For the first time in history, Evangelical churches in Argentina officially celebrated the "Day of the Evangelical and Protestant Churches" on Reformation Sunday, Oct. 28, with a ceremony held at the Libertad Palace. The celebration followed a 20-year effort by evangelical churches that ultimately resulted in the official recognition by the Argentinian Congress passing a law on April 18, which designed the annual day on October 31, the day of Luther's Reformation.
The event was attended by the Vice President of Argentina, Victoria Villarruel, along with the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers, Guillermo Francos, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade, and Worship, Diana Mondino, among other members from various levels of government.
The evening that evangelical leaders described as full of emotion recalled the history of the Evangelical Church in Argentina. It began with a video highlighting the significant spiritual and social work of the evangelical community in the country. This included the first female teachers who responded to then-President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento’s call to build a nation based on education and culture. He worked alongside these evangelical women to establish public schools.
The evening also honored the missionaries who planted seeds and, in many cases, harvested the fruits of the Gospel’s teachings. After years of dedication, enduring scorn and being labeled “heretics”, the Evangelical Church celebrated its first official recognition as a religion and institution by the national government.
Scenic art and a variety of music, including a 100-voices choir, and an impressive artistic display showcased the richness of evangelical culture. The program ranged from the traditional hymn composed by Martin Luther himself, A Mighty Fortress, to a trap rendition, as well as a performance of the beloved hymn Firmes y Adelante, accompanied by a choreography featuring three couples dressed as tango dancers, symbolizing the union of Argentine identity with the spiritual celebration.
“Today, we are not celebrating a religious holiday; we are celebrating the historical identity of the faith of millions of Argentine citizens,” said Pastor Christian Hooft, president of ACIERA, as he addressed the audience.
“Currently, this Christian faith has around 700 million followers worldwide. In Argentina, according to 2019 data from CONICET, 15.3% of the population identifies as evangelical, with more than 25,000 churches throughout the country. These communities play a fundamental role in the spiritual and social life of the nation, promoting values such as solidarity, love of neighbor, justice, life, freedom, and peace,” added the president of the association that represents evangelical churches in Argentina.
In his speech, Hooft also stated that Argentina is “living in complex times.” He added that there have been “many years of crisis after crisis, with high levels of poverty and enormous cultural and moral degradation. Although we have faith in God, we do not support magical thinking. Overcoming this situation requires significant effort, the commitment of everyone, and, of course, the help of Almighty God.”
Hooft emphasized that it is impossible to overcome this challenging reality “without forgiveness, justice, and respect for individual liberties.” He also stated that “a divided people cannot prevail. This logic of friend/enemy and denigrating those who think differently paralyzes and inhibits us as a nation. This tendency to deconstruct everything to achieve nothing leads us nowhere; it is more of the same. We must see and call things as they are, avoid distractions, speak the truth, and set aside euphemisms.”
He took the opportunity to speak about God's peace offered in Jesus Christ. “The Word of God, free from ideological bias, leads us to be on the right side of history. It is the Word we preach every week in our churches and live out in our daily lives, bringing us closer to the Creator and inspiring us to love our neighbor. It is the message of the Cross that teaches us about God's love and salvation through Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us all. It also calls us to reconciliation, as it is a message of PEACE, our peace. He said: 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.' We believe that the One who is the Prince of Peace, and also the Source of all reason and justice, as stated in our National Constitution, will guide and strengthen us on the difficult road ahead,” he concluded.
Prior to Hooft, the Chief of Staff, Guillermo Francos, had the opportunity to greet the President of the Nation and the Vice President, who addressed those present. “I want to begin by thanking each of the Argentine evangelical churches for the work they are doing. Their clear mission is to serve their neighbors through soup kitchens, rehabilitation centers, and the important work they are developing in prisons, as well as the spiritual assistance they provide to the most vulnerable communities that the State sometimes does not reach. I am convinced that this social and spiritual task shared by Catholics and Evangelicals, inspired by love and Christian understanding, is the fundamental pillar for building a more just and compassionate Argentina.”
Furthermore, the Vice President assured that “we live in a time when Christian values are more necessary than ever. These values inspire us every day to protect the role of the family and to defend life as essential principles of our faith and our society. In the public sphere, these values take on fundamental relevance and are put to the test. The Christian faith, which embraces both Catholics and Evangelicals, reminds us that there are limits and that we must defend the freedom and dignity of each person. We reject any ideology that denies these fundamental values.”
According to ACIERA's press release, this was the meeting of the Alliance “with the greatest presence of different governmental actors from all levels, as well as authorities from other religious denominations.” It highlighted that through the event, “the leading role of the Evangelical Church” received national recognition.
Several religious denominations and institutions accompanied the event, including the two most important organizations of the Jewish community in the country: AMIA and DAIA. The Argentine Episcopal Conference (CEA), the Islamic Center, the Latin American Jewish Congress, CONIN (an NGO dedicated to helping children achieve healthy nutrition), Caritas (the Catholic social organization), the Argentine Federation of Evangelical Churches (FAIE), which unites historical churches such as Lutherans, Anglicans, Presbyterians, and Methodists, and the Evangelical Pentecostal Federation (FECEP), Fundación Convergencia, and Sociedad Rural Argentina, among other renowned institutions.
Originally published on Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.
