Argentina church baptizes first members
Aluminé, Argentina — Casa del Padre Church of the Nazarene in Aluminé, Argentina, celebrated its first baptisms February 15 when 10 people publicly declared their faith in Jesus Christ.
Just two weeks earlier, the church celebrated its organization at the Patagonia North District Assembly in Neuquén, Argentina. Church members include 30 adults, 25 children ages 7 to 12, and eight youth ages 13 to 18. The assembly was presided over by District Superintendent Eduardo Martínez and Cono Sur Field Strategy Coordinator Juan José Zani.
Casa del Padre aims to show God based on the teaching in John 14:6: "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and that only through Him you can get to the Father.'" The church began a year ago through The Master's Plan, a cell-based system. There are currently cell groups for men, women, children, youth, married couples, and three for mixed groups.
The church also expanded into other areas this month with prayer cells in Piloli, located about 30 miles from un Aluminé, and a cell group in Villa Pehuenia, a tourist town about 35 miles from Aluminé, making a total of 10 cell groups. They also have a three-level discipleship course. The first level is for new believers, the second for individuals to grow in faith, and the third to send. This helps the church prepare leaders for the cell groups as well as the general meetings.
In November, the church bought property, including a building. The church began meeting there in January and at the first meeting, the congregation prayed for a woman who had breast cancer that spread to her kidneys and lungs.
"She had been living with this cancer for two years and was in delicate health," said Eduardo and Idalina Vergara, Casa del Padre leaders. "Glory to God she is now well, she only has a few traces on her bones but nothing serious the doctor says."
The Vergaras report God continues to do miracles in Aluminé, and this encourages them to keep preaching that the God of miracles in the Old Testament is the same today and forever.
"With this miracle, that makes six total since the Church of the Nazarene began work in the city of Aluminé," they said.
--Church of the Nazarene South America Region