I enjoy Latin American culture. It is complicated, unique, fascinating. Latinos are known as warm, vibrant, and gracious people. As a Texan, where Anglos have ceased to be a majority and three out of every ten Texans speaks Spanish,[ref]http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/01/24/in-2014-latinos-will-surpass-whites-as-largest-racialethnic-group-in-california/[/ref] I feel a greater connection to my Latino friends than maybe those not from the Southwestern United States. Indeed, our “national” food in the Lone Star State is a marriage between cultures: Tex-Mex. I’ve even begun to teach myself Spanish over the last few years. I not only find it a beautiful language but one that better connects me to my Latino friends. So, when I was asked to go to Central America to connect with potential church planters, I jumped at the chance.
Last week I had the privilege of being a part of Plantadores, the first Acts 29 Network Conference held in Spanish-speaking Latin America. The conference was hosted in Guatemala City at Casa de Libertad, an Acts 29 member church led by Pastor Francisco Bendfeldt. He and Jay Bauman, an Acts 29 pastor in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are co-directors of the fledgling Acts 29 Latin American region. In my two days spent at the conference, I was blown away by what I experienced.
The first thing I noticed was the passion Francisco and his team at Casa de Libertad had for planting gospel-centered churches all throughout Central America. It’s been said that much of Latin America is experiencing a wave of Protestantism unseen in a history dominated by colonial Catholicism. Today, Latin American countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, and others boast of a population that surveys itself as 40 to 50% Christian. But these numbers can be somewhat misleading. The predominant Christian influence is Pentecostalism and, from what one hears, most is of the dangerous prosperity gospel. For example, I was told that 90% of Guatemalans who identify themselves as Christians believe that the ‘health/wealth’ message of the prosperity movement is sound biblical, Christianity. This notion was affirmed in many other conversations with Hondurans, Venezuelans, and other Latin American pastors at the conference. This only served to deepen the resolve of Francisco and his team to develop and commission church planters from Casa in addition to raising the call to Central and South Americans to plant gospel-centered churches.
It is for reasons like these, that my gratitude only deepened for Francisco, Jay, and the other men and women gathered for the purpose of planting gospel-centered congregations from Mexico to Argentina. It’s also why it felt, from an Acts 29 Network point of view, somewhat an historic moment to conclude the conference with an invitation for my fellow Latin American brothers to not only plant churches but to do so with Acts 29. From what I’m seeing and hearing from my Latin America friends, it seems like something really hopeful may be afoot. Oh that the Spirit of God would not only stir up a movement of church planters committed to planting healthy churches but believers in the United States and elsewhere who would be willing to give aid to that cause for the good of Christ’s church and the glory of God.
UPDATE (3/11/15): For a report on this conference from The Gospel Coalition
7 thoughts on “Acts 29 and Church Planting in Latin America”
Thank you Yancey for this great post and your service in favor of God’s Church this side of the world. It is truly encouraging to see the movement gain stride outside the U.S. as well as see it become more indigenous to our region. As a region hit hard with prosperity teaching from the north and guilty of developing our own brand of Marxist-liberation theology, Acts 29 is much more than a breath of fresh air. May we all continue to work together for god’s glory and the joy of all peoples.
Thank you for joining us at the Plantadores Conference! We see this as a first step of many to take to start a movement to plant gospel-centered churches in Latin America. Prayers appreciate for the men that will answer the call to plant healthy churches and the believers willing to give aid to that cause for the good of Christ’s church and the glory of God.
Good to hear what’s going on down there. Having lived in Bolivia and experienced the cultural religion there (indigenous pagan practices mixed with Catholicism) it’s clear to me how ripe the opportunity is for healthy church movements to flourish. For two years I got to see how complex of a challenge it can be for the gospel centered church to thrive. Three things we saw as challenges was how many native Bolivians with more indigenous roots mixed their “Mother Earth” religious practices with Catholicism and then most who came out of it were drawn into the Pentocostal movement. It makes for a unique challenge that could possibly mirror what we face in the states for a growing number of people who instead of pagan religious beliefs to Mother Earth you could easily substitute, the gods of excess, complacency, materialism and sexual explicitly in its place. Really interesting to be able to see a common link yet in two totally different cultural contexts. I pray that the A29 effort and gatherings will ignite a fire of gospel centered pastors who stay true to the gospel.
It was our pleasure Sandrie! Glad to know you all are doing such a wonderful job.
It was a joy Juan! Here’s to many more…
Good insight Lowell. Hoping this is the start of something wonderful for Latin American church planting.
I am a missionary to Honduras and we have been called to plant churches. However, I do not have any formal training in church plant ministry. I have been here since 2013 after leaving full time church ministry to build a camp here In Honduras. I would really like to connect with someone who could help us in this ministry work. Originally from Kentucky, I moved here 11 years ago to follow God’s calling. Please connect with me as we look for resources and help!