A CHRONOLOGY OF PROTESTANT BEGINNINGS:  URUGUAY

by Clifton L. Holland, Director of PROLADES

(last revised on May 27, 2003)

Historical Overview of Uruguay:

Independence from Spain:                                                                                                    1814

Independent Republic established:                                                                                        1825

Religious liberty declared:                                                                                                    1830

Separation of Church and State established:                                                                          1919

 

Number of North American agencies in 1989:                                                                            39

Number of North American agencies in 1996:                                                                            29        

Indicates European society*

Significant Protestant Beginnings or Events:

     1838      -    Methodist Episcopal Church, Board of Foreign Missions (permanent work begun 1860)

     1858      -    *Italian Waldensian Church among Italian immigrants (1875), now known as the Valdensian Evangelical Church of the River Plate

     1866      -    *South American Missionary Society

     1882      -    *Christian Missions in Many Lands (Plymouth Brethren)

1891           -    The Salvation Army (1917)

     1906      -    Seventh-day Adventists, General Conference (1895)

     1908      -    Southern Baptist Convention, Foreign Mission Board (1911)

     1908      -    YMCA International Commission

     1930      -    United Pentecostal Church International

     1936      -    Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod

     1944      -    Assemblies of God Foreign Missions (1946)

     1945      -    Church of God World Missions (Cleveland, TN)

     1949      -    Church of the Nazarene, World Mission Division

     1950      -    *WEC International (Worldwide Evangelization Crusade)

     1950      -    Mennonite Brethren Missions and Services

     1954      -    Mennonite Board of Missions

     1956      -    Federation of Evangelical Churches of Uruguay (FIEU)

     1957      -    Church of God of Prophecy

     1958      -    Baptist Bible Fellowship International

     1961      -    Free Will Baptist Association

     1965      -    Biblical Ministries Worldwide

     1968      -    Baptist World Mission

     1970      -    Christian Church of North America

     1970      -    Gospel Mission of South America

     1978      -    Every Home for Christ

     1982      -    Grace Ministries International

     1984      -    Church of God (Anderson, IN)

     1984      -    South American Missionary Society (SAMS)

     1988      -    Alliance of Evangelical Churches and Institutions (ACIERU)

     1990      -    Operation Mobilization of Canada

     1991      -    Baptist General Conference

     1993      -    Walk Thru The Bible Ministries

     1995      -    SIM USA (a merger of various mission agencies) 

     1996      -    Global Missionary Evangelism

 

 

Date of Origin Unknown:

 

                        Baptist Missionary Association

                        Brethren Assemblies (Plymouth Brethren)

                        Christian Aid Mission

                        Christian Churches and Churches of Christ

                        Reformed Evangelical Uruguayan-Hungarian Church

                        United Methodist Church

 

 

NOTES:

(1)        Dates listed indicate the earliest recorded ministry or in case of discrepancies, the date most frequently indicated.

 

(2)        North American Agencies include U.S. and Canadian.

SOURCES:

(1) Daryl L. Platt, "Who Represents the Evangelical Churches in Latin America? A Study of the Evangelical Fellowship Organizations." Pasadena, CA: an unpublished Doctor of Missiology Dissertation, School of World Mission, Fuller Theological Seminary, June 1991. Used by permission of the author.

(2) PROLADES (Latin American Socio-religious Studies Program), international headquarters in San José, Costa Rica: www.prolades.com, prolades@racsa.co.cr

            (3) Dayton Roberts and John Siewert, editors:  Mission Handbook of U.S. and Canadian Christian Ministries Overseas (MARC 1989).

            (4) John A. Siewert and Edna G. Valdez, editors: Mission Handbook of U.S. and Canadian Christian Ministries Overseas (MARC 1997).

            (5)     Jean-Jacques Bauswein and Lukas Vischer, The Reformed Family Worldwide (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999).