In El Salvador, Evangelistic efforts sweep across the country

Thousands of people from across El Salvador listen to Pastor John Carter from The Carter Report ministries at the Cuscatlan Stadium, in San Salvador, Nov. 28. 29, 2014. The two-day event celebrated the end of nearly 100 evangelistic campaigns held last month throughout the Central American country.  Image by Alex Sanchez/ESAU

December 9, 2014 | San Salvador, El Salvador | Fabricio Rivera/IAD Staff

More than 4,800 baptisms took placed during the last few months evangelistic series began across El Salvador. Image by Alex Sanchez

Thousands of Seventh-day Adventists in El Salvador gathered at Estadio Cuscatlan, or Cuscatlan Stadium, in San Salvador on Nov. 28-29, 2014, to celebrate the end of evangelistic series which swept through the Central American country last month.

More than 600 buses transported church members and new believers to witness a special program featuring John Carter, a Seventh-day Adventist evangelist and host of “The Carter Report” ministries. The special program, held Nov. 21-27, concluded the evangelistic effort in El Salvador, which included 93 campaigns.

“I am so happy for the missionary commitment our church members demonstrated as they spread the gospel, and for the good response from our fellow Salvadorians,” said Pastor Abel Pacheco, president of the church in El Salvador. “We thank the Carter Report ministries for being such a huge blessing in our country.”

Pastor Abel Pacheco, president of the church in El Salvador, thanks members for their commitment in spreading the gospel during the evangelistic efforts during the last few months. Image courtesy of El Salvador Union.

More than 4,800 new believers joined the church as a result of the evangelistic endeavor, which began weeks before with the leadership of district pastors and guest ministers from neighboring countries, according to church officials.

Leaders praised the committed work of more than 2,500 members coordinating evangelism campaigns and the more than 800 members who gathered holding hands around the outside of the stadium every morning for one week to pray for the efforts.

The two-day evangelistic gathering was advertized on national television, radio and dozens of billboards across the country.

Former Vice President of El Salvador poses with Pastor Carter during the large event on Nov. 28, 2014. Image courtesy of El Salvador Union

Former vice president of the country Ana Vilma de Escobar praised the work of the church in molding young people to be part of the logistics of the event. “This type of event is just what the country needed,” said Vilma de Escobar. “We need to talk more of peace, unity and reflect more on our Christian beliefs.”

Her comments came as gang violence has been increasing during the last decade in the Central American country.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church in El Salvador has some 198,000 people worshiping in 944 churches and congregations.

To view a photo gallery of the evangelistic series, click HERE

For more about the work of the church in El Salvador, visit unionelsalvador.org