November 22, 2011 – Bogota, Colombia…Marcela Pineros/IAD Staff
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Colombia ended a massive two-week evangelistic effort throughout its five main regions on Nov. 12, 2011. More than 1,000 new believers joined the church during the campaign.
The efforts were the results of a joint effort by ministers and church members who worked towards a focused strategy to share the gospel in a region bursting with more than 24 million people, church leaders said.
Themed “Time for Hope”, leaders organized evangelistic campaigns in large centers throughout the main cities in South Colombia as they culminated a series of activities to commemorate the 90 years of Adventist presence in the region.
“This was a great opportunity to show this part of Colombia that the church is alive in this region of the world and each member wants to spread the message of salvation,” said Pastor Eliseo Bustamante, president for the church in South Colombia.
In Bogota, a city with more than 7 million, the church held a four-day televised campaign Nov. 2-5, led by Pastor Robert Costa, It is Written speaker and associate ministerial secretary for the Adventist World Church. More than 12,000 gathered and some 520 people were baptized as a result of the joint efforts of ministers and laypeople.
“I am so happy to have participated in this such important program for our church in Bogota,” said Pastor Costa. “It was surely a far reaching project and I am amazed at the magnitude of this celebration.”
The program was broadcast live through 3ABN Latino, via the internet and local station IPTV.
A series of activities leading up to the campaign event took place throughout Bogota earlier in the year, including special taxi cabs offering prayer throughout the day, participation in Bogota’s international half marathon, a massive blood donating campaign, a health expo, and more.
Elsewhere in the region, the church organized a series of evangelistic meetings headlined by renowned keynote speaker Pastor Alejandro Bullon. The meetings covered the cities of Villavicencio, Cali, Pereira, Ibague, and Sogamoso from Nov. 6-12.
More than 34,500 people attended the evangelistic series in various centers and auditoriums and some 985 new believers joined the church, leaders reported.
“It was a week filled with great blessings as leaders and members took to the territory,” said Pastor Aicardo Arias, personal ministries director for the church in South Colombia. “We saw so many people truly searching for hope.”
At the end of the evangelistic caravan journey some 120 church leaders and pastors met for a spiritual revival enrichment seminar led by Pastor Melchor Ferreyra, personal ministries director for the church in Inter-America.
Church leaders are already making plans for another massive evangelistic effort to reach five more cities in South Colombia next year.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in South Colombia has more than 135,300 church members worshiping in 551 temples.
For more information on the church in South Colombia, visit www.unioncolombianadelsur.org
Karen Leon and Miguel Pesca also contributed to this story
