Published on Operation World (http://www.operationworld.org)
May 11: Ecuador
Ecuador
Republic of Ecuador
Latin America
See Prayer Information
Geography
Area: 269,178 sq kmAmazon jungle in the east, high Andean Sierra in the centre, fertile coastal plain on Pacific Coast. Also the Galapagos Islands, 1,000 km to the west.
Population: 13,774,909 Annual Growth: 1.07%
Capital: Quito
Urbanites: 66.9%
HDI Rank: 80 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 31 (6% unreached) All peoplesUnreached Peoples Prayer Card
Official language: Spanish Languages: 25 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Christian| Religion | Pop % | Ann Gr | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christians | 13,010,402 | 94.45 | 1.0 |
| Evangelicals | 1,170,089 | 8.5 | 4.9 |
Answer to Prayer
HCJB Radio, launched in 1931, was the first of the great Christian mission radio broadcasters. Today, this ministry is known around the world, and both Ecuador and the world are blessed as a result.For an additional 2 Answers to Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
Challenge for Prayer
Evangelical numbers are large enough to significantly impact society. The potential is great, but many in-house issues need resolution. Many churches exist independently, with no accountability or authority structure. Pray for the following:a) Vision and growth to continue – some churches have lost their evangelistic zeal. Mega-churches are springing up in urban areas, but not all are concerned with continued evangelism of the unreached.
b) Unity within the great variety of churches. Issues of denomination, class, culture and personality often lead to division and parochial attitudes. For the Church to exercise a rightful impact on Ecuadorian life, these divisions must be overcome. The Evangelical Confraternity (COMEC) is a network linking most evangelicals in vision and in speaking out on issues of social concern.
c) Cultural sensitivity and integration of Quichua and Lowland Indians into the national Church scene. Amerindians compose the lion’s share of evangelicals, but much of the power and influence falls within the Spanish-speaking evangelical population. Pray that both groups would fellowship and cooperate without losing their respective cultural distinctiveness.
d) Improved availability and quality of pastoral training. False teachings and evangelical nominalism are otherwise inevitable. Bible schools and seminaries are increasing. The Quichua Training Institute (MTW) is just one of many institutions supported by outside groups such as OMS, Foursquare and AoG. TEE programmes and In Service Training are demonstrably effective at developing leaders, and they are affordable and flexible.
e) Effective and appropriate ministry to children and young people. Poverty and child labour are particularly widespread, so ministry must be of a holistic nature and relevant to this generation, which makes up the bulk of the population.
For an additional 9 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.
