The Church of the Nazarene's South America Region welcomed more than 700 Nazarenes May 12-17 for a four-day regional conference and two-day school of ministry at the Bruno Radi Convention Center in Pilar, Argentina.

Each of the 10 countries of the region - Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela - were represented and the delegation of speakers was diverse with orators from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Switzerland, Uruguay, Venezuela, and the U.S.

The four-day conference was a marathon of 22 messages centering on The Power of One and The Power of Christ in Us Produces a Living Church initiatives.

Some of the speakers, who shared, taught, and encouraged during this marathon of learning, included Louie Bustle, Global Mission director; W. Talmadge Johnson, general superintendent emeritus; Gustavo Crocker, Eurasia regional director; Christian Sarmiento, South America regional director; Aguiar Valvassoura, Brazil sub region director; and Adalberto Herrera, pastor of the Cali, Colombia, Church of the Nazarene.

Of special note were the closing services Sunday as communion was shared, pastors ordained, and churches officially organized. There also was a presentation of a commemorative plaque and video for Bustle in honor of his years of service both in South America and as Global Mission director. Bustle plans to retire in 2012.

Participants had the opportunity to peruse display booths representing all the ministries of the region. Here pastors and leaders could learn what resources are available for their ministries, take materials back to their local churches, and make contact with regional coordinators.

After the conference, about 400 people stayed to participate in the two-day school of ministry. Each of the 11 regional ministries conducted two days of workshops to further the training of its leaders and train new leaders.

Response to the regional conference and school of ministry has been encouraging as testimonies and words of thanks have made their way back to the regional office. Some examples:
 

• Gustavo Perales of Peru said, "It was a time where the Lord spoke to us... He renewed us, challenged us, and promised to always be with us."
• The Sardiello family, pastors in Argentina, said they enjoyed the regional conference and school of ministry "as a special time prepared by God to speak to us, teach us, shake us, break structures, renew us, and show us that with Him all challenges that enter our path are worth it. The Power of One makes the difference; we pray that we can put in practice what God spoke to us during these days. Thank you to those who thought of, organized, suffered for, and invested in this event, it was worth the effort."
• Pastor Silvia Rodríguez of Brazil wrote on her Facebook page: "The Lord is the only one worthy to receive the glory. He is faithful and reigns with power in our lives. How beautiful it is to enjoy a loving community and feel part of the same family: one faith, one body, and one Spirit. Only in Christ can we be ONE."

These and many more testimonies show that this is the time to live as a living Church in the Power of ONE: Christ in us.
--South America Regional Office