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By Jake Wiebe
Baptist International Missions was founded
in 1960 with the purpose of sending Gospel
preachers throughout the world. This is where
our story of the mission work in Bolivia
begins. Within a few years, missionaries were
preparing to go out into the different nations of
the world. Bolivia was one of those countries.

Bill and Myrna Stewart, along
with their children, arrived in
Bolivia in 1965. They moved to
Cochabamba and began a work.

They were only able to stay in
Bolivia for four years but others
were also coming to continue the
ministry in Bolivia.

With the continuing ministry of the Everett
family, new churches were started and fully
established. One was the church in San Juan
and the Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church of
Santa Rosa. These works faced opposition from
town authorities and the State church. This was
seen in a few riots and even death threats. God
was in the work and protected His
servants. After a few years of work
and service in the community,
the hearts of the people changed
toward the ministry, giving them
peace to continue. While the
Everetts were working there, Bill
Pace and his family arrived and
began working in Sacaba, near
In 1969 the Everett family arrived.

Cochabamba. With the number
Thomas (L.T.) and Geraldine,
of missionary families continuing
L.T. &
Geraldine with their children Gregory and
Everett to grow and churches being
Melanie, worked for a time in
formed, it was time to organize
Cochabamba in the church that had been
legally in
the country. This allows the mission
started by the Stewart family. Two years later
to purchase
land for ministries such as mission
in 1971, they felt the direction of the Lord
churches and
camps and begin the process of
towards the remote Andean mountain village
local church
autonomy. The incorporation of
called San Juan del Potrero. San Juan is in
BIMI Bolivia
was obtained
May 4, 1978.

the department of Santa Cruz. Brother L.T.

always said that he “wanted to go to a place
where the Gospel had never been preached.”
The Everetts were not deterred from their
calling even with fierce opposition and threats
to their safety from the mountain people, the
local government, and the religious leaders.

14 BIMI
Number 1, 2023
As the ministry grew and churches were
established, national workers and pastors were
trained and joined in the work. It truly became
a national mission work. After the Star of
Bethlehem Baptist Church of Santa Rosa was
well established, a sister church was started in



Santa Cruz. It was also called the Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church.

This work was started in 1979 by L.T. Everett in a carpenter’s
shop. How very appropriate that seems. In 1981 Pastor Daniel
Justiniano, a Bolivian, was called as the pastor of the church
and remained there until 1997.

Under the pastorate of Brother Daniel, the church
purchased property, built buildings, and grew to an average
of 400 members. The church began mission works that
later became the New Life Baptist Church, Sinai Baptist
Church, Philadelphia Baptist Church, and Living Hope
Baptist Church in Santa Cruz, along with Word of life Baptist
Church in Saipan. Other churches have been established in
Cochabamba and Tarija since Pastor Daniel resigned the work.

The church is hoping, praying, and working towards the goal of
sending a missionary to Africa to minister among Muslims.

Over the years many pastors and workers have been trained for the
ministry at the Hebron Theological Seminary. This is a ministry of
another mission in Bolivia that is providing workers for the harvest.

Bolivian missionary Caesar Moron soon established the Rivers of
Living Water Baptist Church in a different part of Santa Cruz in
1976. All of the pastors have been Bolivians doing a great work for
their country.

A new missionary, Dr. Timothy Sisk, came to Bolivia in 1997 with
the express purpose of starting a seminary to train more national
pastors and missionaries. Later Jake and Sharon Wiebe joined
his family in helping to establish the
Seminario Bautista Internacional de
Bolivia. Since its establishment, there
have been more that 70 graduates for
the work in Bolivia.

Jake & Sharon Wiebe
Other ministries are orphanages called
Hogar Nacer Children’s Home and
Christ Is Coming Children’s Home.

They minister to children at risk who were abused or abandoned and
living on the street. A fully developed youth camp is outside of Santa
Cruz and a new camp is planned outside of the city of Sucre.

Over these many years, God has blessed the ministry in Bolivia, even in the midst of persecution
and heartache. National pastors leading the work, youth camps, a seminary and over 50 churches
are all reasons to celebrate. Only the Father knows the total number of souls who will be before the
throne worshipping Him in the final day. W
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