by Chris Feuillade, Associate Missionary to Chile

Iglesia El Salvador, where I have been serving as an Associate Missionary for more than 19 years, is a small Anglican Church that is on the cusp of something fresh and exciting. I have witnessed much over almost two decades here, but now my parish, which lies within the growing Anglican Province of Chile, has welcomed a new pastor with a clear gospel-oriented vision for reaching the people in our area.

The Challenge in Chile

While today Chile is successfully emerging from its previous third-world status, it remains an economically divided country, with large disparities in income. People at the lower end of the economic ladder often struggle to make a living and raise their families. This is true for this part of Santiago named San Joaquin, where the parish resides. San Joaquin is a working-class community, and this is reflected in the membership of Iglesia El Salvador. Over the years, while remaining faithful, the church has found it difficult to become self-sustaining. It has frequently depended on support from other outside sources, without having its own permanent pastoral leadership.

Pastor Morales, third from right, with his wife Melanie, daughter, Alicia with Bishop Juan Esteban Saravia and his wife Carolina on the left

Deacon Emanuel Morales

Recently, Iglesia El Salvador has been blessed by the appointment of a new young pastor, Emanuel Morales, whom the people of the church are striving to retain. The bishop ordained him a deacon to lead the church and to develop its ministries, including discipleship and outreach to the San Joaquin community. Emanuel was initially raised within the Assemblies of God and became a Christian through that ministry at age 15. Afterwards he  moved to San Lucas Evangelista Anglican Church in La Florida, Santiago, after studying the reformation at university as a student of pedagogy in history. He was attracted by the strong evangelical, scriptural, and liturgical expression of the Anglican tradition in Chile.

Emanuel brings a strong personal connection to Iglesia El Salvador. He and his wife were previously lay members for several years, and his parents are also members. He discerned his call to ordained ministry as an apprentice to Pastor Nicolas Fuentes at a neighboring Anglican Church for several years, and then attended Centro de Estudios Pastorales (CEP), the Anglican Province of Chile’s seminary in Santiago.

Gospel inroads

Emanuel brings a clear understanding of the lives and needs of the community surrounding the church and how they may be reached by the gospel. In Chile, working class people are strongly motivated by the interests and welfare of their families, and are prepared to bear much stress and hardship in order to provide for them. Parents will make great sacrifices to overcome the difficulties they face, and promote a better future for their children, even though they may never personally experience it themselves. In order to reach such family-oriented people, Emanuel believes that it is critical for the church to live as a genuine, caring, and loving family, being a recognizable and relatable witness to the surrounding community.

Men’s Small Group Bible Study

Similarly, the church must recognize the needs of the many young people living in San Joaquin. In Chile, young people are subject to the same seducements as in many western nations, i.e., sex, drugs, social media, petty crime, etc. Much of this is due to the lack of authentic social relationships, according to Emanuel. Young people need deep and honest connections with others,  especially those that can be found through a saving relationship with Jesus, and within the genuine fellowship of the church. Young people have shunned institutions which are too formal, where they detect falseness and hypocrisy. Christian outreach to the young in Chile has been impacted over recent years by flagrant examples of bad Christian witness from both the Roman Catholic Church (through sex scandals) and some of the evangelical churches (through the preaching of the prosperity gospel). To reach out effectively, Iglesia El Salvador must be a genuinely different, truthful, and caring community, which holds firmly to the gospel and lives it, so that everyone can see that what is being preached is also being practiced.

Fulfilling the Vision

Husbands and Wives embrace after a Marriage Discipleship class (pictured with Pastor Morales on the right)

Emanuel sees two ministry imperatives as being the most urgent. First, the impartation of the Word of God. Since his arrival at Iglesia El Salvador, he has concentrated on clear biblical preaching and teaching, with a strong discipleship emphasis, and has also strengthened youth ministry and outreach, marriage discipleship, men’s and women’s bible study, congregational and home group prayer meetings, among other key ministries.

The second imperative is the work of mercy ministry, relating and responding to the specific needs of the surrounding community. In San Joaquin, one special group are the elderly, and there is a clear need to provide spiritual companionship and evangelism to older men and women who live in loneliness.

Members of Iglesia El Salvador participating in the “March for Jesus” in Santiago

Emanuel is also trying to emphasize outreach through other means, such as medical missions, and special events, such as the church’s participation in the “March for Jesus” in the center of Santiago, together with Christians from many other denominations. The church is planning a special activity for Christmas as part of the Anglican Church’s “Gift to the City” in Santiago. The street outside the church in San Joaquin will  be closed off for a day, to allow for activities including Christmas games, songs, food, and other entertainment.

There is much to be hopeful for as Iglesia El Salvador looks toward the many opportunities which lie ahead. These opportunities require strong leadership and Emanuel is the minister that God has sent to lead us in this season of reaching our community for Christ. May God bless Iglesia El Salvador and prosper the work of the Kingdom both within it, and through it. Glory be to Him!

You can read and support Chris and the projects he is working on in Chile here.