Ipswich links to Chile
Retired Ipswich minister, Revd John Battman, who was a trustee of the South American Missionary Society (SAMS) until its recent amalgamation with CMS, visited Santiago in Chile in 2008 and met leading minister Alfredo Cooper.
John said “Alfredo is quite a character. He has his own TV programme and has taken a leading role in getting the various churches in the capital together to share in the global Day of Prayer”
The picture shows Alf (centre) with President Sebastian Pinera (right) and Catholic chaplain Luis Ramirez.
The news that he was to be chaplain came while Alf was doing his exercises. "I was in the gym doing my sit-ups when I received a phone call. I answered 'Hello' and I was told, 'Rev Cooper, I pass you to the President.' Sure enough I received the official summons."
Alf has been pastor of La Trinidad church in Santiago since 1984 and was a SAMS mission partner in Chile since 1975.
The growing church also acts as a bible college, and so church members are trained in the Word and they also believe in tithing the congregation.
When the church grows to a certain size, a tenth of the members move out to plant another one, and this has already happened in the neighbourhoods of La Reina, Cantagallo and Vitacura
Network Ipswich readers may recall correspondence published in March between Bishop Clive and Bishop Hector Zavala of Chile concerning the aftermath of the earthquake in that country.
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