Answers to Prayer

1 The stabilization of democratic government, and obtaining of equal privileges for Evangelicals with the Catholics

2 The steady growth of Evangelicals this century to 16% of the population by 2000. This growth is unique

Challenges for Prayer

1 Chile is a deeply divided nation

2 The Roman Catholic Church has been deeply impacted by three major forces:

a) Liberation theology

b) Loss of political power – now that there is equality of all religions before the law

c) The widespread distribution and use of the Bible, the growth of the charismatic movement, and a significant exodus of Catholics to evangelical churches

3 Evangelicals are poised to exercise a pivotal role in the new millennium

a) Disunity and fragmentation of Evangelicals

b) Traditionalism

c) Contempt for theological education and message preparation before services has resulted in poor teaching, legalism, the Word becoming less important than personal visions, personality cults – especially among Pentecostals – and a steady loss of Evangelicals to the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses

d) Isolationism

e) Affluence

4 The middle and upper classes have been far less impacted by Evangelicals

5 The Chilean Church lacks mission vision

6 Foreign missions in Chile

7 Less reached peoples:

a) The Mapuche (speaking Mapudungun) are the largest and most independent of Chile's indigenous peoples

b) Rapa Nui (Easter Islanders) are a largely Polynesian people

c) Drug abuse is a major problem in the cities

d) The Jews of Santiago

e) The Roma (Gypsies) have been neglected

f) The handicapped

8 Student witness in the 17 universities and among the 233,000 students is not strong

9 Christian media:

a) Literature is proving a vital evangelistic and teaching tool, but too few Christians have developed a reading habit

b) Christian radio and TV programmes are widely available on national, commercial and 25 Christian stations

c) The JESUS film is in wide use in both Spanish and Mapudungun

Geography

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Area 756,626 sq.km. A 4,200 km long country wedged between the mountains of the Andes and the Pacific Ocean and averaging only 150 km in width.

Population (2000) 15,211,294 +1.37%AGR

Capital Santiago 5,261,000.

Peoples

Chilean 89.7%; Amerindian 8%; Polynesian 0.2%; Other 2.1%.

Literacy 95%. Official language Spanish (but Mapudungun increasingly recognized). All languages 10. Languages with Scriptures 2Bi 2NT 1por 2w.i.p.

Economy

Mining and export of minerals, especially copper, is the most important economic activity. Unemployment 13%. HDI 0.844; 34^th/174. Public debt 6% of GNP. Income/person $4,860 (15% of USA).

Politics

Republic independent from Spain in 1810.

Religion

The Catholic Church was disestablished in 1925.

Churches in Chile

Missionaries from Chile

233 in 16 agencies to 27 countries

Missionaries to Chile

630 in 72 agencies from 22 countries

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