A Legacy of Faith, Service, and Mission: Celebrating 100 Years of the Alliance in Peru

From three missionaries arriving in 1925 to 420 congregations and 136,000 believers today, the C&MA in Peru is celebrating a centennial of gospel seed and fruitful mission. Now our brothers are making disciples of all nations, sending 121 missionaries, renewed by the hope of the Fourfold Gospel.

In May 1925, three missionaries arrived in Peru with a clear purpose. Raymond Clark, Clyde Taylor, and Benjamin Barton stepped onto Peruvian soil convinced that the gospel could take root in places where the church had not yet been established. Their first efforts unfolded among communities that would become the starting point of a movement that continues today.

Less than a year later, on June 6, 1926, the first Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) church was formally established in Huánuco. From that congregation, the Alliance in Peru began a steady expansion shaped by church planting, pastoral formation, and mission engagement across the country.

One hundred years later, the C&MA of Peru is gathering with gratitude for what has been built over time. The centennial was observed throughout 2025 with three main celebrations, each connected to a defining moment in the church’s history.

The first celebration took place in May in Cahuapanas, a community in the Peruvian Amazon where early missionary work began. For many participants, returning to this region served as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who labored in difficult conditions to establish the church.

In June, leaders and congregations gathered in Huánuco, the city where the first Alliance church was founded. There, pastors and members remembered how local congregations grew and multiplied, becoming centers of worship, discipleship, and service.

The centennial concluded on November 1 in Lima, at the Pueblo Libre Church, one of the most recognized Alliance congregations in the country. Representatives from across Peru joined international guests from Latin America, the United States, and Canada, reflecting the global fellowship that has accompanied the Peruvian church throughout its history.

Today, the Alliance in Peru includes 420 congregations nationwide with over 136,000 members and has sent 121 missionaries to serve beyond its borders. National initiatives continue to shape the church’s witness, including a three-year pastoral training process for youth leaders, a national Alliance biblical and theological seminary serving ten regions, and a voluntary blood donation program that has provided more than 14,000 units of blood since 2018, benefiting more than 42,000 patients.

During the celebrations, pastors with more than 35 years of ministry received recognition for their service. Messages from regional and global leaders were also shared, including greetings from Alliance leaders in Argentina and from Rev. Donald Scarrow, who served as a missionary in Peru for more than four decades.

Reflecting on the centennial, Rev. Ángel Barrientos, president of the Alliance of Peru, said, “Our church commemorates one hundred years since our founding in Peru, and we challenge ourselves to reaffirm our Alliance identity, remembering that the message of the Fourfold Gospel continues to be a source of hope and transformation, lived out in daily life and shaping society.”

During earlier celebrations, voices from within the Peruvian church recalled the cost of this legacy. Rev. Wilson Chávez said, “We are those who have seen the land prepared through suffering. Here, where the Alliance was born, a high price was paid. We harvest what others planted.”

As the centennial year closes, leaders emphasize that remembrance is not an ending point. The church has outlined its focus for the years ahead: evangelization and discipleship, the formation of new pastors and leaders, and ministry among children and families. From its beginnings in 1925 to its present-day mission, the C&MA of Peru continues to serve with the same conviction that shaped its first steps.