“…we who have fled for refuge…have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul…” (Hebrews 6:18–19 ESV)
Around the world, pastors are shepherding their churches through seasons of instability and fear. WordPartners works to equip these pastors to handle God’s Word with clarity and courage so their churches are prepared to proclaim the gospel with hope and confidence. One clear example of why this training matters is unfolding right now in Venezuela.
In the weeks following U.S. military action in Venezuela, the situation became volatile. Patricio Paredes, our Latin America regional director, explained, “There has been a lot of difficulty with communications. Sometimes the government shuts down the internet and so people are unable to communicate. We think that is what was happening.” These disruptions made it challenging for Juan T., WordPartners’ International Trainer for Latin America, to connect with pastors and ministry partners inside Venezuela.
Tunnel Paradise in Caracas, Venezuela
The limited information Patricio and Juan have been able to gather has revealed the gathering strength of the storm. As Patricio reported:
“What we know is basically that there is a group of people that are not necessarily officially part of the army in Venezuela, but are armed and they are confronting people and telling them not to go in favor of the U.S. and what has happened. Otherwise, they’re going to be killed or they’re going to suffer the consequences. And so people are afraid.”
Alongside this instability, many families continue to face ongoing food and water shortages.
More and more pastors and leaders are being trained in the centrality of the Word of God and in the application of hermeneutical principles, in such a way that it has resulted in the strengthening and health of our churches.
Market in Maracaibo, Venezuela
The pastoral challenges created by these conditions are overwhelming. Many pastors are bearing the daily strain of survival while seeking to offer spiritual direction and hope to others. They are trying to care and provide for their own families amid uncertainty and scarcity. Meanwhile, they are also navigating the rough waters of pastoral care for church members buffeted by waves of fear and unanswered questions.
Yet the Word of God provides a ballast of stability and a sure and steady anchor for every pastor and every church caught in this storm. Our training partners and the Venezuelan pastors they have trained are held fast by God’s Word. They have experienced his power at work through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
A little over a year ago, Venezuelan pastor José Infantes described the fruit of WordPartners’ training in this way:
“More and more pastors and leaders are being trained in the centrality of the Word of God and in the application of hermeneutical principles, in such a way that it has resulted in the strengthening and health of our churches in Adiel, as well as in the establishment of new congregations with solid leadership.”
God knew that his church in Venezuela would need the strength of his Word. By his grace, he has been strengthening pastors and their churches long before this moment of crisis. Even now, the Lord is sustaining them and causing his church to endure and grow.
Please pray for Venezuelan pastors. Pray that the Word they have studied and preached would become a shelter and a light in this storm. Pray for their churches, that God would nourish and comfort them with the food of his Word. Please also ask the Lord to provide for their physical needs. Pray for the people of Venezuela. When people face billowing winds of uncertainty and waves of fear, they often begin to seek hope and refuge. Pray that God would draw many to trust the gospel and find shelter in Christ Jesus.
WordPartners equips pastors in under-resourced, restricted-access, and persecuted contexts so they can weather storms exactly like this. Your support helps train pastors across Latin America and beyond to rely on the Word of God when uncertainty presses hardest. We urge you to give generously to this work so pastors can continue to anchor their churches in God’s Word when the cost of faithfulness is high.
