In addition to the work of its ordained pastors, the ministry of the Evangelical Waldensian Church in the Río de Plata includes the pastoral, diaconal, and education ministry of a significant number of laypeople. This reality reflects a church that thrives on a multiplicity of ministries, organized in accordance with the principle of the universal priesthood of believers and the conviction that every member of Christ’s church can engage in edifying work.
Each congregation in the Río de la Plata has its own unique history, and accordingly its mission has been shaped in relation to its context. In large cities, congregations have begun to address the concerns and interests of the many young people who come to those cities for study or work. As a result, the pastoral and urban ministry of these congregations has been partly shaped with the needs of young people in mind. In smaller towns and rural communities, Waldensian congregations play a key role in promoting local development and building networks of solidarity, focused on cultural promotion, cooperatives, education, sports development, and the preservation of historical heritage.
Furthermore, Waldensians in Uruguay and Argentina have developed an extensive network of diaconal initiatives aimed at addressing various vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, the elderly, children and adolescents in precarious situations, students, small rural producers, farmers, and marginalized populations in large cities. Moreover, the Waldensians’ focus on comprehensive education and leadership training has led them to organize camps and non-formal education as a new key ministry. Local communities and camp centers (including Parque 17 de Febrero) dedicate significant resources and time to organizing camps for children, adolescents, and adults, where the Gospel is conveyed experientially as well as verbally.
In recent decades, many other initiatives have been undertaken by the Evangelical Waldensian Church in the Río de Plata as part of an ecumenical network. The Waldensians have founded and supported such ministries as the Ecumenical Work of the Borro Neighborhood in Montevideo, Uruguay, an institution that supports children, adolescents, and women in overcoming situations of stigmatization and vulnerability. Another example of an ecumenically shared ministry is the Emmanuel Center in Colonia Valdense, Uruguay, which operates as an agroecological farm, which assists small rural producers, and promotes reflection on ecotheology.
Waldensians in the Río de la Plata assert that their ecumenical vocation is an essential and non-negotiable element of their identity. They see their task as proclaiming a Gospel that attends both to the suffering of their society’s most vulnerable groups, who they refer to as the “silenced minorities,” and to a Creation that cries out from its ruined exploitation.