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North Chile Conference

RUBÉN SALAMANCA MUÑOZ

Rubén Salamanca Muñoz The North Chile Conference (Asociación Norte de Chile or ANCh) is an administrative unit of the Seventh-day Adventist Church within the territory of Chile Union Mission (Unión Chilena or UCh). It is headquartered on 14 de Febrero street, 2784, Zip Code: 1243520, in the city of Antofagasta, Province and Region of Antofagasta, Republic of Chile.1 Territory and Statistics This is the northernmost local field in the Chile Union Mission. Geographically, it is the most extensive (34.42 percent of the continental and insular territory of Chile) and at the same time, it is the least densely populated area among the territorial-administrative units that compose the UCh. It covers the first four regions in the north of the country, starting from the border with Peru (Arica-Parinacota, Tarapacá, Antofagasta, and Atacama), in a territory geographically and climatically marked by the Atacama Desert. In total, the surface of the four regions that comprise the ecclesiastical field is 260,324.4 km,2 and the total population reaches 1,776,951 inhabitants, of whom 13,955 are Adventists. These members are distributed in 123 congregations (78 churches and 45 groups), organized in 20 pastoral districts. That is, the average is approximately one Adventist per 127 inhabitants.2 In the educational area, with the commitment to educate future generations, the ANCh manages six school units through the Fundación Educacional Arnaldo Salamanca Cid (Arnaldo Salamanca Cid Educational Foundation), which are: Jardín de Infancia Bethel (Bethel Kindergarten), on 968 Esmeralda street, Arica, Arica and Parinacota, which serves 82 children;3 Colegio Adventista de Arica (Arica Adventist Academy), on 5501 Paisaje Aida, Valle Azapa, Km 2,5, Arica, with 574 students;4 Colegio Adventista de Iquique (Iquique Adventist Academy), on Libertad 750- Downtown, Iquique, Tarapacá, with 740 students;5 Colegio Adventista de Calama (Calama Adventist Academy), on Abaroa 1490-Downtown, Calama, Antofagasta, established in 1969, with 903 students;6 Colegio Adventista de Antofagasta (Antofagasta Adventist Academy), on 4137 Bellavista, Antofagasta, established in 1969, with 914 students;7 and, finally, Colegio Adventista de Copiapó (Copiapó Adventist Academy), on 1106 Los Carrera street, Copiapó, Atacama, established in 1942, with 855 students. The total number of students served by the Adventist Network in this region is 4,068.8 In the area of evangelism through communications, the preaching of the gospel via radio has a potential reach of more than two hundred thousand people. Currently, transmission is done through Radio Nuevo Tiempo Arica (Arica New Time Radio--101.9 FM) and Radio Nuevo Tiempo Iquique (Iquique New Time Radio--94.3 FM).9 On open television the TV Nuevo Tiempo (Hope Channel TV) signal reaches homes in the city of Antofagasta, on channel 21.10 Regarding the amount of collaborators, the ANCh has 503 servers, of whom 29 are pastors (21 credentialed ministers and 8 licensed); five workers who act as credentialed missionaries and six licensed workers; and, finally, another 463 employees contribute to the advancement of the mission in other evangelistic areas such as education, publications, and health.11 The Origin of the Adventist Work in the Conference Territory The lands of northern Chile were early witnesses to the emergence of the church in the country. One of the first nuclei of Sabbath-keeping believers would be formed in Huara, a city close to Iquique and linked to the salt industry. This occurred in response to Frederick W. Bishop's initial work, later continued by Granville H. Baber. Baber, first field superintendent of Misión Chilena (Chile Mission])within 1896 and 1902 (later Misión de la Costa Occidental [West Coast Mission]), visited Iquique and the towns in the saltpeter pampa (Huara, Zapiga, Negreiros) several times, accompanied by Enrique Balada and Eduardo Thomann. In 1896 the city of Iquique became the first to have an organized Adventist congregation in the country.12 That same year, in Huara, Baber baptized Julián Ocampo, who would later be ordained to the ministry. Thus, Ocampo, in December 1896, became the first Chilean ordained pastor. The records show a short but fruitful work of this new minister of the saltpeter pampa. In early 1897 Baber reported that Ocampo had baptized eight people in Iquique. However, he died two years later.13 In these first years, the situation in Iquique was relevant to Adventist work for at least two reasons: a report by Eduardo Thomann registered 17 baptisms after a month of campaigning with Baber in mid-1899,14 that is, the city was prosperous for the gospel; furthermore, Iquique's geographical location was strategic to the plans to evangelize Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, countries that together with Chile were part of the West Coast Mission. In fact, Iquique was the platform from which the first evangelistic incursions into neighboring countries were promoted, and some of the early converts in Huara took an active role in it. This last reason caused the headquarters of the mission and the printing press where Señales de los Tiempos (Signs of the Times) and La Revista Adventista (Adventist Review) were produced, to be moved from Valparaíso to Iquique during the administration of Herman F. Ketring, from mid- 1902 until early 1904. A report from 1901, although in modest terms, stated that Iquique was the Chilean city with the largest number of baptized members.15 Nonetheless, it is noted that until the third decade of the 20th century, the only church in Great North that appears active in the reports of the Asociación Chilena (Chile Conference--presently Asociación Metropolitana de Chile [Metropolitan Chile Conference]) is that of Antofagasta, a city where there were already converts in 1905, as stated in the May issue of La Revista Adventista (Adventist Review) of that year. In the same report, Walterio Thomann says that the church of Iquique gathered on 353 Juan Martínez street, on the corner with Ernesto Riquelme street, and that Julián Ocampo's widow had died.16 It seems that the evangelizing advance accompanied that of Adventist education. The urban centers with more Adventists were those where Adventist education was more present. A list of active schools in Chile, in 1937, shows that there were 11 schools throughout the country. Of these the Escuela de Zapiga (Zapiga School--the village became extinct along with the decline of the salt industry, presumably in the 1950s) belonged to the territory that today comprises the ANCh and was a small school, directed by only a teacher.17 Now the ANCh has an educational system with a solid and respectable institutional presence in the main cities in the northern part of Chile. The six institutions that offer Adventist education in the three compulsory school levels (early childhood education, elementary, and high school education) were created within 1942 (Copiapó Adventist Academy) and in 1974 (Arica Adventist Academy) and make the ANCh, together with Asociación Centro Sur de Chile (Central South Chile Conference), maintain the highest index in the school enrollment/SDA members ratio among the fields of Chile Union Mission (0.32 students per active Adventist member). During the first three decades of the 20th century, Adventism arrived in the cities of the northern Chile thanks also to the incessant work of canvassers, through the sale and extensive distribution of the magazine El Atalaya (The Watchtower). The official seat of the church in this part of the territory was Antofagasta. The importance of this city in the articulation of the church's evangelism plans for northern Chile was evident when, in 1918, the Austral Union Conference (Unión Austral) (presently Argentina Union Conference [Unión Argentina]) asked the Chile Conference to separate the territory from Caldera to the north (to the city of Tacna), in order to establish a new mission. The Chile Conference agreed, reserving the right to maintain the work of its canvassers in that area, and then sent the missionary Abrahan Berchin to Antofagasta in order to work on the new mission to be organized.18 In the following years, Luis Griott, Walterio Thomann, and Carlos Mayr were, along with Berchin, relevant workers in the promotion of Adventism in Antofagasta and northern Chile. Among the main urban evangelism strategies within the 1920s and 1950s were “public efforts,” usually month-long campaigns, and shorter intensive campaigns in the first and last quarter of the year, where the effort to win souls was combined with that of collecting offerings to support missionary action. The early initiative to create a mission in the north of the country could never be consolidated. So, in 1924, the Austral Union Conference agreed that the territory should continue to be under the control of the Chile Conference.19 In the following decades, the Adventist work was consolidated in Antofagasta, Iquique, Arica, Copiapó, Calama, and Vallenar, the great cities in northern Chile, and began to enter the small cities in the countryside. For example, it was consolidated in Camiña gorge, in the interior of Iquique, as a result of the dedicated work of Pastor Francisco Jiménez within 1950 and 1953, where years later a school would operate. Within the 1950s and 1980s, the church continued to grow through urban evangelism strategies in the format of great metropolitan campaigns. An example of this is the campaign of Pastor Antonio Arteaga in 1964, in Iquique, which had the support from Pastors Joel Leiva and Benjamín Almonte. The August 1964 issue of La Revista Adventista (Adventist Review) reports on that campaign under the title Agua en el desierto (Water in the desert),20 highlighting the attendance and interest expressed by about twelve hundred people, who gathered every night in the best hall in the city, the municipal theater. During the sixties the work in these cities was led by workers such as José Sebastián Lagos, Sergio Celis, Jorge Lobos, Gilberto Velásquez, and Francisco Jiménez, among others. During those years the church made an important leap in terms of properties and infrastructure of the temples in the main cities: in Iquique, in 1958, the Iquique temple was purchased, an ancient and beautiful Anglican temple, with a pipe organ that was declared a historical heritage of the city; in Arica, in 1961, the construction of the Arica temple began; in Pueblo de Hundido, in 1962, it was agreed to receive land donated by the Chilean government; in Calama, in 1966, land for a chapel was purchased; and in Chañaral, in 1967, two properties donated by the Chilean government were accepted. The Conference Organizational History The North Chile Mission (Misión Norte de Chile or MNCh) was created in the context of the formation of Chile Union Mission in late 1965. In October 1965, when the South American Division agreed on the creation of Chile Union Mission, it agreed that it would comprise three fields that would be delimited together with the organization of the UCh. They were: Asociación Sur de Chile (South Chile Conference--presently Asociación Centro Sur de Chile-- Central South Chile Conference), Asociación Central de Chile (Central Chile Conference--presently Asociación Metropolitana de Chile-- Metropolitan Chile Conference), and Misión Norte de Chile (North Chile Mission-- presently Asociación Norte de Chile--North Chile Conference).21 In November of the same year, the vote of the Board of Directors of the South American Division that agrees the organization of Chile Union Mission, defined the territory of the North Chile Mission as follows: provinces of Atacama, Antofagasta, and Tarapacá.22 Until the present day, the territory has not been altered since its approval, and in the current political-administrative structure of Chile, it corresponds to the Atacama, Antofagasta, Tarapacá, and Arica-Parinacota regions. The first president of the North Chile Mission was George Edward Stacey, Jr., who was appointed president- treasurer. Although the process of his call began in February 1966,23 he arrived in the territory in the last quarter of that same year. When the MNCh started operating, it had 835 members, seven organized churches, and eight ministers. In the educational area, the field had an elementary school with 98 students.24 Throughout its history, the ANCh's structure and territory have not undergone major changes. For some time the headquarters were on 2562 Washington street, Antofagasta. However, from 1978, except for the period corresponding to the construction of the definitive office building, the official address of the headquarters is on 14 de febrero street, 2784, Antofagasta.25 Twenty-five years after its creation, in 1991, the MNCh had 32 churches, with a total of 8,450 members, and five schools, with a total of 3,008 students in early childhood education, elementary, and high school education.26 The church’s growth was remarkable and was mainly due to the strengthening and extension of Adventist work in the large cities in the north and by its presence in all the communes of the territory. On the other hand, the extraordinary growth in school enrollment during those years had two reasons: the first is the affiliation of Adventist schools to the state subsidy regime in the form of voucher, established in 1979 by the Chilean government;27 and, secondly, the expansion of the offer from early childhood education to high school education. Within 1990 and 2003, the five elementary schools of the North Mission implemented the high school education level, with Antofagasta Adventist Academy being the first to do so. In 1999, on the eve of the new millennium, the construction of the new headquarters for the North Chile Mission began. The building, with modern lines and glazed facade, the first of its kind in the context of headquarters of the ecclesiastical fields in Chile, would be inaugurated two years later. The modern four-storey building was designed to allow full development of all administrative functions by each of the administrators and secretaries of departments. It also has a large chamber for meetings and assemblies. Still in 1999, for the first time in the history of the MNCh, in just one year, more than a thousand people were reached by the truth. Thus, in that year, the church in that local field had 12,715 members.28 Later, in 2006, 40 years after its creation, the North Chile Mission had 267 employees and was responsible for administering and shepherding 85 congregations and 19,248 members.29 Nevertheless, nine years later, the official membership figures at the end of 2015 indicated 10,910 members in 77 organized churches. This sharp fall in membership is a result of the rigorous work of adjusting the members list, which was carried out from 2009, in order to exclude members in apostasy or whose whereabouts were unknown, and obtain real data about the size of the church and its evangelizing potential in the territory.30 Thus, the MNCh had as a challenge the elaboration of strategies that encouraged the fidelity and permanence of its members in the church. In this context, and in order to fulfill the Great Commission given by Jesus, in 2012 the MNCh set up an evangelism plan to reach the last four communes (Colchane, Camarones, Ollague, and Alto del Carmen) with no Adventist presence, in the northern area of the mission.31 Another dimension of evangelism to be highlighted in the MNCh is the work carried out among the ethnic minorities present in the territory. As a result of this work, there are in Arica and the interior valleys and highlands of the provinces of Arica, Parinacota, and El Tamarugal Adventist congregations of Aimara origin.32 Likewise, in the villages inside Calama, there are Adventist groups of Atacameño origin.33 This work is part of the “Integrated Evangelism” plan of the SAD. Such work has also been done with the gypsy people. According to the journalist Juan Pereira Torres in his book Los gitanos adventistas en Chile (The Adventist Gypsies in Chile),34 the first Adventist Gypsies arrived in Antofagasta in 2000. In August 2006, the first baptism of Gypsy Adventists was celebrated on the coast of Antofagasta, by Pastor Juan Nicolich, national coordinator of Adventist work toward this ethnic group. This was a vital step in consolidating a stable group of Gypsy Adventists in Antofagasta. The mission also had the privilege of participating in the “Proyecto Capillas de Esperanza” (Chapels of Hope Project), which is a special financing program with contributions from the Chile Union Mission to stimulate the construction and/or renovation of the infrastructure of small chapels. This program started operating in 2012, and as a result of this and other internal financing programs provided by the MNCh, 15 chapels and temples were built and remodeled. In the previous period, the North Mission, with the collaboration of the Maranatha Foundation (Maranatha Volunteers International), had already built 11 chapels. With these renovations, the Adventist churches that were helped were able to strengthen their image and become a benchmark for the community. In August 2012, by agreement of the SAD, the evaluation committee was constituted in a working session in order to study the possibility of changing the status of the North Chile Mission. Then, on December 12, 2012, the Board of Directors of the Chile Union Mission registered the 2012-390 vote of the SAD that accepted the request of the evaluating committee to modify the status of the MNCh, approving the change and establishing January 1, 2014, as the date for the beginning of its operation.35 Subsequently, the administration agreed to extend the original start date to the end of the 2013--2016 administrative period, in order to further verify the consolidation of the recommendations established by the evaluation committee.36 Meanwhile, during that administrative period in 2014, the SAD approved the mixed investment plan (with the collaboration of the State and the North Mission) to finance the expansion of the Iquique and Copiapó academies for a total of US $2.4 million. And, in 2015, with the aim of expanding Adventist schools, the mission inaugurated a new school, Antofagasta Adventist Academy, which represented an investment of more than US six million dollars. Furthermore, the design and equipment correspond to a concept of excellent educational services. These two events are milestones in the expansion and improvement of the infrastructure of Adventist schools in the region.37 In 2016, on the occasion of the quadrennial congress of the field held in December, and in accordance with what was proposed by the committee in 2013, the North Chile Mission acquired the status of conference, and since then it has been called the North Chile Conference (ANCh).38 In that year the ANCh had under its responsibility 131 congregations and 11,771 church members, in addition to 29 pastors and 15 workers to serve the Adventist church.39

In recent years, the territory covered by the MNCh has undergone a series of catastrophic events with a global impact. Accordingly, the Agencia de Desarrollo y Recursos Asistenciales Adventistas (Adventist Development and Relief Agency International--ADRA Chile), together with the assistance and spiritual support services of the Adventist Church, led by the field staff, have collaborated to the mitigation of emergencies, obtaining recognition from affected communities. The events concerned were: salvage operations on the occasion of the collapse of the San Lorenzo copper mine and the rescue of the 33 miners; the tsunami and earthquake of magnitude 8.2 on the Richter scale, in Iquique, on April 1, 2014, which caused considerable damage to public infrastructure and houses in Iquique and villages in the countryside; and the rains and floods that impacted cities and villages in the Coquimbo, Atacama, and Antofagasta regions, with a significant number of human casualties in Diego de Almagro, Chañaral, and Tierra Amarilla. Although catastrophic events like these have plagued much in the northern part of Chile, the ANCh has been around alleviating the suffering of the victims. Over the years the churches in the northern areas of Chile impacted the community on the occasion of the “Rompiendo el Silencio” (Breaking the Silence) program.40 “Many activities were developed in the ANCh districts to emphasize the value of life and the wonderful moments that God gives us on this earth so that we might be happy.” In the 2018 edition, the municipal authorities of Antofagasta were visited by departments, district pastors, and the director and chaplain of Antofagasta Adventist Academy. This delegation presented to the municipal authorities, including the mayor Karen Rojos Benegas, the different projects and materials that the church has for the community: “[Programs] in the educational area, Health Fairs, ‘Más Amor en Navidad’ (More Love at Christmas), Centers of Influence, and voluntary works in prisons and hospitals.”41 In 2019 these same activities, which were previously presented to the leaders of the city of Antofagasta, were carried out throughout the ANCh territory. The actions of local churches during that year were to raise awareness about child abuse.42 Young people from the cities of Arica, Iquique, San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta, and Copiapó are also committed to the mission of bringing the gospel to all people. This can be seen in the increasing number of participants in the “Proyecto Caleb” (Caleb Project). In July 2019 a large team of about seventy young people, along with pastors, conveyed the message to many people. Every day these young people worked as follows: in the morning they served the children of the city with an activity called “Club Caleb” (Caleb Club); during the afternoon social work was done with the community, homes were visited, and several invitations were made to the program that would take place in the evenings. Furthermore, for a week meetings were held at two important points in Diego de Almagro, one of them in the center of the city, in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and the other one, in the community of La Antena.43 In the first part of 2020, the number of young people involved doubled, reaching 140 participants. On that occasion the ANCh held a training course to help these young missionaries.44 The increase in the number of young people engaged in missionary activities is perhaps also due to the hard work carried out by the ANCh departments, which act directly in the training of these young people. Currently there are 38 Adventurers Clubs helping in the training of its 621 participants. A reflection of that work happened in 2018, when the II Adventurers Camp of the North Chile Conference took place. With the theme “Súper Héroes” (Superheroes), the event held at the campsite “El Pulpo,” in Arica, was attended by more than eight hundred campers. The highlight of this program was Sabbath morning, when “the campers witnessed a beautiful baptism where nine adventurers gave their lives to Christ.”45 The Club de Conquistadores (Pathfinders Club) is another department of the ANCh that supports this youth, in addition to strengthening the relationship of the church with the community. It was recognized publicly in a short time, when the need for cooperative work between the region's community and the city council emerged after an environmental assessment carried out in the city of Copiapó. It was then that the Pathfinders of that region took the opportunity to participate in this effort in favor of the environment. More than a hundred participants, including directors, leaders, and the pathfinders themselves, gathered on Sunday, September 8, 2019, with the aim of contributing to the cleaning of the banks of the Copiapó river. On that day the Pathfinders took the opportunity to give each member of the city team a copy of the missionary book “Esperanza para la familia” (Hope for the Family). As a result of this joint action, in April 2020 the city of Copiapó obtained the Environmental Certification.46 Certainly, other contributions made by these young people could be mentioned. Presently 1,000 Pathfinders comprise 38 clubs distributed throughout the northern region of Chile.47 Thus, the ANCh strives to positively influence and lead its youth in the ways of the Lord. Finally, the history of this conference, with more than fifty years of existence, teaches that every missionary action toward the gospel can become, by the grace of God, a great blessing for an entire population, tribe, or nation. Besides, today it is still necessary that the new generations of Adventists be prepared, because Jesus is coming soon.

Chronology of Administrative Leaders48 Presidents: George Edward Stacey, Jr. (1966-1969); Joel Leiva (1969-1974); Erwin Wandersleben (1974-1976); Donald Aldridge (1978, 1979); Pedro Geli (1980, 1981); Sigfried Mayr (1982, 1983); Nabuzardán Wegner (1984- 1987); Braulio Concepción (1987); Dagoberto Cifuentes (1989-1992); Eleodoro Castillo (1992, 1993); Sergio Celis (1994-2000); Juan Vásquez (2001-2007); Gavino Curiqueo (2008-2010); Francisco Briceño (July 2010-2012); Mauricio Comte (2013-2015); Patricio Barahona (2016-Present). Secretaries: J. S. Lagos (1966); George Edward Stacey, Jr. (1967); Pedro López (1968-1971); Rene Perez (1972- 1979); Juan Fernández (1980, 1981); Raúl Medina (1982); Ariel Vera (1983-1987); Juan Rivera (1988-1990); Jorge Rodríguez (1991-1997); Carlos Astete (1998-2002); Luis Araya (2003-2005); José Luis Ojeda (2006, 2007); Jorge Ale (2008, 2009); Héctor Godoy (2010-2013); José Ramírez (2014); Aldo Delgado (2015); Aaron Castillo (2016, 2017); Eduardo Astudillo (2018-Present). Treasurers: J. S. Lagos (1966); George Edward Stacey, Jr. (1967); Pedro López (1968-1971); Rene Perez (1972- 1979); Juan Fernández (1980, 1981); Raúl Medina (1982); Ariel Vera (1983-1987); Juan Rivera (1988-1990); Jorge Rodríguez (1991-1997); Carlos Astete (1998-2002); Samuel Rojo (2003-2005); Moisés Figueroa (2006, 2007); Uziel Alvarado (2008-2010); Ariel Quintanilla (2011-2013); Raúl Perez (2014-2016); Ricardo Astete (2017-Present).49 SOURCES 104th Annual Statistical Report. 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Minute of the Board of Directors of Chile Union Mission, December 11 and 12, 2012, vote no. 2012-501. Minute of the Board of Directors of the SAD, November 30, 1965, vote no. 65-229. Minute of the Board of Directors of the SAD, October 6, 1965, vote no. 65-532. Ministerio de los Conquistadores y Aventureros [SAD Pathfinders and Adventurers Ministries]. https://clubes.adventistas.org/es/. “Misión Norte de Chile” [North Chile Mission]. Informe Congreso Misión Norte de Chile 2012 [North Chile Mission 2012 Congress Report], 2012. Moyano, Víctor Hugo. Impacto del programa de Voucher en el Sistema Educacional de la Iglesia Adventista en Chile: El caso de la Educación Pre-escolar y Básica [Impact of the Voucher program on the Adventist Church Educational System in Chile: the case of Early Childhood Education and Elementary School Education]. Chile Adventist University, 2004. Muñoz, Luis Salamanca. “Rompiendo el Silencio en Municipalidad de Antofagasta” [Breaking the Silence in the city of Antofagasta]. Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News] (Online), September 3, 2018. Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino [Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art]. http://chileprecolombino.cl/. Nigri, Moisés S. “Chile Union Mission Organized.” South American Division Bulletin 42, nos. 1 and 2 (January-June 1966). Paredes, Gerson Salamanca. “Ciudades del norte de Chile realizan actividades contra el abuso infantil” [Northern Chilean cities carry out activities against child abuse]. Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News] (Online), August 26, 2019. Paredes, Gerson Salamanca. “Jóvenes en Chile impactan comunidad en medio del desierto” [Young people in Chile impact community in the middle of the desert]. Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News] (Online), July 26, 2019. Paredes, Gerson Salamanca. “Más de 140 jóvenes adventistas impactan el norte de Chile” [More than 140 Adventist youth impact northern Chile]. Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News] (Online), March 4, 2020. Paredes, Gerson Salamanca. “Municipio obtiene Certificación Ambiental gracias al apoyo del Club de Conquistadores” [City obtains Environmental Certification thanks to the support from the Pathfinders Club]. Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News] (Online), April 30, 2020. Paredes, Gerson Salamanca. “Se realizó el II Aventuri de la Asociación Norte de Chile en Arica” [The II Adventurers Camp of North Chile Conference was held in Arica]. Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News] (Online), October 23, 2018. Pereira, Juan Luis. Los gitanos adventistas en Chile [The Adventist Gypsies in Chile]. Santiago, Chile: Crisek Publisher, 2016. Portal de la Educación Adventista [Adventist Education Website]. https://www.educacionadventista.com/. Portal de la Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día [Seventh-Day Adventist Church website]. https://www.adventistas.org/es/. Portal de la Red Nuevo Tiempo [Adventist Media Center website]. https://www.nuevotiempo.org/. Ríos, Leopoldo Zambra. No con ejército, no con fuerza, sino con su espíritu [Not with an army, nor with force, but with His spirit]. Santiago, Chile: Educational Home and Health Service, 1994. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Nampa, ID.: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2018. Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1967.

NOTES 1. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “North Chile Conference,” accessed on June 22, 2020, https://bit.ly/2YnJlM5.? 2. Ibid.? 3. Portal de la Educación Adventista [Adventist Education website], “Jardín Infantil Bethel: Contacto” [Bethel Kindergarten: Contact], accessed on June 22, 2020, https://bit.ly/3ew9tdG.? 4. Portal de la Educación Adventista [Adventist Education website], “Colegio Adventista de Arica: Contacto” [Arica Adventist Academy: Contact], accessed on June 22, 2020, https://bit.ly/2B2IaZE.? 5. Portal de la Educación Adventista [Adventist Education website], “Colegio Adventista de Iquique: Contacto” [Iquique Adventist Academy: Contact], accessed on June 22, 2020, https://bit.ly/3dp4Mkn.? 6. Portal de la Educación Adventista [Adventist Education website], “Colegio Adventista de Calama: Nosotros” [Calama Adventist Academy: About Us], accessed on June 22, 2020, https://bit.ly/2NkQWF5.? 7. Portal de la Educación Adventista [Adventist Education website], “Colegio Adventista de Antofagasta: Nosotros” [Antofagasta Adventist Academy: About Us], accessed on June 22, 2020, https://bit.ly/3er1EWz.? 8. Information obtained from SEA (Adventist School System), June 30, 2016.? 9. Portal de la Red Nuevo Tiempo [Adventist Media Center website], “Radio Nuevo Tiempo: Dónde Escuchar” [New Time Radio: Where to listen], accessed on June 8, 2020, https://bit.ly/2w5emcB.? 10. Portal de la Red Nuevo Tiempo [Adventist Media Center website], “TV Nuevo Tiempo: Dónde Mirar” [Hope Channel: Where to watch], accessed on June 22, 2020, https://bit.ly/2X22146.? 11. “South American Division,” 2019 Annual Statistical Report New Series, Volume 1 (Silver Spring, MD.: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2019), 62.? 12. Leopoldo Zambra Ríos, No con ejército, no con fuerza, sino con su espíritu [Not with an army, nor with force, but with His spirit], Santiago: Educational Home and Health Service, 1994, 54.? 13. Walton John Brown, “The Foundations of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Austral South America, 1785-1912” (Doctoral Thesis, Southern California, 1953), 61, 70, accessed on June 24, 2002, https://bit.ly/2XYlpPU.? 14. Walton John Brown, “A Historical Study of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Austral South America,” (Translation and edition in E-PUB format done by the Historic Center of Chile Adventist University, 2014), 24.? 15. Walton John Brown, “A Historical Study of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Austral South America,” (Translation and edition in E-PUB format done by the Historic Center of Chile Adventist University, 2014), footnotes on page 82.? 16. “Informe de la Costa Occidental: Antofagasta, Iquique” [West Coast Report: Antofagasta, Iquique], La Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 5, year 5, May 1905, 7.? 17. Minute of the Board of Directors of Austral Union Conference, Elementary Schools Budget, February 7, 1937, vote no. 3732.? 18. Minute of the Board of Directors of Chile Conference, September 19, 1918, votes nos. 706 and 707.? 19. Walton John Brown, “A Historical Study of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Austral South America,” (Translation and edition in E-PUB format done by the Historic Center of Chile Adventist University, 2014), 167.? 20. La Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], no. 8, year 64, August 1964, 18.? 21. Minute of the Board of Directors of the SAD, October 6, 1965, vote no. 65-532; Moisés S. Nigri, “Chile Union Mission Organized,” South American Division Bulletin 42, nos. 1 and 2 (January-June 1966): 8.? 22. Minute of the Board of Directors of the SAD, November 30, 1965, vote no. 65-229.? 23. Minute of the Board of Directors of Chile Union Mission, February 14, 1966, vote no. 66-19.? 24. “South American Division,” 104th Annual Statistical Report (Washington, D.C.: General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1966), 14.? 25. “South American Division: North Chile Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1967), 198.? 26. “South American Division: North Chile Mission,” 129th Annual Statistical Report (Silver Spring, MD.: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1991), 20.? 27. Víctor Hugo Moyano, Impacto del programa de Voucher en el Sistema Educacional de la Iglesia Adventista en Chile: el caso de la Educación Pre- escolar y Básica [Impact of the Voucher program on the Adventist Church Educational System in Chile: the case of Early Childhood Education and Elementary School Education], Chile Adventist University, 2004.? 28. “South American Division: North Chile Mission,” 137th Annual Statistical Report (Silver Spring, MD.: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 1999), 22.? 29. “South American Division: North Chile Mission,” 144th Annual Statistical Report (Silver Spring, MD.: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2006), 22.? 30. “Misión Norte de Chile” [North Chile Mission], Informe Congreso Misión Norte de Chile 2012 [North Chile Mission 2012 Congress Report], 2012, 12.? 31. “Misión Norte de Chile” [North Chile Mission], Informe Congreso Misión Norte de Chile 2012 [North Chile Mission 2012 Congress Report], 2012, 9. ? 32. “The [Aymara] people are scattered along different ecological floors of an immense area that comprises the surroundings of Lake Titicaca, in the Bolivian [and Peruvian] highlands, the Chilean Great North, and northwestern Argentina. In Chile they are located in the regions of Arica and Parinacota, Tarapacá and Antofagasta.” Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino [Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art], “Pueblos Originarios > Aymara” [Native Peoples > Aymara], accessed on June 24, 2020, https://bit.ly/3fSwFCX.? 33. The Atacameños or Licanantay are an indigenous people who “were located in some towns or ayllus in the Atacama River basin, 33 km from San Pedro de Atacama; in Talabre, an ayllu located 76 km from San Pedro de Atacama; in Peine and Socaire, ayllus whose main source of subsistence was agriculture (corn, alfalfa, wheat, vegetables and fruit). Its original language, Kunza, is currently almost extinct.” Biblioteca Nacional de Chile [National Library of Chile], “Atacameña,” accessed on June 24, 2020, https://bit.ly/3eyhpuE.? 34. Juan Luis Pereira, Los gitanos adventistas en Chile [The Adventist Gypsies in Chile], Santiago, Chile: Crisek Publisher, 2016, 93.? 35. Minute of the Board of Directors of Chile Union Mission, December 11 and 12, 2012, vote no. 2012-501.? 36. Ángela Arias and Carmen Moraga, “Más de 50 años celebran adventistas del norte de Chile” [Adventists from northern Chile celebrate their 50th anniversary], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], December 27, 2016, accessed on May 20, 2020, https://bit.ly/2TF9iEv.? 37. Minute of the Board of Directors of Chile Union Mission, April 22, 2014, votes nos. 2014-101 and 2014-102.? 38. Ángela Arias and Carmen Moraga, “Más de 50 años celebran adventistas del norte de Chile” [Adventists from the northern Chile celebrate their 50th anniversary], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], December 27, 2016, accessed on May 20, 2020, https://bit.ly/2TF9iEv.? 39. “South American Division,” 2017 Annual Statistical Report (Silver Spring, MD.: General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, 2017), 20, 61.? 40. “Breaking the Silence is an educational and prevention project against abuse and domestic violence, promoted annually by the Seventh-day Adventist church in eight countries in South America, (Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay) since 2002.” Seventh- day Adventist Church (Brazil) website, “Basta de Silencio” [Breaking the Silence], accessed on May 21, 2020, https://bit.ly/2XgYJIC.? 41. Luis Salamanca Muñoz, “Rompiendo el Silencio en Municipalidad de Antofagasta” [Breaking the Silence in the city of Antofagasta], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], September 3, 2018, accessed on May 21, 2020, https://bit.ly/3e3ZmvO.? 42. Gerson Salamanca Paredes, “Ciudades del norte de Chile realizan actividades contra el abuso infantil” [Northern Chilean cities carry out activities against child abuse], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], August 26, 2019, accessed on May 21, 2020, https://bit.ly/2AH5kEr.? 43. Gerson Salamanca Paredes, “Jóvenes en Chile impactan comunidad en medio del desierto” [Young people in Chile impact community in the middle of the desert], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], July 26, 2019, accessed on May 21, 2020, https://bit.ly/3bQxQ3A.? 44. Gerson Salamanca Paredes, “Más de 140 jóvenes adventistas impactan el norte de Chile” [More than 140 Adventist youth impact northern Chile], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], March 4, 2020, accessed on May 21, 2020, https://bit.ly/2XgCt1v.? 45. Gerson Salamanca Paredes, “Se realizó el II Aventuri de la Asociación Norte de Chile en Arica” [The II Adventurers Camp of the North Chile Conference was held in Arica], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], October 23, 2018, accessed on May 21, 2020, https://bit.ly/36lLz15.? 46. Gerson Salamanca Paredes, “Municipio obtiene Certificación Ambiental gracias al apoyo del Club de Conquistadores” [City obtains Environmental Certification thanks to the support from the Pathfinders Club], Noticias Adventistas [Adventist News], April 30, 2020, accessed on May 21, 2020, https://bit.ly/2LN5LPR.? 47. Ministerio de los Conquistadores y Aventureros DSA [SAD Pathfinders and Adventurers Ministries], “Estadísticas - Asociación Norte de Chile” [Statistics - North Chile Conference], accessed on May 21, 2020, https://bit.ly/3fZ2zO3.? 48. Seventh-day Adventist Online Yearbook, “North Chile Conference,” accessed on April 20, 2020, https://bit.ly/3eGK4yc; “North Chile Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1967), 198; “North Chile Conference,” Seventh- day Adventist Yearbook (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 2018), 234. For a more detailed check about all the ANCh leaders, see the Yearbooks from 1967 to 2019.? 49. More information about the North Chile Conference can be found on the Web site: https://anch.adventistas.org/, or on social network – Facebook: @iasdanch, Instagram: iasd_anch, Twitter: @iasd_anch, and YouTube: Asociación Norte de Chile.?

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