Answers to Prayer

1 The 25 years of religious freedom have resulted in the steady and increased growth of Evangelicals from 55,000 in 1975 to over 307,000 in 2000

Challenges for Prayer

1 Religious and political freedoms gained in 1975 have transformed the nation, but the ancient heart-bondages remain

2 The Roman Catholic Church is strongly traditional and has much influence, but needs renewal

3 Evangelical growth has accelerated in the 1990s, especially among Pentecostal and charismatic groups, but is also hampered by weaknesses which constrain that growth

a) Serious divisions

b) The need for a united vision

c) The lack of concern for world evangelization

4 Many congregations lack full time workers with adequate theological depth and spiritual maturity

5 There remain pioneer challenges

a) The seven northern and north-eastern provinces which are strongly traditional Catholic; relatively few evangelical churches exist

b) The four provinces in the south which are poor, with few people ever going to church

c) The 316 counties, 69 of which still have no evangelical congregation

d) The 4,400 localities. Only 768 have a resident evangelical witness

e) Madeira Island (273,000) which has only 13 small evangelical churches, and the Azores (253,000) with a further 26

f) Ethnic minorities

6 Young people are often spiritually neglected

a) Drug abuse is a growing problem – over 50% have experimented with drugs

b) Student work is still in a pioneer stage

c) International students are a specific focus of GEM

d) SU and CEF have ministries among school children

7 Expatriate missions have not found Portugal easy for ministry

8 Christian media ministries:

a) The Bible Society has a growing national and international ministry

b) Núcleo which has a vital coordinating ministry

c) Ten Christian bookstores,

d) CEDO, a gospel broadsheet ministry of WEC sends out 150,000 copies four times a year to 60 countries

e) Christian radio is widely used

f) The Internet is a new area for evangelistic ministry

Geography

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Area 92,389 sq.km occupying 15% of the Iberian Peninsula, which is shared with Spain.

Population (2000) 9,874,853 +0.04%AGR

Capital Lisbon 2,800,000.

Peoples

Portuguese 97%; Indigenous minorities 1.1%; EU Citizens 0.5%; Other 1.4%.

Literacy 92%. Official language Portuguese. There are 190,000,000 Portuguese speakers world-wide. All languages 7.

Economy

Impoverished by years of dictatorship and colonial wars. HDI 0.858; 28^th/174. Public debt 37% of GNP. Income/person $11,000 (35% of USA).

Politics

Independent kingdom from 1143.

Religion

Freedom of religion since 1974, but with the Roman Catholic Church retaining some privileges.

Churches in Portugal

Missionaries from Portugal

215 in 26 agencies to 19 countries

Missionaries to Portugal

411 in 66 agencies from 15 countries

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