SIM Uruguay

The Uruguay team is committed to reaching least-reached communities with the gospel through church planting, children’s ministry, and the training and development of leaders, all in strategic partnership with other ministries and organisations.

Christmas celebration worship service in Uruguay. Pic SIM photographer

Key Ministries

  • Catalyst (ESI Partnerships)
    Mutual discipleship among pastors and leaders across denominations using high-quality materials and deep Bible study. 
  • Training local ministry leaders
    Vocational seminary training in counselling, youth, worship, local church, and cross-cultural ministries. 
  • Youth outreach and discipleship
    Reaching high school and university students to raise a generation passionate for Christ. 
  • Church planting in least-reached areas
    Supporting local churches in areas with few evangelical believers through evangelism, small groups and worship ministry. 
  • Dare to Dream: Children’s outreach
    A holistic after-school programme for vulnerable children that nurtures educational, emotional and spiritual growth. 
Bible study in Uruguay. Pic SIM photographer
Bible study in Uruguay. Pic SIM photographer

Spiritual Landscape in Uruguay

Religious identity in Uruguay is complex: 38 per cent Catholic, 10 per cent non-Catholic Christian, nine per cent other religions, 17 per cent believe in God without religion and 21 per cent are atheist or agnostic.

While many identify as Catholic, most do not actively practise their faith. Protestant Christians make up less than 10 per cent of the population and are largely urban.

There is religious freedom, but also widespread secularism and rejection of religion, especially Christianity. Despite this, evangelical churches are growing in some areas and forming strong discipleship networks.

Communities Where Christ is Least Known

Rural communities with few or no evangelical churches, secular urban populations resistant to religion, and youth disconnected from any faith tradition. 

The areas where the gospel is least known are in the eastern part of the country. It remains a challenge to bring the gospel to those places. Also, further inland in the countryside, there are small communities that still do not have an evangelical presence.  

Uruguay is a country often recognised by the world for being at the forefront of inclusion and rights. However, one of the most segregated groups in this society is the deaf, who number around 30,000. Their first language is Uruguayan Sign Language, which is not only different from Spanish but also different from the sign language of other Spanish-speaking countries. Although most learn to read and write in Spanish, they usually do not fully understand it.  

Most hearing people do not know how to ‘speak’ sign language. Therefore, deaf people often find themselves isolated from the society in which they live.  In the interior of the country, conditions can be worse because deaf people are often  neglected or mistreated by families who lack the resources to know how to help. 

The Association of the Deaf of Uruguay has a special school for the deaf in the capital, Montevideo, and there is one church entirely made up of deaf people (around 40 attendees) which is, unfortunately, currently without a pastor. There is one other small deaf community that participates in a hearing Baptist church.

SIM Uruguay has identified the deaf population as a least-reached people group in its context. As part of a local Bible society project, a group of deaf people are translating the entire Bible into Uruguayan Sign Language.

Contact SIM Uruguay

Email: Connect@sim.org

Please pray

  • For participants of SIM’s missions training programme to grow in their desire to know Christ more and make Him known globally
  • For SIM Uruguay to reach and equip the next generation of Uruguayan disciple-makers
  • For increased and strengthened partnerships with mission organisations, local churches and other ministries to expand our reach to new areas and people groups
  • For new church planting efforts, including those reaching low-resource families

 

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