1. Uruguayan society has been characterized by secularism and hope in man for over 100 years. During the 1970s disillusionment set in, and by the '90s the manifest failure of secularism created a search for the transcendent. While Roman Catholicism may lay claim to 50% of the population, only 40,000 (1.2%) attend Mass. The majority of those affiliated with the Catholic Church are, in practice, non-religious.

2. Lack of knowledge of God has given opening to a spirit of error. Brazilian spiritists, once banned, could possibly number a million, many of them members of the Catholic Church. The largest non-Catholic religious bodies are sects such as the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and the New Apostolic Church. New Age thinking has filled the vacuum among the agnostic middle-class and intelligentsia. The Unification Church (Moonies) are also influencing the country through capital investment. Pray for these deceptions to be exposed and the demonic powers behind them defeated.

3. Evangelical churches have struggled throughout the past century to make an impact on Uruguayan society, and large-scale efforts garnered only meagre fruit in converts. However, since 1986 the growth of some Pentecostal groups and Baptists has accelerated. Pray for this awakening to continue and that all evangelical churches may find ways to take advantage of this new spiritual interest.

4. Unity has been one of the fruits of this recent awakening. While prayer for further unity and fellowship is still needed, churches are working together on an unprecedented scale. Through the ministry of DAWN, Evangelical Alliance members launched Cooperacion 2000 – a goal of 2000 new congregations by the year 2005. Many feel as if Uruguay is on the cusp of revival. Pray as well for the 20 or so seminaries or Bible schools. A large increase in congregations will create a demand for godly, well-trained pastors. Some schools have been negatively impacted in the past by liberal theology.

5. Missions vision has been limited but is experiencing a flowering of interest. At least two Uruguayan mission agencies have been formed (Avance and Desafio Mundial). There are active international bodies such as OM,YWAM, the Baptists and AoG. The Uruguayan COMIBAM sponsored a Congress on Missions in 2000, which has increased an awareness in churches of the needs of unreached peoples.

6. The discouraging days of meagre fruit in pioneer evangelism are over, but expatriate workers called to serve alongside the Uruguayan church are much needed. Larger missions: IMB-SBC (39 workers), AoG (34), BMW (12), Churches of Christ (12), and the Christian Brethren (10). Church planters from Latin American countries are also having success.

7. The less-reached:
    a) The Jews are concentrated in Montevideo. JAMI has a small witness among them. There is an openness to the gospel.
    b) The Chinese and Japanese communities. There is no church among them.
    c) The Palestinians living in several border towns. Desafio Mundial is focusing on them.
    d) The upper middle class living along Montevideo's coast are probably the largest unevangelized group in the country. Baptist and Pentecostal missionaries are working among them.
    e) The poor are a growing segment of society with 40% of children now being born into poverty as the middle class shrinks. SAMS runs a shelter for the homeless in Montevideo. Pray that churches would mobilise to reach this needy group.

8. Christian support ministries:
    a) Literature. A vital Christian ministry in this highly literate land. CLC has a ministry through its bookstore and a country-wide bookmobile ministry. IMB-SBC and the Bible Society have an extensive literature and Bible distribution ministry. Pray that the written Word may make a lasting impact.
    b) Radio and TV. Uruguay is one of the few Latin American countries with a very low evangelical presence on radio (only Cuba is worse). TWR broadcasts from Montevideo to Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. Despite rising costs, there is significant Christian presence in television, with programmes available terrestrially and on cable.