Annual Conference
- Organized Free Methodist Churches: 16
- FMC Membership: 1,471
- Ordained Ministers: 15
- Ministerial Candidates: 3
Origins
Free Methodist work in Paraguay began in Asunción in 1946 when Harold and Evalyn Ryckman arranged the purchase of a girls’ orphanage and school from independent missionaries. The first church was constructed in 1949. A Bible school opened in 1953. With the help of Minoru Tsukamoto, a Japanese from Brazil, work began with the large groups of Japanese immigrants in the late 1950s. Asuncion Christian Academy, a school for missionary children, was started in 1958, later expanding into a cooperative school. Present Ministries
Free Methodist work, along with that of other groups in Paraguay, grew slowly for many years. Many of the Japanese moved on to other countries. In 1983 an upturn began. A five-year plan for church expansion was implemented in January 1987. A new pastoral training program with emphasis on small groups was begun in 2000. The Free Methodist churches of Paraguay are clustered around the capital, Asuncion, and the southern city of Encarnacion. Opportunities to support Paraguay ministries Learn more about Paraguay
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