The Evangelical University of the Southern Cone, the first Pentecostal university in Argentina, was recently inaugurated in the city of Buenos Aires.

The event took place in the Auditorium Cathedral of Faith, and was attended by representatives from different sectors of the political spectrum, making the event widely covered by almost all the Argentinean media, a sign of the growing importance of the evangelical presence in the country's social life.

The ceremony was led by pastor Osvaldo Carnival, founder of the university and of the Cathedral of Faith church.

"We are writing a new page in the history of education in Argentina", pastor Carnival said. "A university that not only trains professionals, but shapes leaders with principles and vision".

Political and education authorities

Over 3,000 people attended the inauguration, including politicians, academics and prominent members of civil society.

Among the political and education authorities were the chief of government of Buenos Aires, Jorge Macri; the minister of human development of Buenos Aires, Gabriel Mraida; the secretary of worship of the nation, Nahuel Sotelo; the secretary general and international relations of Buenos Aires, Fulvio Pompeo, as well as senators, former ministers, rectors of other universities and legislators.

First Pentecostal university

There were already other non-Catholic denominational universities in the country, such as the Universidad del Centro Educativo Latinoamericano (Latin American Educational Centre University), in the city of Rosario, which belongs to the Methodists; or the Adventist University of Plata, in the municipality of Libertador San Martín, in the region of Entre Ríos.

This evangelical University of Argentina will be the first institution of the Pentecostals in Argentina, who represent a majority of evangelicals Christians in the country.

Evangelical growth

According to data from the National Survey on Religious Beliefs and Attitudes in Argentina, conducted in 2019 by the Conicet's Society, Culture and Religion programme, 15.3% of Argentinians identify as evangelicals.

The study found a strong growth in the evangelical faith between 2008 and 2019. The percentage of Argentinians who profess this faith grew by 6% in 11 years.