A Growing Work in Bolivia
An update from David Del Castillo, Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana, Santa Cruz, Bolivia...
Dear Friends,
We want to share with you what God has been doing among us over the past few months.
One of the most meaningful events that took place was the visit of John and Nancy Loftness, Chris Deloglos, Jacobis and Keila Aldana, and Fabrizio Rodulfo. The main reason for their visit was to honor the life and ministry of my father, Pastor Jorge Del Castillo. Some dear friends from Sovereign Grace Churches in Latin America took the initiative to help us celebrate and give thanks to God for his ministry.
Although our local church began in 2020, God allowed my father to serve as a pastor for over 40 years. Both he and my mother, Teresa, have faithfully served the church throughout their entire active lives. It was Jorge—deeply convinced and theologically aligned with Sovereign Grace—who led the planting of our church. In recent years, his health has limited his involvement, yet it was through him that God initiated this work.
With that in mind, John and Nancy Loftness, Chris Deloglos, and Fabrizio joined forces with me as the local pastor to organize a service of honor. It was a wonderful time of thanksgiving to God for the lives of Jorge and Teresa Del Castillo. Many in our congregation had not known about their earlier ministry, so it was a special opportunity to remember and thank God for all He has done through them.
Since we had the privilege of hosting these wonderful guests, we also organized two additional events. The first was a church seminar on spiritual disciplines, with teaching from John, Chris, and Jacobis. They shared excellent messages that reminded our church of the importance of the spiritual disciplines and how they shape our lives. Each message was of great value and encouragement to our congregation.
We were also blessed by the visit of Fabrizio Rodulfo, whom God has used in a very special way in recent years. His work alongside Bob Kauflin has made it possible for us to sing Sovereign Grace Music songs in Spanish. This ministry has been a great blessing—not only to our local church—but also to the broader Spanish-speaking Christian community for more than ten years.
Taking advantage of Fabrizio’s visit, we hosted a conference for musicians, introducing them to Sovereign Grace Music and the many resources available. The event was attended by participants from Santa Cruz and several other cities in Bolivia. Like the English version, our Spanish music ministry has been a great help to those seeking theologically solid and musically contemporary songs. We thank God for this time together.
It is also worth mentioning that Jacobis and Keila Aldana visited our dear brothers and sisters from En Su Palabra Church in Cochabamba, pastored by Erick Miranda, who is nearing the completion of his ordination process. If the Lord allows, this will become the second Sovereign Grace church in Bolivia.
Finally, our church continues to grow, and we ask for your prayers as we seek to lead our people faithfully toward Christ. This year we’ve had to adjust to being a larger church. We currently have over 50 members, with about 30 more preparing to join through our membership class. Sunday attendance has also increased significantly, with around 130 people gathering each week. Our small groups are doing well, and home discipleship continues to be a strong support for our congregation.
All this growth brings new challenges in discipleship, and we ask for your prayers as we seek to strengthen this area. Our desire is to see God raise up leaders and pastors from within our church, to train and ordain them so that they can serve alongside us and plant new churches.
Thank you so much for all your love and support.
