How We Got Started: Argentina
The Birth of Our Movement in Argentina
The Charis Alliance movement began in Argentina in 1909 as an initiative of the Foreign Mission Society of the Brethren Church, which was established just a few years earlier. The lead missionary was Charles Yoder, who had previously served as a pastor in Warsaw and later as Secretary General of the Mission. The passionate vision of Evangelist Luis Bauman led Yoder to leave a comfortable ministry in the USA and embrace the call of missions.
Following a season of intense prayer, the mission settled on Argentina, a young nation of vast opportunities still unreached with the gospel. Bauman described that moment as a “kairos” — a divinely appointed time — and 1909 as the “Hour of Opportunity,” proclaiming: “Brethren, we are at the gates of a new era!"
In September of that same year, Charles Yoder, his family, and Berta May Bell set out for the southernmost country in South America. After traveling through various localities in Buenos Aires, they finally settled in Rio Cuarto on November 1, 1909. The choice of that location was deliberate: besides being a rapidly expanding railroad hub with the potential to become an important inland city, there were many towns in its vicinity, yet no workers within 100 miles.
This desire to reach unreached places with the gospel, which had inspired Jacob Cassel to establish the Foreign Mission Society in 1900, along with the faith of those who responded to the call, opened the door for the Charis Alliance in Argentina.
The Growth of Our Movement in Argentina
The task undertaken by Charles Yoder and his team was anything but easy. They had to learn a new language, adapt to a different culture, and face resistance from the prevailing religious powers. Yet they were convinced that transforming lives through the Lord required hard work and perseverance to their calling.
In the early years, efforts centered on building relationships. Teaching English at the National College allowed Yoder to influence many, and sports — particularly introducing basketball for the first time in the region — became another means of connecting with society. The purchase of a “Bible Coach” marked a milestone: with it, the team traveled to villages, distributed literature, and held open-air meetings to share the message of salvation.
Their focus was on teaching the Word, discipling believers, and training workers. Although these workers were encouraged to take leadership roles in the nascent churches, the most prepared ones were also sent to other towns to expand the missionary outreach. As a result, within twenty years, churches and points of light were established in more than twenty locations.
The arrival of additional missionaries and national workers led to the foundation of dozens of churches. Despite crises that temporarily slowed progress, a new awakening arose in the early 1990s: new works started in Buenos Aires and the interior regions of Argentina, and missionaries were sent from Argentina to Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Chad — many forming multinational teams that greatly enriched our Charis Alliance.
A Call to Prayer and Support
After two decades of sending missionaries around the world, we now face a spiritual drought. However, today we see a renewed desire among many young people to go into mission fields. We pray that God will confirm their steps and move the churches to support them generously.
Most of our leaders and pastors are bi-vocational and sustain themselves through their jobs, making ministry a challenge. Let us pray that God will provide for their needs and raise up full-time workers.
We need to train more leaders who can guide and mobilize churches to fulfill the Great Commission. We thank God for various training programs and pray for the fruit they will bear.
We long to see the growth that characterized our beginnings last century repeated today. God is raising up teams committed to planting new churches. We pray that this vision will be embraced by Argentine leaders and churches, and that we will witness new works in the coming years.
Pray for the development of holistic ministries in various locations, and that many more will be established. May these ministries serve as bridges, connecting people with God's love.
