Pastor Rafael Goto, new president of the National Evangelical Council

Rolando Pérez, LIMA, Perú, February 25, 2005

The National Evangelical Council of Peru (CONEP), during the assembly held in this capital February Taxi Heathrow Airport 23-24, elected a new board and approved modifications to its statutes.

Pastor Rafael Goto Silva, secretary general of the Evangelical Church of the Pilgrims and formerly responsible for the Peru Peace Project, run by the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI), was elected president of the board.

Dario Lopez Rodríguez, of the Church of God was elected vice president, Carlos Jara de Paz of the Assemblies of God was elected secretary and Pedro Merino Boyd of the Presbyterian Reformed Church was elected treasurer.

Other board members include Rafael Torres, of the World Presbyterian M! issions, Otoniel Coronel of the Nazarene Church and Juan Inocencio, of the Association of Evangelical University Groups of Peru (AGEUP).

During the Assembly, the new CONEP statutes were approved and their respective regulations. Among other things, the Board will now have a two-year term as opposed to a one-year term.

The assembly agreed that in the next two years the CONEP agenda would focus on: the development of an advocacy strategy in the field of religious equality, mobilization of efforts to accompany Churches located in the Amazon and the development of awareness raising and action work to promote environmental citizenship.

At the same time, special emphasis will be placed on Evangelism work and the assembly agreed to strengthen the “In-depth Evangelism Program,” assuming it as a historic initiative aimed at generating a concrete process of missionary cooperation. 

Rafael Goto, expressing his gratitude for his election said: We have the responsibility to strengthen CONEP’s institutionality, affirming it as an inter-denominational meeting space for mission, pastoral action and public presence.

We must continue to affirm the processes of unity among denominational families, so that diverse traditions can find possibilities for cooperation and missionary exchange, he added. 

On the other hand, participants underlined that CONEP has the major challenge of continuing to contribute, from its pastoral role, to public life in the country. In this sense, they affirmed, we will continue actively participating in citizen spaces and networks that contribute to ensuring the institutional sustainability of the country, integral development and the construction of democracy.

We believe that our Churches can make a significant contribution to the battle against poverty, corruption and injustice, emphasized the Assembly.