“Chile, your faith worked with actions was made complete!”
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. (James 2:22,NIV)
》 Country Profile
Continent | America
Population | 18.43 million
Area | 757,000㎢, Stretches 4,200㎞ along the southwestern Pacific coast of South America.
Capital City | Santiago (6.85 million people)
People Groups | Total 29 groups, Hispanics 88.2% (Mestizo 60%, Caucasian 28%), Mapuche 8.4%, Latin American 1%, Aymara 0.7%, Diaguita 0.2%
People Groups Unreached | 3 Groups (0.1% of the population)
Official Language(s) | Spanish
Total Languages | 20
Bible Translations | Completed 15, New Testament 2, Partial 2
Religion | Christian 87.1% (Independent church 13%, Catholic 68%), Non-religious 9.2%, Ethnic religion 2.5%, Islam 0.2% Evangelical 23% 4.21 million people
》 About Chile
The Inca Empire of Chile dominated the northern region for nearly a century, while the indigenous Mapuche people lived in the central and southern areas. The northern part was discovered by Spain’s Magellan in 1520. From 1557, it was colonized as part of the Viceroyalty of Peru until Chile gained independence in 1810. During the War of the Pacific (1879-1883), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia, gaining control over the northern territories. By the 1880s, the central government strengthened its control over the Mapuche-inhabited central regions. Between 1891 and 1973, a series of elected governments took office. In 1973, General Augusto Pinochet led a military coup and ruled under a military dictatorship for 16 years. In 1990, a democratic government was re-established, and Gabriel Boric was elected president in 2022.
Chile’s economy is renowned for its strong international trade and robust financial institutions. The country has a sound economic policy, with one of the strongest sovereign credit ratings in South America. Exports of goods and services make up about 60% of total exports. Copper is the leading export commodity, accounting for 20% of government revenue. To mitigate the impact of international copper price fluctuations, the government has worked on diversifying the economy through the lithium, energy, and construction industries. Despite these efforts, the economy slowed in 2019 due to uncertain international conditions and social instability caused by violent protests. In 2020, the Chilean peso hit an all-time low, and internal and external uncertainties remain unresolved.
Chile’s GDP per capita is approximately $23,300.
》 Scripture Focus
| James 2:1, 5, 8-9, 22-24(NIV) 1 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 5 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. |
》 Prayer Points
1. Chile has seen growth in evangelical Christianity, now encompassing 23% of the population, with all evangelical denominations expanding. However, there is significant division among churches and denominations, leading to over 1,200 different groups. Indigenous churches are often isolated, making them vulnerable to theological errors. Pentecostal churches, which tend towards nominalism and tradition, fewer than half of the members attend weekly services. The Catholic Church has experienced a rapid decline, now making up 68% of the population, as faith has become seen as a tradition, leading to an increase in secularism. Let us pray that the Chilean churches will be firmly rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, showing a faith that works with deeds and is made complete by actions.
2. Foreign mission organizations should focus on reaching unreached people groups, the impoverished, and the upper classes. They work with churches to develop leaders, provide education and training, and inspire mission vision. The Chilean church, despite its historic presence and size, shows limited interest in missions and global evangelism due to factors such as geographical and spiritual isolation and political reasons. However, Latin American mission networks (COMIBAM) and organizations like YWAM, OM, SIM, and WBT are fostering mobilization through training programs. Pray that foreign missionaries and churches, like Abraham, will become God’s friends and devote themselves more to missions, obeying faithfully for global evangelization.
3. The largest indigenous group, the Mapuche, are about 70% nominally Catholic, but are still deeply influenced by animism and shamanism. The Rapa Nui of Easter Island have seen their communities fractured, losing culture and language, and suffering from tourism, the film industry, AIDS, alcoholism and moral decay. Many Peruvians, Ecuadorians, and Bolivians live illegally in Chile, while Santiago has over 70,000 Palestinian immigrants. Recently, over 100,000 Haitian refugees have arrived. Pray that Chile will treat everyone equally and fulfill the command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Pray that God will choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and grant them the grace to inherit His promised kingdom, extending this blessing to Chile’s minority groups and immigrants.
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