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Bridging the Credibility Gap
Visit the central
plaza of any Latin American village or city and
you will always find two things. On two or three
sides of the plaza there will be buildings that
house branches of government. On the fourth,
without exception, will be the traditional
church.
The message is
obvious; amidst the central power structures,
the traditional church has a permanently
reserved seat. The threads of church and state
are woven together into every level of Latin
society.
This alliance
between the state and the traditional church has
had a checkered history, but its central role in
society gives the traditional church great
credibility in the minds of many people.
In contrast, the evangelical church
was for years hidden from society—residing in the
jungles, the backstreets and the alleys. This
produced much fruit among the poorer social classes.
However, by limiting its presence
almost exclusively to these segments, evangelical
churches unintentionally created a serious
credibility gap between them and the rest of Latin
society. As a result, many Latin people grow up with
the mistaken belief that the evangelical message is
one solely for the poor and the uneducated.
Thankfully this is beginning to
change. In a small way, God has used the ministry of
CMI and
the Encounter churches in Latin America to break
down many of these entrenched barriers. From
the start we sought to develop churches at the
strategic crossroads of society. Encounter
congregations are located on major streets and in
facilities that are welcoming to people of
all demographic levels. This may seem a minor
detail, but in cultures where the traditional
church’s credibility is largely due to it physical
prominence, such details can be strategic
ways of removing social barriers to the gospel
message.
As a result, people who never before
set foot in an evangelical church are coming to know
the
Lord through Encounter churches. Little by little
these people are opening the doors and
reshaping the credibility of the evangelical
churches in their societies.
Signs of progress are growing. Three
years ago, President Alan Garcia of Peru attended a
special service at the Pueblo Libre Church. It was
the first time ever that a Peruvian head of
state attended an evangelical church. His attendance
at that service is now an annual event.
As described in this issue of EQ, Javier Cortazar—a
CMI ministry partner in Lima—preached the
sermon at this year’s nationally televised service.
In Chile, our colleague Pastor
Francisco Rivera participated in a breakfast this
summer with
the President of Chile to mark the signing of a law
that—for the first time ever—permits
evangelical chaplains in the armed forces.
We do not celebrate such news
because our hope is in the influence of secular
powers. Christ
alone is the hope of nations. However, we do
celebrate the voice that our evangelical brethren
are gaining in society. As the credibility of the
evangelical church rises, many of the social
barriers that prevent millions from truly hearing
the gospel will continue to fall.
With your help we are bridging the
credibility gap and the gospel is being heard in
ways never
before imagined. Let us pray and have faith that the
Lord will continue to lead and guide His
Church to be a credible and faithful voice of His
gospel to all people—from the poorest of the
poor to the pinnacles of power.
EQ Fall 2008 Issue Main Page
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