Venezuela
(MNN) — Venezuela's
Congress granted President Hugo Chavez sweeping new powers, creating a
thinly-disguised dictatorship. He now has the authority to legislate by decree and bring to life his vision of a more
egalitarian socialist state. That's raised a few alarms among mission
agencies in the country, given Chavez' progressive angst against them.
Trans World Radio's Jim Munger says many mission agencies
are taking a 'wait and see' approach over continued work. Many are
voluntarily pulling people out of the tribal areas and away from project zones
and placing them in neighboring lower profile areas. Yet, despite a grim pattern, there's still
hope.
Munger says China
proved that. The Bamboo Curtain was
tightly shut against missionary influence for decades, but when the Curtain
parted, it revealed an already healthy and growing church network.
The same holds true for countries like Cuba and Venezuela. It all boils down to trust in God's plan. "In
Cuba,
which Chavez has openly stated that he is using as a pattern, in the last 15
years, we've seen a huge explosion of churches and Christian work in that
country, with very few missionaries in from outside. So, God is sovereign
and He can work, even though we can't send missionaries in."
TWR currently broadcasting the hope of Christ into the
country from Bonaire
through a 100,000 watt AM station. As for ministry growth, Munger says:
"There are many doors that are open, and in fact, under Chavez, some doors
are open further than they were before. We have a national office there.
They are nationally autonomous; they have their own board. So they're able to
work with a certain amount of liberty that foreigners at one point, might lose."
Their team needs prayer support as they continue to produce a
variety of adult and kids' programming.
Click here if you want to help.
