In 2007, at the request of the Board of World Mission, the Unity Board designated the San Juan de Lurigancho area of Lima, Peru, as a Mission Area of the Moravian Church. Exploratory visits were made by several teams from the Southern Province and the BWM (in 2007 and 2009) and in 2011 an organizational meeting was held with the participation of representatives from five ministries in Lima, Chiclayo and Lambayeque. They formed the “Unity of Brothers and Sisters in Peru: A Ministry of the Worldwide Moravian Church” under the supervision of the Board of World Mission.
At present, the following ministries continue to grow and flourish with minimal outside support:
- The Cell Group in Mangomarca, Lima (Manuel and Carmen Verástegui)
- The Cell Group in Mosha, Lima (Ana María Huáman)
- The Kids of the Kingdom Street Ministry in Huáscar (under the leadership of Jemima Rojas, while her mother, Mariana Córdova, completes her theological studies in Costa Rica, thanks to a scholarship from the Unity Women’s Desk).
- The Cruz de la Esperanza Cell Group in Chiclayo (Walter and Monica Calle)
A team from Friedberg Moravian, led by Sister Hilda Regalado and Antioch partner Luís Regalado, visited these ministries in August, 2012. This visit had a positive impact on all who were involved.
2nd Mile projects for the area have been prioritized and are being publicized.
The Unity of Brothers and Sisters in Peru is working on legal standing with the government (Personería Jurídica) and is being supported by BWM in this process.
Board of World Mission support focuses on mission as opposed to maintenance, providing funds to make it possible for more outreach work to be done by the existing ministries.
A young man from Chiclayo, Alex Ramirez, works with the “Jóvenes de Valor” (Young People of Valor) ministry, but has a vision for working with unreached people groups in the Amazon jungle. The BWM is excited about future opportunities for partnering in this mission!
