Church planting in Colombia
The cultural context (VIDEO)
In Rionegro, Colombia, understanding the cultural context plays an important role in what church-planting looks like.
As one might expect, Catholicism has a strong influence, but it’s different than what we would experience in the U.S. In Colombia, the Catholic church is syncretistic, combining Roman Catholicism with age-old Colombian religious traditions. Another strong influence is the health-and-wealth prosperity gospel. Both have significant financial resources.
The Protestant and evangelical church in Colombia is growing, and more laborers are eager to plant and pastor churches, but their financial resources are more limited. Most pastors are bi-vocational. If an evangelical church has a full-time pastor, funding usually comes from outside sources.
These are all challenges facing the church-planting team in Rionegro. They are working to identify and find leaders who are equipped and ready to step into ministry. The team then comes alongside them, supporting and encouraging them. These leaders also need U.S. churches to come behind them as well. Eventually the aim is for the churches to ultimately be self-supporting and multiplying.
Watch other videos in the series:
Church planting in Colombia: From first steps to a growing ministry (VIDEO)
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Tom Mills
Tom Mills is a content creator for Mission to the World. He is a graduate of Wheaton College. Tom loves meeting and interviewing believers all over the world, capturing stories of God's global church.
