In commemoration of the 75 years of ministry of the Church of the Nazarene in Bolivia, the Church of the Nazarene organized a celebration week with events organized by the various ministry leaders.

On Sunday 11 April, the celebration began with a day of fasting and prayer by the Nazarene Missions International (NMI) team in Bolivia. It was carried out in three shifts with the participation of the six districts.

On Monday 12 April, the official inauguration service for the 75th anniversary was held in the Munaypata church by the organizing committee headed by Eugenia Maldonado. Macedonio Daza was in charge of briefly recounting the beginnings and development of the church over the years.

The NMI team, headed by National Coordinator Claudia Baldiviesowas, was in charge of the program on Wednesday, 13 April, under the theme “The call to do missions.” Evelio Vázquez, strategy coordinator for the Central Andean Field, shared the word of God, challenging Bolivians to continue the mission of the church in Bolivia. Thre was also a special event for the Children’s Ministries, led by the national coordinator Pamela Delgadillo Peralta. Napoleón Guerrero, Holistic Ministries coordinator for Bolivia, was in charge of sharing the word of God with the children.

On Thursday, 15 April, the national Nazarene Youth International was in charge of the celebration from the city of Cochabamba. The team was led by Pablo Suárez, national NYI coordinator, and Juan José Peralta, national communications coordinator. David González, global NYI director, shared the lesson, challenging youth to continue the legacy of 75 years of ministerial work, and Christiano Malta, regional NYI president, prayed over the youth.

On Friday 16 April, it was the turn of the Bolivian Nazarene Seminary to guide the celebration, which included participation from administrative authorities, teachers, and even students from all districts. They gave testimony of how the Church of the Nazarene has allowed theological training for ministerial service.

In the afternoon of Saturday 17 April, a service of recognition was held to celebrate the growth of pastors, seminary teachers, and leaders of the Church of the Nazarene throughout the last 75 years. Christian Sarmiento, regional director of the Church of the Nazarene in South America, shared the word of God that evening.

Finally, on Sunday April 18, the central service of thanksgiving was held for the 75th anniversary in the facilities of the Memorial Winchester church in the La Paz District. Gustavo Crocker, general superintendent in jurisdiction for the South America Region, highlighted how important it is to complete 75 years of ministerial work as it serves as a sign of conviction, perseverance, and compliance with the Great Commission. He challenged the church in Bolivia to keep God’s presence in the coming years through preaching and seeking holiness. He also warned them not to stay within the four walls of the church, because the duty of the church is to fight against hell for the souls of the lost.

--Church of the Nazarene South America