Partnership with Churches in Argentina-Paraguay-Uruguay
- The 7 districts of the IERP: 1 Entre Rios, 2 Metropolitano, 3 Misiones, 4 Oeste, 5 Sur, 6 Paraguay, 7 Uruguay
Since 1965 the Evangelical Church of Westphalia (EKvW) has maintained a partnership with the Evangelical Church on the Rio de la Plata, The Iglesia Evangelica del Rio de la Plata (IERP) – as it is called in Spanish. This Church has emerged from the presence of German immigrants in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay from 1869. Nowadays the IERP includes about 40 congregations with approximately 40,000 members in the three South American countries on the Rio de la Plata.
A main point of settlement is Misiones which is located in the the northern region of Argentina between the two border rivers Rio Parana and Rio de la Plata. Since 1990 the Church District of Halle in Westphalia has maintained a partnership with the Church District of Misiones.
La Plata Forum and the Evangelical Church of Westphalia (EKvW)
Church Official of the EKvW, Gerhard Duncker, is responsible for the Regional Church’s partnership with the IERP. Once a year, guests from the La Plata region are welcomed in Westphalia. They share their experiences and shape the partnerships in dialogue with their Westphalian partners within the framework of multi-day seminars of the La Plata Forum (every 2 years).
Volunteer Services in the IERP
For some years there has been opportunity for young adults to perform a stage in a so-called volunteer year in different diaconal and social institutions of the IERP. In these institutions young adolescents learn about the reality of life in South America and everyday congregational life as well as political reality and social problems which enables them to combat social injustice and discrimination. Please contact Wilfried Arning wilfried.arning@lka.ekvw.de from the Regional Church Office of the EKvW and Reverend Heike Koch heike.koch@moewe-westfalen.de for further details on host projects.
Church District Partnership
Since 1990 the Church District of Halle has maintained a partnership with the IERP Church District of Misiones. Further information about the Iglesia Evangelica del Rio de la Plata on www.iglesiaevangelica.org