Chile, 2005. Map from World Factbook.

Mennonite work in Chile had its beginning among a group of Chilean refugees in Alberta, Canada. The refugee group had formed a Spanish-speaking Evangelical Church in Edmonton under the leadership of Jorge Vallejos. Vallejos had been the leader of a group in Chile known as Iglesia Evangélica Misionera. As a result of contacts and relationships with Mennonites of the Northwest Mennonite Conference (MC) and specifically with Nancy Hostetler and the Holyrood congregation, the group requested and were accepted as members in the Northwest Mennonite Conference in 1980. In 1981 the Iglesia Evangélica Misionera of Chile requested relationships and official recognition as Mennonites. They also requested that Mennonite Board of Missions (MC; MBM) appoint Keith and Nancy Hostetler as Bible teachers and leadership trainers.

After extensive investigation and dialogue the group in Chile was officially recognized as a part of the Mennonite Church by action of the General Board of the Mennonite Church. The Hostetlers were appointed by MBM and arrived in Santiago, Chile, in 1983. In 1984 Donald and Marilyn Brenneman were appointed by the mission board to work in Chile.

In 1984 new leadership came into place. The original requests for assistance were altered. It became obvious that theological perspectives and practices and the vision of the leaders of the group were incompatible with the Mennonite Church and MBM. In 1985, following extended deliberation with the group, official relationships were terminated. Mennonite Board of Missions continued to send missionaries to Chile for church planting and related ministries. Following the 1985 earthquake, MBM and Mennonite Central Committee worked cooperatively in relief and reconstruction ministries.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 141-142. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

©1996-2009 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.