October 11, 2004

LIMA, Peru - Intense Evangelical activity last week took place in the Peruvian capital and the major media (dailies and television) who are generally reluctant to publish activities that are not linked to the Catholic Church, dedicated broad coverage to these events.

Considerable coverage was dedicated to the Lima 2004 Festival, with well known Argentine Preacher Luis Palau and popular singers Jose Luis Rodrmguez or El Puma and Mexican Yuri.

While the daily La Republic said it was the largest religious gathering to be held in Lima with the exception of John Paul II's visit, El Comercio said it was "one of the largest Evangelical concentrations in memory."

The figures about the number of people attending the festival on October 8 vary from 80,000 estimated by La Republica to 100,000 in El Comercio and 200,000 according to the organizers. However, the huge Campo de Marte, in downtown Lima, was full for the six hour presentation both on October 8 and October 9.

Not only the did that event catch the media's eye. Previously the media published stories about the meetings Palau held with President Alejandro Toledo, his meeting with Congress leader Antero Flores Araoz and the mayor of Lima, Luis Castaqeda Lossio, who declared him a distinguished visitor to the city.

On October 5 he met with scores of legislators and Church leaders and offered a conference about Values and Politics. Later, Congress declared the Festival of Lima of national interest and emphasizes his contribute to values and the construction of a country marked by solidarity.

However, Palau's presentation was not the only Evangelical event to attract the attention of the media. Over the week, the television and press commented on a visit to different jails in Lima on the part of Champions for Life, a group made up of former stars that turned to crime, served time and now are dedicated to preaching the Gospel.

US citizen Jack Murphy who spent 23 years in jail for a robbery in 1964 in the Natural History Museum in New Cork, Colombian John Millan, former head of Pablo Escobar's hit men and North Americans Kidh Davis, Tanya Crever, John Kreger and other famous names offered testimony about their conversion to Christianity and gave Bibles to thousands of Peruvian inmates.

Less well attended, but equally important in academia circles were conferences that a group of Christian scientists offer to defend creationism as opposed to the theory of evolution from October 6-17.

Robert Relye, Australian and professor from the State University of New York and US Duane Gish, of the University of Berkeley California spoke about the "Geological Evidence of the flood" and the "Human Genome, cloning and genetic engineering," respectively at the Universities of San Marcos, the Agrarian University, Ricardo Palma, San Martin de Porras as well as in Evangelical Churches and institutions.

ALC News Service