Answers to Prayer

1 The signing of the peace accord to end 36 years of war

2 Continued growth in the Evangelical percentage of the population from 3% (96,000) in 1960 to 25% (2,900,000) in a 2001 survey

3 The growing appreciation of the authorities for the contribution of Evangelicals to the solution of the social problems – such as street children, substance abuse, homelessness and illiteracy

Challenges for Prayer

1 Recognition of the wrongs committed against the indigenous population over 500 years, and reconciliation after a generation of war with atrocities on both sides has to be faced and carried through to closure of the past

2 The Catholic Church has declined in influence and numbers

3 Widespread evangelism is by many means – city –, nation-wide efforts, 20 Christian high schools, two Christian television channels, many local Christian radio stations, numerous Christian magazines and newspapers as well as the fervent personal witness of individual Christians

4 Vision for advance was stimulated by national and international conferences over the past 20 years

a) Guatemala become the first country with over 50% Evangelicals within the next 20 years

b) Every community might have an evangelical congregation

c) PLAN 1000 DIAS of COICOM is the major cooperative thrust of evangelical churches

5 Leadership training is well provided for with six seminaries (notably the Central American Theological Seminary founded by CAMI and now under Guatemalan leadership with 1,700 graduates in 26 countries), numerous denominational Bible schools (including 27 of AoG) and over six TEE programmes

6 Mayan culture has had a re-birth with the recovery of their ancient civilization (science, mathematics and writings) which emerged during the war

7 Bible Translation

8 The less reached:

a) Amerindian peoples with fewer active believers

b) Garifuna (Black Carib) who are descendants of Africans and Carib Amerindians

c) The Chinese – there is only one small fellowship of believers known

d) Students are a ripe field

e) Children in crisis – 27% of the under-5's are underweight; there are 56,000 war orphans and over 5,000 street children in the capital

9 The Guatemalan missionary movement began in 1982 with a vision for the world

10 Foreign missions have lavished attention on the land

11 Christian media:

a) The JESUS film has been widely used

b) Christian TV/Radio programmes are widely available

c) Audio cassettes are vital for the many illiterates

Geography

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Area 108,889 sq.km. A land of mountains, volcanoes and lakes.

Population (2000) 11,385,295 +2.68%AGR

Capital Guatemala City 1,925,000.

Peoples

Spanish-speaking Latinos 43%; Amerindian 54%; Afro-Caribbean 2%; Other 1%.

Literacy 56%, but in practice nearer 30%. Official language Spanish; not used by 40% of population as their primary language. All languages 42. Languages with Scriptures 8Bi 21NT 13por 17w.i.p.

Economy

Agriculture provides 25% of the country's GDP, but two-thirds of its exports – mainly coffee, sugar and bananas. HDI 0.624; 117^th/174. Public debt 17% of GNP. Income/person $1,470 (5% of USA).

Politics

Independent from Spain in 1821, and from the Federation of Central American States in 1838, but controlled by a few plantation owners through a series of dictatorships and military governments.

Religion

Official separation of Church and state for over 100 years has given great freedom for Evangelicals and increased their influence at the expense of the hitherto dominant Catholic Church.

Churches in Guatemala

Missionaries from Guatemala

255 in 31 agencies to 17 countries

Missionaries to Guatemala

671 in 73 agencies from 18 countries

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