Venezuela: ‘Extraordinary’ opportunities

There are “extraordinary gospel opportunities” in Venezuela at the moment, a Christian organisation says.

The capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his transportation to face trial in the US have plunged the South American nation into uncertainty.

The nation has endured severe economic hardship in recent years despite the country’s oil-rich resources.

Its inflation rate is estimated to have soared to as high as 270% in recent times, while its currency value has plummeted. Platform 67, a network which liaises with gospel workers around the world, reports that more than 8 million people, including many Christians, have left the country due to food shortages, insufficient healthcare and corruption.

Platform 67’s Andrew Dudgeon told en that Christians across South America and many Venezuelan refugees in Europe have expressed “relief and a cautious sense of hope” following the extraction of Maduro. However, military intervention can only achieve so much, and he stressed that what happens next “may prove more significant than what has already taken place”.

He said: “We can join Venezuelan Christians in praying for lasting change in areas that have a direct bearing on daily life; change that will shape the economy, technological development, and the justice system. These are also extraordinary gospel opportunities. Pray, therefore, for faithfulness in witness among pastors and congregations, that their confidence and hope may always rest in Christ.”

While the international community remains divided about the legitimacy of the US action, many Christians in Venezuela appear to be celebrating the end of Maduro’s reign. Venezuelan pastor Moisés-Keila Piña posted online that Maduro’s departure is a “glimmer of light after decades of darkness”, with the majority of Venezuelans having longed for an end to dictatorial rule for 20 years.

He said that many Venezuelans feel “a mixture of hope, relief and worry” as they try to make sense of what has happened and anticipate what is ahead in the future, and he called for believers to pray for peace, justice, protection, and “leaders who fear God.”

On the ground, the Board of Directors of the Evangelical Council of Venezuela called on churches to continue to meet together and encourage one another and sought to “affirm more than ever that our hope is in the Lord” amidst such “challenging days”. In a statement, they called for churches to “be a light in the midst of the storm” and continue to hold Sunday services with “prudence, responsibility and a spirit of unity”.

*Photo full caption: Hundreds of evangelical Christians gathered in Bolivar Square, Caracas, Venezuela, holding a prayer rally for national peace in mid-January.