November 11, 2003

Chilean Missions

As anybody who knows me can attest, one of my passions is the fledgling foreign missions movement in Brazil. For a long time our independent Baptist circles in that country have been content to focus on missions within Brazil (which in itself is wonderful!), and to leave the job of world evangelism to others.

This is changing. Young Bible college graduates in Brazil are catching a vision for what God can do through them in missions. They face three main barriers in this vision: 1) the lack of vision on the part of Brazilian churches and pastors, 2) an un-stable economy, and 3) the lack of a well organized mission board.

My meeting today with Patricio Oliva of the Adelphos mission agency in Chile was very encouraging. In our conversation (which lasted an hour and was conducted in my halting Spanish) he shared how those barriers had been overcome in Chile. Adelphos has been in existence for eleven years, and currently has over 50 missionaries serving under its banner.

It was a great encouragement for me to see that the obstacles constantly put forth by detractors of the Brazilian missions movement can be overcome, and have been overcome in other countries. Chile faces the same economic challenges as Brazil. Eleven years ago, there was the same apathy on the part of Chilean pastors and churches. When Adelphos was founded, it was the only mission of its kind in the country. Yet, by the grace of God and through the vision of its (all Chilean) leadership, they are now carrying out the great commission in many countries of the world, with more fields being opened up anually.

It is my vision to see this same thing happen in Brazil. May God see fit to raise up and army of Brazilians to share the Gospel in the same way He has done in Chile!

Posted by Andrew on November 11, 2003 12:17 AM.