Argentinian president Alberto Fernández recently received the executive committee of the Christian alliance of evangelical churches of Argentina (ACIERA) at the Casa Rosada (Pink House).

The main official reason for the meeting was to wish the president a merry Christmas and a happy new year, but they also discussed the social situation of the country and presented the demands that ACIERA believes are still unresolved.

The delegation was headed by the president of the Alliance, Christian Hooft, along with members of the executive committee of the institution: Rafael Pedace (vice-president), Alejandro Espínola (secretary) and the directors Osvaldo Carníval, Ligia Würfel and Jorge Gómez (executive director).

Evangelical requests

It was a “positive, friendly” meeting of “sharing” between the president and the evangelical representatives, according to religious affairs office sources.

In the meeting, which lasted around 90 minutes, the authorities recognised the social work carried out by the evangelical churches throughout the country.

They also discussed the historical claim to legal entity status for the churches, which do not yet have their own legal identity as religious entities.

Furthermore, they addressed the necessary regulations for the spiritual care of the thousands of evangelicals, and of other religions, serving in the country's military and security forces.

Forgiveness and prayer

Finally, the president of ACIERA, on behalf of the entire national board, gave Fernández two gifts that represent the message of forgiveness, reconciliation and dialogue.

One was a painting by the painter Alejandro Pelaez called Forgiveness, based on the story in the Gospels when Jesus shows mercy to the woman who was about to be stoned.

The other was the book Without forgiveness there is no future, which tells the testimony of the Nobel Peace Prize winner and evangelical pastor Desmond Tutu, a key figure in South Africa's reconciliation.

At the end of the meeting, pastor Rafael Pedace prayed for the life and work of the president, his team and the country.