twentyeight19.org

Recently, Tara and I were having a conversation with a new friend, a fellow American, here in Lima. When this person heard that we were a part of a church planting team, they responded with the question, “Is there a need for that here?”

Good question. Our first instincts were to say, “Of Course!!” We had heard it from experts of South American Missions before we arrived, and we felt the need after numerous conversations with the Limeños. We did not have anything tangible, however, until a couple weeks ago. A local newspaper just published an article discussing the religious atmosphere in Lima entitled, “Los misioneros del siglo XXI (Missionaries of the 21st Century)”. Here is what their research indicated…

Lima is the second largest city by population in the continent of South America (Click here for a list of the world’s largest cities). The books indicate that Lima has 7,605,742 inhabitants, but in reality it is closer to 9 Million as many are not included in the census due to non-registered communities. If we take the conservative number of 7,605,742 inhabitants of Lima, than the survey indicates that 836,631 (11%) people do not claim any religion at all. Of the 6,769,110 people who claim a religion a whopping 4,196,848 (62%) are hardly religious, 338,455 (5%) are not religious at all, and only 676,911 (10%) people consider themselves very religious.**

If we add up all those who claim no religion, and those who do but are hardly and not religious, the number surpasses 5 Million people. That is a lot of people. More than the countries of Singapore and Norway, and more than the States of Minnesota, Louisiana, and Alabama. We know, because they themselves stated it, that these 5 Million people go to bed each night without a relationship with Jesus Christ. Over 5 Million people wake up each morning and do not know God’s grace and mercy. When times are tough, these 5 Million people do not have a community of faith that can help them though the storm. Over 5 Million people…!

To add to our case, we recently had a conversation with a Peruvian familiar with church planting efforts in Peru. She indicated that Lima, in many ways, has become a “forgotten city.” Most mission teams coming to Peru, according to our Peruvian friend, are headed to the jungles, the mountains, and the remote villages and there is not a lot of new work in the nation’s capital.

We pray that God will use us here in Lima. We pray that we can join in on what he is already doing in the hearts of Peruvians, and be a part of their spiritual transformation by pointing them to Jesus. We pray that these 5 Million people who claim little or no faith will come to know the grace, mercy, and peace that only God can provide.

“Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.”
Eph 3:20-21

** – I understand that some may point out that there is a difference in many ways between religion and faith. That difference has been noted. I understand that Christianity in many ways is less about religion and more about relationship, and that one can have great faith without necessarily being “religious.” This being said, however, I feel that when this survey uses the word “religious” it encompasses the ideas faith and relationship with God as well.