Spotlight on Ecuador

Last week we shone the spotlight on Ethiopia and the work of the gospel there. This week we focus on Ecuador, where our mission partners Morgan and Anna Powell serve, with their daughter Anika.

Ecuador is a small nation full of contrast and colour. The peaks of the Andes separate the muggy coastal plains of the west from the steamy Amazonian jungles of the east. Ecuador is 95% Catholic, but in practice Catholicism is often mixed with indigenous beliefs. Officially Ecuador enjoys religious freedom, but opposition to evangelical witness does exist. Ecuador attracted the attention of the Christian world in 1956 when five missionaries were martyred by the now-famous Auca Indians. Since then, most ethnic groups of Ecuador have been evangelized to some extent. However, five people groups are still considered unreached. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Christian organizations to be recognized legally in Ecuador. There are a significant number of Mormons and Jehovahs Witnesses, and evangelical Christians are considered ‘sects’ along with them. In addition, the church in Ecuador faces the challenges of political instability, corruption, violence and poverty. The city of Loja, where the Powells are living, is particularly unreached with the gospel. Less than 0.1% of its population identifies as evangelical Christian.

Praise God for:

1. The impact of the gospel on sections of the Quichua people is a modern-day miracle. In 1967 there were only 120 believers among 3 million people. Today, there are some areas with 45-50% evangelical Christians.
2. HCJB Radio, launched in 1931, was the first of the great Christian mission radio broadcasters. Today this ministry is known around the world and both Ecuador and the world are blessed as a result.

Pray for:

1. Honest government that gives stability and peace, and that will tackle the serious economic and social problems facing the nation.
2. Continued freedom of religion.
3. Unity amongst evangelical Christians that transcends class, culture, personalities and denominational labels.
4. The maturing of the jungle churches to cope with modernity and the onslaught of the Spanish and Quichua cultures.
5. Bible translation and distribution. The Bible Society has a key role in promoting and distributing the Scriptures in Ecuador.
6. The slum-dwellers of Quito and Guayaquil. Few Christian workers have a vision for these deprived people.
7. The upper and middle classes who have so far been relatively unresponsive to the gospel.
8. The work of Morgan and Anna Powell in equipping the local church.

With love in Christ

Stephanie Menear
Women’s Pastor