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 PrintableVersion Latin lives 2The second in a series of interviews with Christian leaders in Latin AmericaSilvia Chaves was formerly General Secretary of the IFES movement in Argentina. She currently ministers with Eirene family ministries, the Letra Viva network of Christian publishers, and Langham Partnership initiatives in Argentina. EB:Where did your heart for student ministry come from? SC: I trusted Christ as my Lord and Saviour while I was studying psychology at the University of Buenos Aires. I had been looking for truth. If the truth existed, I wanted to know it. I met people from the IFES movement and read some books published by Certeza (IFES publishing arm in Argentina) and through these I came to know Jesus Christ. I was then discipled by an IFES staff worker, and the nearest student group (in La Plata, a city 600km away from where I was studying). I was also greatly impacted by John Stott’s Basic Christianity. That was a long time ago now, but I believe that God is still using the student movement. Last week I was with a new group in the department of philosophy and arts, and it was amazing to see these students from widely different backgrounds praying together for the faculty. Something is happening! ChallengesEB: What were the greatest challenges during your time as General Secretary? SC: The IFES movement in Argentina is called ABUA. The two ‘A’s stand for asociaci—n and Argentina. The greatest challenge for me was to raise a student movement which lived up to those letters — an association linking Christian students in the north, the south, the west and the east of Argentina. We also worked hard at linking up these students with professionals, churches and good books. EB: What did you learn from your fellowship with brothers and sisters from around the world (in the IFES family)? SC: One key thing was that team work is possible across cultures. In Galatians 3 we read: ‘You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus…There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ Through the IFES I saw that in practice. We are all equal whether from Africa, Asia, the United States, England, or Argentina. I also learnt that we are all different, so we need each other. EB: What are the great needs in the Argentine student movement at present? SC: Our prayer right now is that ABUA will develop a strong team of both female and male leaders (at the moment there are far more women). The former leaders of the movement are supporting the aim of current General Secretary, Stella Maris Mariano, to pray for and develop male leadership. I also long to see Christian students with a passion for Christ and for their fellow students. I see students who have a great passion for romance and music and football. I would like to see more passion for Jesus. Argentina in doubt?EB: How would you describe the current spiritual state of Argentina? SC: My understanding is that people are more open to spiritual things than in the ‘70s or ‘80s. When the military dictatorship came to an end in 1983, people felt the utopia had ended. They felt they had been deceived, and started to ask: ‘Who can we trust?’ ‘Who can we look to for hope?’ ‘Who can help us?’ In the late ‘80s and in the ‘90s people put their confidence in money, the empire of the United States, and material things. Then in 2001 everything crashed. Overnight, Argentina became the world’s biggest public debtor. EB: How did their questions change following the crash? SC: People looked for answers to the crucial questions of freedom, security, health. Without basic security assistance and the hospitals empty, people were asking who would care for them in their illness. The middle class dream had disappeared. They needed houses to live in and social help. The government had failed them, so the new questions were around, if God exists, if angels exist, if Satan exists — perhaps they can do something for us. EB: Did people turn to the church for answers? SC: Argentina is a Catholic country in which the church is seen as one thing, and God another. There is a lot of disillusionment with the Catholic Church following its links with the military and the political right, but that doesn’t mean they are disillusioned with God. If you are desperate you will look for answers anywhere in the spiritual world, so while there has been an increased interest in God, people have also been looking to Satan too. That is evident in the huge popularity of tarot in Argentina. Many people, including educated, middle and high class people read and rely heavily on tarot. EB: How has this search for spiritual things impacted the evangelical church? SC: The Pentecostal church set a very good example in the aftermath of the crisis. Some of their leaders stepped out of their church buildings and went into the streets and squares. God worked in them to inspire them to go out to where people were, rather than wait for them to come to the church. That’s really something to praise about the Pentecostal churches. They are the ones who pray for the ill, for physical needs, social needs. The problem is that many of them stop there. On the other hand, many conservative evangelicals are middle class and feel too afraid to get involved or talk about these issues. It’s not simply a theological issue; it’s also a sociological problem. The challenge for all Christians in Argentina is to look at the Scriptures and live by the Scriptures. There is also need to be more open to the power of the Holy Spirit, and to be willing to work together on things — for the sake of the gospel. Heart desires?EB: As you look at Latin America, what are the needs that are on your heart? EB: How can Christians in the UK pray for you personally? SC: Please pray that I will serve my Lord by developing a biblical mind, a passionate heart, and a compassionate hand. The challenge for me is to think biblically, to be passionate for Christ, and to work with the needy — all for the Kingdom of God. Links: Emma Balch© Evangelicals Now - February 2006 |
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