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Visitation and discipleship: the forgotten duo in retaining newly baptized members. Currently, high apostasy rates and low member retention reveal weaknesses in the church's discipleship methods. Although attention is paid to the number of baptisms and concern is expressed about the number of departures, there is limited interest in retaining members after baptism. In this context, the present study analyzes the relationship between pastoral visitation and discipleship as determining factors in the retention of newly baptized Adventist parishioners in the Cajamarca A district, North Peruvian Conference, during the period 2021–2022. The research was conducted using a non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational design with a non-probabilistic sample of 181 participants. The results demonstrate a direct and significant relationship between the systematic practice of visitation, effective discipleship, and increased participation of the congregation in church activities. Together, these elements create a spiritual environment of accompaniment and support that strengthens faithfulness, promotes integration, and motivates new believers to remain active in church life.
Historiographical research on the development of Adventist publications in South America had been hampered by the loss of a work of enormous historical significance. The book La Estrella de Belén [The Star of Bethlehem], written by Joseph W. Westphal (1861–1949) and published by the South American Publishing House (CES by its Spanish acronym) in 1916, had been believed lost since 1978, when a fire destroyed the library and archives of ACES. The rediscovery in 2025 of the book in a college archive in the United States provides a new glimpse into South American Adventism and its missionary endeavors at the beginning of the 20th century. This is because it was the first Adventist book published in South America aimed at children and young people, as well as the first to contain text in the languages of the indigenous peoples of South America (Quechua and Aymara). Using a historical-descriptive methodology, this article seeks to show how the book La Estrella de Belén was lost and rediscovered, and its importance for understanding the historical development of the canvassing ministry, the Adventist mission to children and youth, and the first evangelistic initiatives for the indigenous peoples of South America.
Caravan of Hope: the movement that ignited the mission in the Peruvian highlands. This study analyzes the Caravan of Hope as one of the most significant expressions of Adventist evangelism and as a model of comprehensive missionary training. Developed between 2002 and 2004 under the leadership of Pastor Rubén Jaimes Zubieta during his leadership of the Peruvian Mission of Lake Titicaca, this strategy not only promoted evangelistic campaigns but also established an educational process of discipleship, training, and empowerment of church members. The historical-documentary research is based on primary sources, audiovisual recordings, and interviews with the founder himself, allowing for the reconstruction of the context, methods, and results of this evangelistic movement that was born in the Peruvian highlands and transcended borders, inspiring churches throughout South America and beyond. The findings show that the Caravan of Hope succeeded in integrating discipleship, spirituality, and mission, generating a collective revival that redefined the practical understanding of evangelism. Its permanence for more than two decades consolidates it as a historical and educational legacy that continues to inspire new generations to live the mission as a lifestyle, thus fulfilling the divine purpose of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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