Fidel Convercio studied for 18 years to become a Lutheran pastor in Peru. Yes, you could say he was a persistent student! Why such a lengthy period of study? He lived with his family in the high Andes Mountain village of Pacllon and traveled from there to the seminary in Lima only as he could afford to leave his employment and commit time to his education. In 1992 Fidel and two other men became the first Lutheran pastors trained by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Peru. In the World Mission Souvenir photo above, Fidel and his wife Dora are seen near the mountain village where he continued to serve until his death last month.
What prompts such commitment to pastoral ministry? Of course it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Fidel remarked once that before he became a Christian he lived in fear – fear of the vagaries of life, fear of uncertainty after death. Learning to know Jesus, he wanted to share the comfort and confidence of his faith with others.
Our pastors do the same today, following St. Paul’s words: . . . God . . . reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world unto himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them (2 Corinthians 5).
Since October is observed as Pastor Appreciation Month among many Christians, this is an appropriate time to recognize and thank those who serve us: preaching, teaching, counseling, comforting – from our pulpits, at our altars, in our homes.
(The ELS relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Peru is conducted by the South America Committee of the Board for World Outreach.)
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Steve Petersen – www.worldmissionsouvenirs.com