Chile
The Land and the
People
Chile is one of the most geographically diverse lands in the world. A Chilean author wrote: “When God concluded creating the universe, there was a little of each of the elements left….Taking them in His omnipotent hand, He decided to create one last land…and that is how Chile came to be!” Squeezed between the Andes Mountains on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west, Chile is 2,625 miles long but only an average of 110 miles wide.
The country can be divided into three geographical areas. In the north is the Atacama Desert-–the driest in the world. The central area, where 70 percent of the people live, has a Mediterranean climate. One-third of the entire Chilean population lives in the capital--Santiago. Summers in Santiago can be uncomfortably hot with their dry, smoggy conditions. Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands. Temperatures in the extreme southern tip average 50 degrees F in the summer.
The population of Chile is largely homogenous – 92 percent are descendants of intermarriage between early Spanish settlers and the Araucanian Indians.
Religion
Roman Catholics make up 72 percent of the population of Chile. Most of the remaining population are Pentecostal Protestants. About 1percent are Jewish.
Past and Current
Work
The first two missionary families of Baptist Mid-Missions began ministry in Santiago’s extensive suburbs in 1996 and 1997. Another couple joined them in 2000.
Goals
The need for churches reaches beyond Santiago to nearby cities--and even beyond.
Workers Needed
Five church planters are needed to advance the ministry in nearby cities.