A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

itual needs of Spanish-speaking Paraguayans. Albert Enns, who came to Paraguay as one of the Russian immigrants in 1948, must be regarded as the pioneer in "city missions" in that country. Coming to Asuncion in 1955, Enns and others began to distribute Christian literature and visit homes. After two years of sowing the seed, there were some positive responses and a small fellowship group was formed. Within the next few years other workers joined in missionary ef- forts elsewhere in the city and eventually fellowship groups were formed in different parts of the city. Some of the people who devoted themselves to this task were J. H. Franz, H. Wiens, R. Plett and H. Pankratz. In 1971 MENNONITE BRETHREN AROUND THE WORLD 427 there were four organized congregations among the Paraguayans and they formed the "Convencion Evangelica de Los Hermanos Menonitas Del Paraguay" (Evangelical Conference of the Mennonite Brethren of Paraguay), with a combined membership of 151." An important factor in outreach among the Paraguayans has been the Evangelistic Extension Program, a project co-sponsored by the Men- nonite Brethren of Paraguay and the Board of Missions and Services (Hillsboro). The goal was to reach people in towns in the interior of the country. This program was started in 1973 and has resulted in the forma- tion of a number of fellowship groups in several towns with baptized members and regular services. The baptized membership is increasing rapidly. In addition, the Convencion also includes three groups which are outgrowths of missions by German churches, one near Friesland, one near Volendam and one in the Chaco. Of great importance to the M.B. work in Paraguay is the Educa- tional Center in Asuncion consisting of a Bible School and a primary and high school. The elementary school was begun by the Mennonite Breth- ren of Paraguay in 1966 with a few primary grades and a class was added each year.' 8 This school, the Colegio Alberto Schweitzer, is an at- tempt to make it possible for Paraguayans to get a good education with a Christian emphasis. It is an important part of the M.B. Church's out- reach in the city. The Bible Institute (Instituto Biblico Asuncion) is located on the same campus. Since 1966 it has served as a training center for students from both the German and Spanish speaking churches, although it is in- tended to serve primarily the Spanish-speaking congregations. Several of the pastors of the national churches are graduates from this school. These schools have, from the start, been supported financially by the 428 HISTORY OF THE MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCH Board of Missions and Services. The staff for both schools conies from the Paraguayan Mennonites. In the young people trained in these and simi- lar institutions rests the hope for the continued progress of the church of Christ in Paraguay. Mennonite Brethren in Uruguay Uruguay, the smallest of the South American r