Three for the World: The Most Secular City in Latin America
Three for the World posts are quick updates you can read in a few minutes to learn more about what God is doing around the world. The following post comes from a prayer update from Oscar Garcia from Uruguay, the most secular city in Latin America.
Dear Friends,
We live in Uruguay, one of the most secular countries in Latin America, where my family and I are helping train a new generation of church leaders. My name is Oscar García. I’m married to Charlotte (we recently celebrated our 20th anniversary!) and we have two wonderful daughters, Sofía (18) and Sara (11). We’re originally from Puerto Rico, but we live in Montevideo, serving in theological education.
I studied chemistry at the University of Puerto Rico, then served as a youth worker while completing my MDiv. During those years, God stirred our hearts for missions, leading us on short-term trips to countries like Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Nicaragua. After seminary, the combination of teaching and missions opened the door for us to serve with the Christian & Missionary Alliance in Uruguay.
Today, I serve at SeTAU (Alliance Theological Seminary in Uruguay), where about 40 students from across the country are preparing for ministry. The students represent most of the 12 CMA churches in Uruguay, with a few from other denominations. The need is urgent: a new generation of church leaders must be properly formed to respond to the challenges of life and ministry in one of the most secular societies in Latin America.
As scholar Gina Zurlo points out, “Uruguay has historically been the least religious country in Latin America.” Around 1900, about 63% of the population identified as Christian, and 37% as nonreligious. Over a century later, these numbers have barely changed. Of those Christians, only about 5% are Protestant.
After nearly a decade of teaching, working alongside local leaders, and serving as academic coordinator at SeTAU, I am beginning my doctoral studies in theological education. My hope is to strengthen seminaries across Latin America by developing curricula that reflect the realities and contributions of the Global South, rather than simply replicating inherited models from the North.
Would you pray with and for us?
- For me, as I balance family, ministry, teaching, and doctoral studies.
- For our family, especially as our daughter Sofía graduates high school and prepares for college.
- For our students, as they remain faithful to God’s call in a challenging context.
- For Puerto Rico, as hurricane season intensifies and it is difficult to watch from afar.
In Christ,
Oscar
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