A keen exchange about faith and politics
At the moment the HQ of the Protestant Church Council (CONEP = Concilio Nacional Evangélico del Perú) is an island of calm in Lima’s “Pueblo Libre” district. Their team are spending their days in home office and are waiting for the end of the pandemic. Yesterday the Council’s president, Oscar Suarez, (left in the picture) welcomed missionary doctor Dr John to a two hour-long conversation in which views were exchanged. Both agreed that despite the uncertain political times God holds everything in his hands.
As usual at such meetings the German-Peruvian explained Diospi Suyana’s vision through a PowerPoint presentation. The president named Diospi Suyana the most impressive proof of God being at work in Southern Peru. Pastor Suarez hopes that he will be able to visit Diospi Suyana in Curahuasi after the health crisis.
15% of Peruvians are members of Protestant Churches. In absolute numbers, however, the number of Protestants that go to church regularly is higher than the number of Catholics. In the course of the past few years the relationship between the two confessions has improved continuously. Diospi Suyana is a member of the Protestant Church Council. Diospi Suyana’s 270 members of staff are almost evenly split between the two big Christian faiths. The overseas missionaries tend to be Protestants.
Diospi Suyana is committed to the unity of Christians and stands on the foundation of the cross of Christ and his empty tomb. We reach out our hands to those who call Jesus Christ their Lord and Saviour. And we want to meet all people, irrespective of their philosophy of life, in love. We wear neither a secular nor a pan-religious cloak, but still atheists, agnostics, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists have supported our work over the years.
We respect others’ religious convictions. However, we believe that Jesus Christ was right when he said: “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me!” In his most recent book “Walking on the Water” Dr Klaus John – also in the name of his wife Martina – writes the following:
“We can only yawn at pious phrases, religion as cultural heritage and theological quibbles; however, we are keenly interested as to whether faith really carries one through. What we experience at Diospi Suyana confirms again and again that we are truly walking on the water. Our greatest yearning is one day to see him face to face who called us out of the boat!”
