World Cup Churches 9. Argentina

Continuing a series of blogs heading round the 32 qualifying countries in the 2022 World Cup - I will pick out one church in each one.  I am not going to choose only churches that are to my liking.  This is a exploration not a recommendation! To see all in the series select the label 'World Cup Churches' below.

Moving into Group C we come to Argentina, known for its Catholicism and where Jorge Bergoglio was born. Jorge was not previously on our radar perhaps but we now know him as Pope Francis.  Notwithstanding its Catholic culture, Argentina has had great growth in non-Catholic churches, perhaps symbolised in the evangelist Luis Palau, also born in Argentina.

Forgive me returning to a theme from my blogs of the 2018 World Cup as I single out  from Argentina Bethel Chapel, Gaiman in the Chubut Valley.

Built in 1913, though opened in 1914, this is one of several Welsh-speaking chapels in the Chubut River valley in Patagonia.  It is the largest, and best-built of them all; it is also open for worship (some are just historical curiosities) and it is related to Methodism in Argentina, so part of a living Christian family of churches.

These Welsh-speaking Chapels remind us of the cultural significance of church - something we will see in other blogs, including Saudi Arabia.  The Welsh Settlers who made that valley their home created somethig the general nation could never have invented without them.  Every local church has a significance, some astonishing like this, others more 'normal' to their environment.  But it is local churches that help shape the story of communities the world over.

Holiday Pics 5: Beautiful Redundancy

Spread along the coast of West Wales are the remains of seaside mills.  The corn was brought from the nearby farms and the many tiny harbours, in the manner of Cornwall, provided an efficient sea route out for the milled grain.

Today they provide great photo opportunities.  I doubt that they will ever be called into action again, but they tell a story of times gone by.

This particular mill was on the bay near the village we stayed in.  In the village itself were two other buildings that were no longer in use - a Baptist Chapel and a Methodist Chapel.  There were no places of worship, as there were no mills, that were still in use.

So do redundant chapels also reflect changing times and times gone by?

Well, no.  Whereas the products of farms nearby have new and better methods of refinement, transportation and therefore business, the redundant chapels tell another story.  The village has just as many souls in as ever it had, God is still the God who the villagers once worshipped, Jesus story of salvation is still the same, the 21st century souls in the village are all, like their forebears, going to pass into judgment and eternity.

There is nothing improving or efficient about redundant chapels.  They are just a community's death-mark.