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Metropolitan Chile Conference

By Pablo Millanao Torrejón

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Pablo Millanao Torrejón

First Published: June 2, 2021

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The Metropolitan Chile Conference is an administrative unit of the Seventh-day Adventist Church within the territory of the Chile Union Mission. It is headquartered on 72 Porvenir Street in the city of Santiago de Chile, Zip Code 8330754, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Republic of Chile.1

Territory and Statistics

The Metropolitan Chile Conference (Asociacion Metroplitana de Chile or AMCh) is responsible for guiding Adventist evangelization work in the country’s capital, which corresponds to 28 of the 52 communes (or municipalities) in that region, 22 of which are in the city of Santiago. These municipalities represent 52 percent of the population of the national territory and 17 percent of the members of the Chile Union Mission. The area covered by the communities that comprise the ecclesiastical field is about 8,170 km2. Until 2017, the total population in that territory was approximately 7,112,808 inhabitants,2 of these, 17,338 are Adventists. In other words, the average is approximately one Adventist per 410 inhabitants. Thus, in order to better serve both the church members and the community, the AMCh has, throughout its field, 119 congregations (97 organized churches and 22 groups).3

In the area of education, with the commitment to educate future generations, the AMCh manages, through the Francisco H. Westphal Educational Foundation, four schools, which are: Las Condes Adventist Academy, located on 5415 Apoquindo Avenue, Las Condes, Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region; North Santiago Academy, located on 5903 Julio Montt Salamanca Avenue, Conchalí, Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region; Porvenir Adventist Academy, located on 56 Porvenir Street, Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region; and West Santiago Adventist Academy, located on 5817 Pedro de Córdova Street, Lo Prado, Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile.4 Thus, this Conference, through an educational model founded on Christian principles and values, aims to testify for the love of God in order to prepare useful citizens for society without forgetting the harmonious development of the individual.5

Currently, in addition to schools and churches in its territory, the AMCh has six community service centers that are part of the “Life Hope Center” network.6 Likewise, in the area of evangelism through media, there is strong coverage of the Hope Channel Chile through digital channel 257 in addition to the transmission of New Time Radio on the 1600 AM frequency for the entire city of Santiago and its surroundings.8

Finally, in the Chile Metropolitan Conference field, the church has 283 staff members of whom 34 are ordained pastors, five are licensed pastors, 12 credentialed missionaries, seven licensed missionaries, and 225 employees.9

The Origin of the Adventist Work in the Conference Territory

With the arrival of Claudio Designet and Antonieta S. de Designet (the first couple of baptized Adventists to arrive in South America) from France in 1885,10 the proclamation of the Gospel took firmer steps after December 1894. At that time, two young canvassers arrived in Chile: Frederick W. Bishop and Thomas H. Davis, who came from the United States and were sent by the General Conference to serve as missionaries in Chilean lands through the sale of Christian books.11

After many months working on their own in cities in northern Chile, these two canvasser-evangelists decided to go to the city of Santiago. When they arrived, they found it difficult to rent affordable accommodations. A Methodist pastor directed them to the house of another Spanish Baptist canvasser-preacher. This Protestant, named Enrique Balada, finally rented them a room, but when he noticed that the two young Americans were Sabbath keepers, he tried for several nights to convince them that this was a mistake. However, Balada was surprised by Davis and Bishop who, although they did not speak much Spanish, also wanted to teach him even though he was a preacher.12

It bothered him a lot and, some days later, he mentioned to his wife that these young people said that they should keep the Sabbath, not Sunday, as the day of rest. Yet, the most surprising thing was the response of Mrs. Balada, who agreed with the young people and expressed her decision to keep that day. Thus, Mrs. Balada was the first to be converted to the Adventist message in Chile. Later, her husband joined her, also becoming a Seventh-day Adventist.13 This miraculous event helped the young canvassers see how God was helping and guiding the work in Chile.

On another occasion, while Davis and Bishop were walking down the main avenue in Santiago, they read aloud texts from the Bible, first in Spanish and then in English, seeking to improve their command of the Spanish language. A young man named Victor Thomann was surprised by this situation since just the previous night he had dreamed of these young missionaries. As a result of his interaction with them and of divine action, Victor became an Adventist and, with him, his brothers Eduardo and Walter. The three of them had recently moved from Púa to the capital. Once again, the small number of believers was gradually growing in Santiago. Thus, the conversion of Enrique Balada, Víctor Thomann, and his brother, Eduardo, marked the beginning of a generation of Spanish-speaking missionaries in Chile which, in turn, brought great results for Adventism not only in Santiago, but throughout Chile.14

Such was the result of the evangelistic efforts made by these canvassers, that, in July 1895, the Board of Foreign Missions of the General Conference decided to send an ordained pastor to Chile, and the one chosen for that mission was Granville H. Baber. Baber left Battle Creek, Michigan, USA, to fulfill the task of supervising and strengthening the efforts of early Adventists in preaching the Gospel, baptizing new converts, and organizing the first churches.15 Baber arrived in Chile on November 29, 1895,16 and initially made the port city of Valparaíso the operational base of the SDA Church. It was there where he met F. W. Bishop and T. H. Davis. Likewise, a few months after his travels across the country, Baber met the Thomann brothers and Enrique Balada, who was ordained to the ministry by Baber in late 1896. In January 1897, the missionary work of the brothers in Santiago was progressing, since 10 people had been baptized and joined the group of believers in that city.17

In 1901, through two small national periodicals, Las señales de los tiempos [Signs of the Times], and La Revista Adventista [the Spanish-version Adventist Review], the influence of the Gospel was being spread in Santiago. However, until then, the Chile Mission had only one small congregation,18 which consisted of about 30 Brothers in 1902.19

The Conference Organizational History

Progress in the Chile Mission was slow in the following years. In 1907, for example, J. W. Westphal reported only 6 baptisms in the city.20 Therefore, aiming for a more efficient preaching of the Gospel, within March 29 and April 7, 1907, the Chile Conference was organized from the West Coast Mission, splitting itself from Bolivian territory. At that time, the Church in Chile had 9 congregations and 217 members (192 baptized and 25 Sabbath keepers). Those chosen to lead this new Conference, from the city of Valparaíso, were Pastor F. H. Westphal, as president, and Brother William Steele, as secretary-treasurer. Carlos Krieghoff, Damaso Soto and Julián Torreblanca joined them as members of the directive board. These last two were Chilean. At this same meeting, Brother Dámaso Soto was ordained to the ministry in order to continue developing his work as pastor in the city of Santiago. With the conclusion of this meeting, the church leaders, in the face of difficulties, looked optimistically at this new administrative structure, which led to a wide circulation of periodicals.21 As a result, years later, in 1910, the Santiago Publishing House was well positioned among the 27 publishers that the Church had in the world.22

At that time, the Adventist congregation in Santiago gathered at the “Teatro Argentino” [Argentine Theater], where the annual session of the Chile Conference was also held in May 1920.23 The city of Santiago stood out as one of the great cities that needed workers and, in fact, in 1922, a report highlighted this need.24 Furthermore, the Church of Santiago did not have its own place of worship until 1923 when a temple was built in a property on Porvenir Street. This place, with a capacity to hold 300 people, was built with the help of students from the Chile Training School, lead by their director, E. U. Ayars, following the construction of a chapel in the U.S.A.25 This building is probably the first Adventist temple built in Chile. Consequently, the growth of the Church in Santiago began to improve. In 1926, 75 new converts were reached in this city, and in the first half of 1927, the congregation of 200 members in the city of Santiago was considered to be the largest of all the Spanish-speaking congregations throughout South America.26 Much of this growth was attributed to the publishing ministry, through El Atalaya [The Watchman], of which 5,000 copies were circulated each month.27

After this growth, from 1928, the mother Church of Santiago adopted the name of the Porvenir Church.28 It is also worth noting that at least three churches stood out in Santiago due to the high commitment of the Brothers: Porvenir, La Paz (Recoleta), and La Cisterna. The Adventist community of Santiago was the only one (Santiago Church) until 1928, when a new congregation was organized in the region of Recoleta on 172 La Paz Avenue around a group of believers from the Santiago Church, who lived north of the Mapocho River and who later comprised the La Paz Church.29 Once the first churches were established, later in the 1930s, the medical work began in an emerging way in the city of Santiago. At first, Sister W. W. Wheeler was asked to organize the medical clinic, and Annie Cameron began medical work in the city.30

By 1937, it was reported that there were about 800 Adventists in the capital of Chile, distributed in many churches and groups.31 Among the first records of the educational work in Santiago is the inauguration of Porvenir Adventist Academy. In addition, the Austral Union Conference (presently the Argentina Union Conference) awarded a subsidy to the salaries of several school teachers in Chile, four of whom worked at Porvenir Academy.32 This initiative was taken within the framework of the financial difficulties experienced by all elementary schools in the Austral Union Conference at that time of financial crisis.33

From 1938, the medical missionary work, in accordance with Adventist principles, became important to the population of the city of Santiago through the existence of a clinic directed by young Doctor Ramos. In this clinic, thanks to his service and his assistant Sister Minter, many leading women in the city were reached.34 On the other hand, from the 1940s onwards, due to the existence of at least three larger churches, many communities around them were also influenced. However, church leaders were still looking for a more central location in Santiago to build a temple. Until then, the preeminence of the Porvenir Church in the missionary activities in Santiago was of great value. As a result, the Porvenir Church became the headquarters of the Lay Preachers Institute in 1942. E. M. Davis reported on this initiative in Santiago when he visited the Chilean territory in September of the same year, telling about the commitment and dedicated service of church members in preaching the Gospel.35

More than 40 years had passed since the organization of the Chile Conference, and during that time, many challenges, such as workers shortages, and geographic, climatic and even financial difficulties, were overcome. Then, in 1949, the Chile Conference that served the entire country of Chile, a vast territory with long distances for its administrators and pastors to care for, had approximately 4,415 members and 45 churches, and they served a population of 5,537,881 inhabitants. In other words, there was about one Adventist per 1,254 inhabitants in Chile, and many people still needed to be reached. For this reason, the Chile Conference felt a great need to reorganize.36 Therefore, by decision of the South American Division (SAD), in 1950, the South Chile Conference was organized to be responsible for the southern region of Chile; that is, from the city of San Carlos to Punta Arenas. The Chile Conference became recognized as the Central North Chile Conference with headquarters in Santiago, and they were responsible for the work from the boundaries with Peru in the north, to the province of Linares in the south.37 At the time, the offices were located on 72 Porvenir Street, and pastors Eliel Almonte and Juan Zevallos worked as president and secretary-treasurer respectively. They started to lead the evangelic mission with 2,065 members and 24 churches.38

Pastor Almonte's leadership lasted about four years when, in February 1954, the second congress of this field was held in the Porvenir Church. At the time, the nominating board proposed Niels Wensell as president. This congress operated on the basis of a biennial system, which was customary at that time.39 Then, a few months after being elected, Pastor Wensell presented a report of the Central North Chile Conference in which he reported that the field membership was then approximately 3,000 people. At the same time, he identified some problems, one of which was the difficulty in finding suitable places to build churches. For example, the Santiago Central Church (the one in Porvenir) had the capacity to accommodate 400 people, but its membership was actually 500. The second largest church, La Paz, faced similar difficulties, as evangelism was thriving and, in a single campaign for example, 98 people committed themselves to the Adventist faith.40 With that in mind, the Division was asked to evaluate increasing the 1960 grant in order to purchase land located on San Isidro Street.41

Until the 1960s, the minutes of the Austral Union Conference, such as the one of the Central North Conference, indicated the existence of the Chile Adventist Clinic in Santiago.42 However, over the years, searching for better opportunities outside the capital, this missionary institution eventually migrated out of Santiago.43

Meanwhile, another prominent missionary front was the program La Voz de la Esperanza [The Voice of Prophecy]44. In the early 1960s, it was agreed to continue the radio transmission of this program, prioritizing a station with a greater range of broadcasting to cover the necessary investment.45 At the same time, the Bible Correspondence School was a very active evangelizing branch, so there was a frequent need to hire proofreaders for the courses taught. For this reason, in 1962, the creation of a Lyceum (high school) in the city of Santiago was authorized.46

In the previous paragraphs, it was mentioned that the circulation of publications in the form of reviews and treatises was always abundant in the Metropolitan Region. Meanwhile, certain difficulties in importing printed material from Argentina at the time led to the establishment of a headquarters for the Buenos Aires Publishing House in Santiago in 1964. The following year, within the framework of the organization of the Chile Union Mission,47 the new North Chile Mission was instituted, and so there was a natural reorganization of the Central North Chile Conference, which began to be called the Central Chile Conference and whose headquarters continued on 72 Porvenir Street in Santiago.48 In this new restructuring, initially with 33 churches and 4,636 members distributed from the province of Coquimbo to the province of Linares-Ñuble, pastors Humberto Arias and E. F. Almonte were named as president and secretary-treasurer respectively.49

Apparently at that time, the challenges of building churches did not cease since, in 1966, the Brothers still requested a special subsidy to build the temple in the center of the city.50 Nonetheless, in addition to this request, there were already four other ongoing construction projects in the city.51 Meanwhile, other churches, like the one in La Paz, were selling their land to move, under better conditions, to the present locations. Finally, in that same year, the records on the educational institutions mentioned activities on behalf of Buenaventura Adventist Academy,52 including teacher transfers to La Legua Adventist Academy in 1970.53

In 1972, the seventh grade was authorized for La Cisterna Adventist Academy.54 A report regarding the educational work in Santiago indicates that, in the previous year, there were four institutions: Santiago Lyceum, and the academies of La Legua, La Cisterna, and Buenaventura.55 Each of these schools continued advancing until they incorporated high school courses. In 1980, a special grant was approved for the construction of new buildings for La Cisterna and Buenaventura academies.56 Later, the Central Conference, when it had 148 organized churches, 27,069 members, and 49 workers, gave rise to the Pacific Chile Mission in 1988. Thus, the Central Conference began to serve only the Metropolitan, O'Higgins, and Maule regions.57 This administrative unit remained under the leadership of Pastor Joel Leiva, who was responsible, along with other ecclesiastical leaders, for 104 churches and 21,466 members.58

After 10 years, by a decision of the South American Division in 1997, the Central Conference was divided into two fields: the Metropolitan Chile Conference and the Central Chile Mission.59 Later, the Metropolitan Chile Conference was reorganized in 1998, headquartered at the same address where the Central Conference was previously located. On that occasion, pastors Jaime Montero, Alberto Delanoe, and Raúl Medina were elected to assume the roles of president, secretary, and treasurer respectively. The new Conference assumed responsibility for the area comprising the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which had 26,956 members and 123 churches in a population of 5,904,600 inhabitants.60 In other words, the average at that time was approximately one Adventist per 219 inhabitants. With the development of the evangelistic work, around 2003, there were already six educational establishments in Santiago: Buenaventura, La Cisterna, Las Rejas, Provenir, Las Condes, and Santiago Sur.61

Since the inauguration of Radio Nuevo Tiempo [New Time Radio] in 1999,62 their radio and television signal has been created and broadcast throughout the region. It inherited aspects of the Bible Correspondence school in the form of the radial “Interactive Course,” a missionary initiative that was extensively practiced within 2000 and 2008 in the Metropolitan Region.63 However, the radio signal for Santiago continue on AM frequency (1600 KHz), which posed a challenge in terms of the audience reached by the signal. In 2009, when the possibility of dividing the field was still being evaluated, there were already seven academies in Santiago. However, Las Condes, Porvenir, West Santiago, and North Santiago were the ones that remained in the territory of the Metropolitan Conference.64

In February 2011, the Chile Union Mission Board of Directors approved the project to build the headquarters for a new field.65 In other words, the South Metropolitan Chile Mission emerged from the Metropolitan Conference and, with this territory division, the Metropolitan Chile Conference began to serve 123 congregations (89 churches and 34 groups) with 20,289 members until 2012. The growth in baptisms in that first year was 1,172 people.66 Since 2012, the Metropolitan Conference has maintained its current territorial organization.

With this reorganization, the desire to grow was potentiated in the Central North Chile Conference and, due to that fact, some of the traditional temples in the countryside were renovated to attract new converts through the activities carried out in the church. These churches, in addition to sharing their antiquity, experience, and missionary influence over the years have the capacity to accommodate 400 people or more. Thus, in 2012, the La Paz Church was also renovated and, years later, the Porvenir Church.

The Metropolitan Chile Conference is responsible for conducting spiritual and missionary strengthening programs for all its members. For this reason, within April 11 and 12, 2015, in the cities of San Felipe and Santiago, the first Seminar on Spiritual Enrichment (SEE) was fostered in all these churches, and it was organized by the South American Division and with the support of the Chile Union Mission. This project aims to develop and consolidate the habit of seeking God in the first hour of each morning.67

Another program developed in the Central North Chile Conference is the volunteer program known as the Caleb Mission. This project, which mainly involves young people, has been one of the evangelistic avenues to reach the community as well as to bring hope and service. In the last years, the project has become an evangelizing milestone in the Santiago Metropolitan region since it was launched nationwide on February 17, 2016.68 In addition, participation in these types of programs enables greater interaction between church members and the community. Everyone in a special way has had the privilege of obtaining new missionary experiences.69

Faced with other and new evangelistic challenges to reach the community, and in order to attract more people who know the Church through the Hope Channel Chile and New Time Radio, the Maipú Temple had its facade renovated as part of that church-community integration. The expectation of church leaders is that, when they see the logo of the Hope Channel and the New time Radio, people will relate to it and become familiar with the Church, feeling like a family as they continue hearing the biblical message.70

In addition to these activities, the Adventist leaders, staff, and members have been participating in the Hope Impact project in recent years and have already distributed more than 100 thousand books in the Metropolitan region. Furthermore, still within the framework of Hope Impact and aiming to reach the Haitian community in Santiago de Chile, books were published in French.71 Thus, the Metropolitan Chile Conference focuses on preaching the Gospel and preparing the church for the soon return of Jesus.

Chronology of Administrative Leaders72

Presidents: F. H. Westphal (1907-1915); F. L. Perry (1916-1917); W. W. Wheeler (1918); R. T. Bauer (1919); C. P. Crager 91920-1921); W. E. Hancock (1922-1925); T. L. Osvald (1926-1929); Walter Schubert (1930-1931); H. D. Casebeer (1932-1933); L. D. Minner (1934-1939); L. A. Rojas (1940-1941); Eliel Almonte (1942-1953); Niels Wensell (1954-1959); Jose Torres (1960-1965); Humberto Arias (1966-1969); Mariano Renedo (1970-1971); Onesimo Mejia (1972-1976); Orval Scully (1977-1978); Eliel Almonte (1979-1981); Rubén Pereyra (1982-1983); Jorge Lobos (1984-1987); Joel Leivas (1988-1991); Jaime Montero (1992-1994); Jorge Lobo (1997); Jaime Montero (1999-2001); Isaac Poseck (2002-2009); Patricio Barahona (2010-2015); Juan Cancino (2016-2019); Israel Jaramillo (2019-Present).

Secretaries: William Steele (1907); Carlos E. Krieghoff (1908-1912); J. A. Westermeyer (1913-1915); Guillermo Emmenegger (1916-1928); J. A. Ayvazian (1929-1935); O. H. Maxson (1936-1937); G. E. Emmenegger (1938-1949); Juan Zevallos (1950-1959); Daniel Fischer (1960-1961); M. N. Soto (1962-1965); G. F. Almonte (1966-1978); Jorge Lobos (1979-1983); Jaime Montero (1984-1987); Jorge Lobo (1988); Jaime Montero (1989-1991); Juan Salazar (1992-1994); Alberto Delanoe (1995-2001); Milton Alana (2002-2005); Anselmo Aguilera (2006-2009); Héctor Ogalde (2010-2011); José Ramírez (2012-2013); Josué Espinoza (2014); Juan Cancino (2015); Nelson Tapia (2016-Present).

Treasurers: William Steele (1907); Carlos E. Krieghoff (1908-1912); J. A. Westermeyer (1913-1915); Guillermo Emmenegger (1916-1928); J. A. Ayvazian (1929-1935); O.H. Maxson (1936-1937); G. E. Emmenegger (1938-1949); Juan Zevallos (1950-1959); Daniel Fischer (1960-1961); M. N. Soto (1962-1965); G. F. Almonte (1966-1978); Herzon Castillo (1979-1988); Aurelio Veja (1989-1991); Raúl Pérez (1992-1994); Herzon Castillo (1995-1996); Patricio Caviedes (1997-1998); Raúl Medina (1999-2000); Telmo Sandoval (2001-2008); Fernando Asturizaga (2009-2010); Daphne Cuellar (2011-2013); Ariel Quintanilla (2014-2019); Néstor Araneda (2019-Present).73

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Notes

  1. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Metropolitan Chile Conference,” accessed March 12, 2020, https://bit.ly/34v5xWk.↩

  2. Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile/BCN [Library of the National Congress of Chile / BCN], “Región Metropolitana de Santiago” [Santiago Metropolitan Region], accessed March 12, 2020, http://bit.ly/39MuaQ7; Chile Census 2017, Metropolitan Region, estimated population of the Metropolitan Region, Chile National Statistics Institute (INE), accessed March 12, 2020, https://bit.ly/39G5Jnm.↩

  3. Seventh-day Adventist Online Statistics, “Metropolitan Chile Conference (1999-Present): Annual Charts and Statistics,” accessed March 12, 2020, http://bit.ly/39NM7gX.↩

  4. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Metropolitan Chile Conference-Institutions and/or other entities,” accessed March 12, 2020, https://bit.ly/34v5xWk.↩

  5. IASDMetro [Metro SDA church], “La Educación Adventista Educa para la Eternidad - Fundación Educacional Francisco H. Westphal” [Adventist Education educates for eternity - Francisco H. Westphal Educational Foundation] (video on Adventist education in Chile Metropolitan Region, July 31, 2017), accessed April 6, 2020, https://bit.ly/2UOTbVQ.↩

  6. LinkedIn, “Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día en Santiago” [Seventh-day Adventist Church in Santiago], accessed March 17, 2020, https://bit.ly/3bZSSwQ; Ángela Arias and Danilo Vásquez, “Un nuevo centro de influencia atenderá a la comunidad en Chile” [A new center of influence will serve the community in Chile], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], March 20, 2018, accessed April 6, 2020, https://bit.ly/34dUcK5.↩

  7. Ángela Arias, “TV Nuevo Tiempo llegará a más ciudades en Chile” [Hope Channel will reach more cities in Chile], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], May 23, 2017, accessed April 6, 2020, https://bit.ly/2V68lEX.↩

  8. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Chile New Time Radio and TV Center,” accessed April 6, 2020, https://bit.ly/3bUDZvR.↩

  9. “South American Division,” 2019 Annual Statistical Report (Silver Spring, MD.: Seventh-day Adventists Church, 2019), 41-43.↩

  10. G. H. Baber, “Chile,” ARH 74, no. 8 (February 23, 1897): 124, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2Vb5Y3I; Staff RA, “Una Semilla de Esperanza” [A Seed of Hope], Revista Adventista, February 1, 2016, accessed April 6, 2020, https://bit.ly/3e9U6rw.↩

  11. Baber, “Chile,” 124, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2Vb5Y3I; ASN team and Carolyn Azo, “Enfermedades tropicales cobraron vida de pioneros en Ecuador” [Tropical diseases took life of pioneers in Ecuador], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], August 11, 2016, accessed April 6, 2020, https://bit.ly/2ULwpOk.↩

  12. Francisco H. Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo: liderando la misión em Sudamérica [Until the end of the world: leading the mission in South America], Libertador San Martín: River Plate Adventist University, 2018, digital book, EPUB.↩

  13. Ibid.↩

  14. Sergio E. Becerra, “Thomas H. Davis,” in Foundational missionaries of South American Adventism, Daniel O. Plenc, Silvia C. Scholtus, Eugenio Di Dionisio and Sergio Becerra (Libertador San Martín, Entre Ríos: River Plate Adventist University Editorial, Entre Ríos, 2020), digital book, EPUB.↩

  15. Floyd Greenleaf, Terra de Esperança: o crescimento da Igreja Adventista na América do Sul [A Land of Hope: The Growth of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in South America], Tatuí, SP: Brazil Publishing House, 2011, 41.↩

  16. G. H. Baber, “Chile,” ARH, January 28, 1896. 59 (11), accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2VjrwLL; Sergio E. Becerra, “Thomas H. Davis,” in Foundational missionaries of South American Adventism, digital book, EPUB.↩

  17. Baber, “Chile,” ARH, February 23, 1897, 124, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2Vb5Y3I.↩

  18. G. H. Baber, “Chile,” ARH, September 17, 1901, 608 (10), accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/3cXBeeI.↩

  19. J. W. Westphal, “Our recent trip through Chile,” ARH, September 16, 1902, 13, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/3b852ni.↩

  20. F. H. Westphal, “The Chile-Bolivian Mission Field,” ARH, June 20, 1907, 17, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2RlcMdW.↩

  21. J. W. Westphal, “The Organization of the Chile Conference,” ARH, July 4, 1907, 15-16, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/3e8ozpJ; “Preface,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1908), 7.↩

  22. H. E. Rogers, “The Statistical Report for 1909 - Section 2 - Publishing Houses,” ARH, October 6, 1910, 26, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2Rr5Xrc.↩

  23. F. H. Westphal, “Chile, South America,” ARH 84, no. 33 (August 15, 1907): 15, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2y3XJhS.↩

  24. Oliver Montgomery, “Four years of growth in the South American Division,” ARH, June 5, 1922, 16, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2Rr8v8K.↩

  25. Chile Conference Minute, January 7, 1921, vote no. 886.↩

  26. R. R. Breitigam, “Report of the Chile Conference,” South American Bulletin 3, no. 5 (May 1927): 8, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/3b0JSrm.↩

  27. M.V. Tucker, “A Good Example,” South American Bulletin 3, no. 5 (May 1927): 3-4.↩

  28. Chile Conference Minute, July 10, 1928, vote no. 2129.↩

  29. Chile Conference Minute, July 10, 1928, vote no. 2128.↩

  30. Chile Conference Minute, February 9, 1930, vote no. 2468; Chile Conference Minute, February 9, 1930, vote no. 2469.↩

  31. W. E. Murray, “Work in the Cities,” ARH, July 22, 1937, 18, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/39XBUOe.↩

  32. Austral Union Conference Minute of the Board of Directors, February 7, 1937, vote no. 3732.↩

  33. Austral Union Conference Minute of the Board of Directors, July 12, 1940, vote no. 5334.↩

  34. W. A. Butler, “Visit to the South American Division,” ARH, October 20, 1938, 14, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2Vfh6wv.↩

  35. E. M. Davis, “Lay preachers’ institute in Santiago,” South American Bulletin 18, no. 12 (December 1942): 4, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/3cgyOqv.↩

  36. Santiago Schmidt, “General Conference and Overseas: Spot News-South America,” ARH, May 4, 1950, 19, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2TRR7M2.↩

  37. R. O. Scully, “The Dying Race,” South American Bulletin 30, no. 3 (May-June 1955): 3, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/3e8LUYn.↩

  38. “North Chile Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1951), 168.↩

  39. Gastón Clouzet, “Two blessed Camp meetings,” South American Bulletin 29, no. 3 (May-June 1954): 1, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2yHZmCg.↩

  40. Niels Wensell, “Central North Chile Conference,” South American Bulletin 29, no. 5 (September-October 1954): 1, 8, accessed April 9, 2020,↩

  41. Austral Union Conference Minute of the Board of Directors, April 14, 1960, vote no. 60-79.↩

  42. Austral Union Conference Minute of the Board of Directors, September 24, 1962, vote no. 62-470.↩

  43. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, April 8, 1967, vote no. 67-54.↩

  44. La Voz de la Esperanza is “one of the emblematic institutions of the SDA that, through the years, has been consolidating its evangelizing action throughout the world, contributing to improve the quality of life of all those who, through their radio, television programs, correspondence courses and Internet have, had the chance to meet us. Established in 1929 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United States, with the name of ‘Voice of Profecy’, it broadcast its first programs in Spanish, in November 1942, under the direction of Dr. Braulio Pérez Marcio, in order to meet the spiritual, social and family concerns, as well as those related to our health, always seeking, in the Word of God, the only valid answers that God, as our Creator and Sustainer, can offer us.” La voz de la Esperanza [The Voice of Prophecy], “Quiénes Somos” [Who we are], accessed on April 8, 2020, https://bit.ly/39SpSWB.↩

  45. Austral Union Conference Minute of the Plenary Meeting, June 23, 1960, vote no. 60-152; see also the vote in which a single radio station is defined for broadcasts in Santiago. Austral Union Conference Minute of the Board of Directors, July 14, 1968, vote no. 68-277. In 1969 another radio station was sought, but it was always a single station for the city.↩

  46. Austral Union Conference Minute of the Board of Directors, December 19, 1962, vote no. 62-600.↩

  47. It was endorsed by a vote at the 1966 General Conference Congress Session. “Proceedings of the General Conference,” ARH, June 19, 1966, [43] 27, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2Xrxs7V.↩

  48. Moisés S. Nigri, “Division News,” South American Bulletin 42, no. 1 and 2 (January-June 1966): 8, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2UdPN72.↩

  49. “Central Chile Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1967), 198.↩

  50. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, August 17, 1966, vote no. 66-212.↩

  51. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, November 10, 1966, vote no. 66-329.↩

  52. Austral Union Conference Minute of the Board of Directors, December 28, 1966, vote no. 66-431.↩

  53. Austral Union Conference Minute of the Board of Directors, March 12, 1970, vote no. 70-75.↩

  54. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, January 10, 1972, vote no. 72-17.↩

  55. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, June 17, 1971, vote no. 71-230.↩

  56. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, July 16, 1980, vote no. 80-164.↩

  57. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, June 28, 1988, vote no. 88-224, which registers the vote no. 88-303 of the SAD.↩

  58. “Central Chile Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1990), 266.↩

  59. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, July 1, 1997, vote no. 97-110, which registers the vote no. 97-109 of the SAD.↩

  60. “Metropolitan Chile Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Hagerstown, MD.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2003), 260.↩

  61. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, July 31, 2003, vote no. 2003-191. This vote is not related to the creation or opening of these establishments. Rather, it registers them in order to receive a proportional number of religion textbooks.↩

  62. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, April 1, 2004, background of the vote no. 2004-50.↩

  63. In 1999, the evangelizing program for 2000 was voted, in which the Radial “Interactive Course” was provided for the first time. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, December 19, 1999, vote no. 99-256. However, in 2009, it was recognized the need to evaluate the effectiveness of this format, due to the changes in the population habits. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, June 15 and 16, 2009, vote no. 2009-079.↩

  64. “Asociación Metropolitana” [Metropolitan Conference], II Congreso Asociación Metropolitana de Chile [II Congress of the Chile Metropolitan Conference], 2002-2005, 90; Anselmo Aguilera (AMCH secretary), Anteproyecto de reestructuración del territorio [Restructuring draft of the territory], June 2009, 26-28.↩

  65. Chile Union Mission Minute of the Board of Directors, June 15 and 16, 2011, vote no. 2011-171.↩

  66. Seventh-day Adventist Online Statistics, “Metropolitan Chile Conference-Yearly Statistics (1999-2018),” accessed April 8, 2020 https://bit.ly/2JN96gU.↩

  67. ASN team, “Adventistas en Chile inician ciclo de reavivamiento espiritual” [Adventists in Chile begin cycle of spiritual revival], Noticias-Adventistas [Adventist News], April 15, 2015, accessed March 18, 2020, http://bit.ly/3b3EK5t.↩

  68. “Se lanzó el Primer Proyecto Caleb a nivel nacional” [The first Caleb Project was launched nationwide], Tu espacio joven - Noticias ASD [Your youth space - SDA News], n.d, accessed March 17, 2020, http://bit.ly/3d6ezwL.↩

  69. ASN team and Alfredo Müller, “Proyecto Caleb beneficia a más de 1200 niños en Chile” [Caleb project benefits more than 1,200 children in Chile], Noticias-Adventistas [Adventist News], March 7, 2016, accessed on March 17, 2020, http://bit.ly/3aX7614; Emilly Silva, “Jóvenes ‘Caleb’ renuevan casa de niño con síndrome de Down” [‘Caleb’ youth renovate home of child with Down syndrome], Noticias-Adventistas [Adventists News], March 3, 2020, accessed April 9, 2020, https://bit.ly/2Rqwfd9.↩

  70. Kenny Rivas, “La Iglesia em Maipú tiene ‘nueva cara’ y propuesta para la comunidad” [The Church in Maipú has a ‘new face’ and a proposal for the community], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], April 10, 2017, accessed March 17, 2020, http://bit.ly/33r5JoX.↩

  71. Carmen Gloria Moraga, “Iglesia Adventista distribuye en Chile 900 mil ejemplares del libro Esperanza para la familia” [Adventist Church distributes in Chile 900 thousand copies of the book Hope for the family], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], May 30, 2019, accessed March 17, 2020, http://bit.ly/2wdWsnZ.↩

  72. Kenny Rivas, “Pr. Israel Jaramillo elegido como nuevo presidente de la AMCh” [Pr. Israel Jaramillo elected as the new president of the AMCh], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], December 23, 2019, accessed March 17, 2020, http://bit.ly/2WmrlkI; Kenny Rivas, “Nestor Araneda nombrado nuevo tesorero de la AMCh” [Nestor Araneda nominated as the new treasurer of the AMCh], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], June 27, 2019, accessed March 17, 2020, http://bit.ly/2w5rezy; Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “Metropolitan Chile Conference,” accessed March 12, 2020, https://bit.ly/34v5xWk; “Chile Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1908), 123; “Metropolitan Chile Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Nampa, ID.: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2018), 235. For more detail about all the presidents, secretaries, and treasurers in AMCh history, see the SDA Yearbooks from 1922 to 2019.↩

  73. More information about the AMCh can be found on their website at http://amch.adventistas.org or on their social media on Facebook: @IASDMetro, Instagram: @IASDMetro, Twitter: @IASDMetro, and YouTube: IASDMetro.↩

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Torrejón, Pablo Millanao. "Metropolitan Chile Conference." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. June 02, 2021. Accessed November 27, 2024. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=5GE1.

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Torrejón, Pablo Millanao. "Metropolitan Chile Conference." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. June 02, 2021. Date of access November 27, 2024, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=5GE1.

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Torrejón, Pablo Millanao (2021, June 02). Metropolitan Chile Conference. Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved November 27, 2024, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=5GE1.

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