.
During those years, the influence of the school extended far beyond Panama. Its classrooms welcomed students from different Latin American countries who, after completing their training, returned to their home countries or moved to other fields to preach, teach, and serve congregations. Thus, Tomás’s years as an instructor and director were connected with the preparation of workers whose service would reach different parts of Latin America.
His years as director also included significant moments for both Panama and the school itself. In December 1989, while Tomás held that responsibility, Panama went through the U.S. military intervention known as Operation Just Cause, which took place amid a political crisis and growing tensions with the regime of Manuel Antonio Noriega. The school and its students had to face the difficulties brought about by that period of conflict.
A few years later, another important transition took place. Conditions at the facilities in Río Abajo made it necessary to find a more suitable location for the students. Eventually, property was selected in Ciudad Jardín, Las Mañanitas, and in 1993 the first phase of the new campus began to be used.
Tomás was still serving as director at the time. Among those who worked alongside him were Julio Cruz and Agenor Rudas. Many years later, after becoming director of the school himself, Agenor would visit Tomás at his home to interview him and preserve part of the institution’s history.
There is something significant about that journey. Tomás became acquainted with the school when its own history was just beginning; he later became a student, an instructor, and its director, and decades later he became one of the witnesses consulted to preserve the memory of that work.
A Life Connected With Teaching
Tomás’s service, however, was never limited to the classroom or to directing an institution.
For many years he served as the preacher for the church of Christ in Torrijos Carter. At least since 2000, when I had the opportunity to meet him, his commitment to that congregation was already evident. He continued serving there until 2020 and spoke of those brethren with a sense of responsibility that made clear how much they meant to him.
More than from the pulpit, I personally came to know him as a Bible teacher. This is also a quality that many brethren appreciate about him. He is a reserved and serious man, yet always willing to listen. Over the years, I have witnessed brethren come to him with biblical questions or personal situations and find someone willing to take the time to listen and offer counsel.
Together with his wife, Nilka, better known as Nikki, he has demonstrated that willingness to serve for many years. Even before I became a Christian, I remember countless occasions when I saw brethren visit them to seek advice or discuss different situations. Regardless of the personal time it required, I always saw them willing to receive and help them.
I also experienced that willingness to teach personally.
When I was not yet a Christian, Tomás never tried to force me to obey the gospel, although he always reminded me seriously of the importance of doing so. When I finally decided to be baptized on February 13, 2011, I was the one who asked him to baptize me. It was an honor for this servant that my father-in-law would also be the one to baptize me into Christ.
Years later, when I decided to prepare myself to preach and enroll at the Memphis School of Preaching, Tomás took time to give me some lessons before I began my studies. Since then, we have shared the pulpit, and there has never been a shortage of counsel, recommendations, or the appropriate correction from someone who has devoted so many years of his life to teaching.
For that reason, besides being my father-in-law, I thank God for the blessing of considering him my father in the faith and, above all, my brother in Christ.
Serving Where Needed
When the congregation in Las Villas de Arraiján began, I wanted Tomás to become more directly involved with us. However, he would remind me of the commitment he had to “his boys” in Torrijos Carter.
Later, when we made the decision to devote ourselves fully to the work of Escuela Bíblica en Línea and I could no longer fulfill the same congregational responsibilities, Tomás expressed his willingness to do everything within his ability to help keep the work in Las Villas going.
That transition coincided with the difficulties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and with significant changes in the circumstances of the congregation. Despite its limitations and although it has not necessarily continued under the same conditions or in the same physical location as in previous years, the congregation remains active today.
For Tomás, this was a different stage of service from the years when he directed a school of preachers, but the willingness remained the same: to serve wherever there was a need.
A Story Worth Preserving
Looking at the life of Tomás Haughton, we find different responsibilities: student, preacher, instructor, and director. Yet behind all those roles runs a common thread: his devotion to teaching and serving.
Beginning in 1980, he taught men who were preparing to preach. As director, he was responsible for an institution that welcomed students from different countries with the purpose of preparing them to carry the gospel to other places. For decades, he taught and served congregations. And even outside the classroom, brethren have continued to seek his counsel and guidance.
Paul wrote to Timothy: “And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2, KJV).
The history of the church is not made up only of events and dates. It is also made up of men and women who, often far from public attention, have devoted years to teaching, serving, and helping others remain faithful to the Lord.
While we still have the opportunity to hear their memories, verify the facts, and express our appreciation to them, it is worth preserving these stories for those who will come after us.
The story of Tomás Haughton is one of them. And personally, I thank God that I have not only been able to know and tell part of his story, but also to share with him something far more important: the blessing of belonging together to the family of God.
Author’s Note: Some of the historical and chronological details concerning the Bible School of the Americas were drawn from a series of articles on the history of the institution prepared by Agenor Rudas, the school’s current director. His research included documents, letters, photographs, and testimonies from individuals connected with its history, including a personal interview with Tomás Haughton. I am grateful to Brother Agenor for his work in preserving and sharing this valuable information.