In the heart of South America, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, lies Peru—a beloved nation grappling with distinctive challenges.
Peruvian leaders Ps Daniel and Ps Victor explained the difficulties they are facing both inside and outside the church – from a lack of committed disciples and an absence of training, to tackling violent drug culture and extreme poverty.
The religious fabric in Peru weaves together Catholic traditions and indigenous beliefs, creating a complex tapestry where the essence of the true Gospel is at times diluted. Pastor Victor describes it as ‘Gospel-lite,’ pinpointing a lack of discipleship as a contributing factor.
“There is a huge necessity,” he emphasises. “What we lack is getting church members to disciple others. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart to Harvesters Ministries for coming here to Peru… to put hands to work in response to the need for discipleship.”
Another prevalent issue is the abandonment of churches as pastors exit the ministry. Congregations are left as sheep without a shepherd, creating an urgent need for pastoral training.
Moreover, fear grips communities, especially after nightfall. Few dare to venture out and windows are securely barred. Many live without electricity or water, including some of the pastors. Despite this, visiting the homes of these beloved pastors gives a tangible sense of standing in a “pocket of joy” amidst the darkness.
Harvesters recently travelled to the city of Chiclayo in northern Peru to meet with these pastors and respond to their call for support. Known as the ‘Heroic City’, Chiclayo has a proud and victorious history, but is spiritually lost.
We presented training and strategies for church-planting to more than 60 eager and enthusiastic leaders. “We are very grateful to this church-planting movement that has come to equip us,” said Ps Daniel. “It was a great blessing… because we learned discipleship strategies, and we are now breaking through and starting to plant new churches.”
In fact, since our last visit, some local pastors have already started planting churches. We are so encouraged to see their heart and commitment!
For instance, after being equipped by Harvesters, Pastor Juan was “encouraged and blessed with a new mindset” for church-planting. He has since planted a church in a nearby town with 18 people. He is in the process of instating a leader for that church so he can go to other unreached communities to plant more churches. “[Church planting] is not easy,” he shared, “but I believe that we have to make an effort and make the sacrifice because the Bible says that He gives strength to the weak and we believe Him. We really want to continue the task. Thanks to Harvesters we are a step ahead.”
And Pastor Daniel has planted churches in Jaén and Guaral and each has a pastor. A new church is being planted in Sierra de Lambayeque where four people recently gave their lives to Christ. “We are ready to start meeting every Thursday and start discipling them” he reports.
Harvesters Ministries is a faithful partner of The Bolick Foundation.