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Of Christ and Caesar |
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FORMER businessman turned evangelist, Carlos Annacondia has been the key figure in the Argentine revival - the longest revival in Church history - for the last 17 years. Argentinians at that time were gripped by the ritualistic and sacramental religion of the State’s traditional Church which had been infused with idolatry and the occult. But during Annacondia’s massive evangelistic campaigns, sinners typically run to the altar. Up to two million are believed to have made first-time decisions for Christ at his meetings. The on-going Argentinian revival is acknowledged to be the ‘headwaters of revival’ that have spilled over to other pockets of the world (like Toronto and Pensacola): revivals that have eventually sizzled out. Others have followed in Annacondia’s wake since he first exploded on to Argentina’s national scene in 1982, but Annacondia stands out because of the continuing impact of his ministry throughout the years of revival. Although he never had the opportunity to attend a seminary or Bible college, or study homiletics or preaching, Annacondia has brought multitudes to Christ, mainly in Argentina, but also in countries such as the United States, Spain, Germany, Russia, Peru, El Salvador, Finland, Puerto Rico, Bolivia, Uruguay and Japan. “The new converts, pouring into local churches in record numbers, immediately affected the spiritual climate of those churches. Through their dramatic testimonies they became living proof of the power of God over the power of the devil. The nation was already demonized to a degree. God used Annacondia to prepare the Church to deal with it,” said Ed Silvoso, a present-day giant of evangelism also hailing from Argentina who heads Harvest Evangelism, commenting on Annacondia’s ministry. The dramatic deliverances from demonic oppression were accompanied by signs and wonders (like missing or surgically removed organs being re-created in answer to prayer. Angelic apparitions became almost common in the context of frontline evangelism. Child intercessors were sovereignly raised up by God in congregations all over Argentina. Added Silvoso of Annacondia: “The revival began in an evangelistic campaign in the context of intense spiritual warfare, and the key player (Annacondia) a relatively new believer who had more in common with the multitude of sinners around him than with the Church he had just joined.” Buenos Aires-born and a father of nine, Annacondia, who has been described as “a simple, straightforward man, a man without much human schooling, but filled with the Holy Spirit,” has a style that is more narrative and testimonial than argumentative or didactic. His messages are brief and based on stories from the Gospel. Annacondia is also known for his ‘tent ministry’ as his evangelistic entourage, Message of Salvation bring with them tents in which his ministry teams conduct healings and deliverances. Annacondia was preceded by Omar Cabrera, who heads the fastest-growing Christian movement in Argentina, his Vision of the Future. Cabrera pioneered many of the practices that Annacondia had been popularizing: namely power ministries, strategic-level spiritual warfare, intercession and contextualized evangelism, thus paving the way for Annacondia to ignite the revival with these (then) controversial ministries. Some say there is no revival in Argentina because the Church has not significantly altered corrupt social structures, nor has it cured the evils that the country is enduring, nor influenced those in high governmental positions, those in the corporate world, the mass media and community leaders, even if there have been radical changes in the lives of individuals who have come to Christ. However others have noted the spiritual awakening, numerical church growth, organizational maturity, emergence of qualified leadership, unity among pastors, greater evangelistic commitment and a development in discipleship and ministerial formation, as spill-offs of the Argentine phenomenon, whether the terminology used is ‘revival’ or ‘consolidation’. Extracted and edited from The Rising Revival by Peter Wagner and Pablo Deiros (Editors) Carlos Annacondia will be in Kuala Lumpur conducting the Emmanuel Celebration this December 11-13th at the Bukit Jalil Stadium. To date some 1,600 churches from various denominations are participating in organising the event, which is being spearheaded by NECF. Please uphold this event in prayer and bring non-believing friends and relatives to be blessed by God’s annointed servant. |
