Mission History in Colombia
1973: WELS commissions three-man missionary team to Colombia.
1974: Missionary team arrives in MedellÃn. First worship service conducted and first adult confirmand. Radio outreach is started.
1975: Dedication of Holy Trinity Church in MedellÃn. Bible institute program begins.
1979: Provisional seminary opens in MedellÃn.
1982: First Colombian student graduates from Lutheran seminary.
1983: Ordination and installation of first Colombian pastor. Work begins in Bogotá with two missionaries.
1989: Inauguration of first Christian information center in Bogotá.
1990: Reinaldo Gómez installed as first lay minister in MedellÃn.
1996: MedellÃn students given pastoral duties.
1997: MedellÃn Christian information center moves to downtown church building. Bogotá congregation and Christian information center move to new location in north of city.
1998: Bogotá school is first Spanish-speaking school in WELS fellowship. English as foreign language classes begin as outreach.
1999: The Medellin congregation has two Colombian pastors and the Bogotá church has a three-man council. All WELS missionaries and families are evacuated because of increasing violence in the 35 year-old civil war. Missionary begins long-distance training and counseling of national leaders.
2000: Bogotá congregation begins a new congregation in a local school.
2001: Three Colombian leaders begin helping WELS coordinator train nationals in ministry.
2003: Visits to Colombia by the WELS coordinator are discontinued due to increased security risks. Contact and long-distance training are continued by phone, e-mail, and fax.
2005: Due to improved security conditions in Colombia, members of the Latin American Traveling Theological Educators team begin to make periodic trips to Colombia for continued theological training of leaders.
2006: Efforts begin to spread the Word in the city of BarranquÃa when a family from the Bogotá congregation moves to this city.
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PICTURES OF LATIN AMERICA
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