Getting Started in El Salvador

Kyle McQuillen
Director of Missions
May 1999

Guillermo Martinez was born in El Salvador, but was adopted by a Honduran couple. He grew up in Honduras, and became a prominent United Brethren minister. However, during the 1969 "Soccer War" between Honduras and El Salvador, Martinez was forced to immigrate to Nicaragua. He has served as a UB minister in Nicaragua ever since.

Now, Nicaragua has launched a work in El Salvador. Initially, two preaching points under the leadership of Walter Recinos (right, with his wife), an evangelist from El Salvador, affiliated with us in the spring of 1999. Now we have three churches, plus several preaching points. Recinos pastors a church in San Salvador, the nation's capital. Two other churches lie within an hour of San Salvador. Those churches, independent congregations headed by laypersons, expressed interest in joining some group and had contacts with Pastor Recinos. Now all three churches are a solid part of our ministry, and several other churches are forming.

This is a cooperative outreach of Honduras and Nicaragua, though Nicaragua is spearheading the work and provides the primary oversight.

For 1999, the Missions Commission budgeted $6000 for El Salvador. That was to be raised by the Women’s Missionary Fellowship over a two-year period. However, the WMF succeeded in raising far more than that amount—over $27,000—in a mere six months. It won’t be spent at the present time, but is designated for the ministry there.

A meeting of pastors and laypersons from our churches in El Salvador.

Facts About El Salvador

Language: Spanish
Population: 5.7 million
The only Central American country without a Caribbean coast.
Smallest Central American country, geographically, but most densely populated.