Local Church Elder Ministers to 90 Young People at Rehabilitation Center

In the church district of Independencia, located in the west-central area of Lima, Peru, lives Ananías Marchena Huamán, an elder of the Payet Seventh-day Adventist Church. With more than 44 years dedicated to the service of God and his church, Marchena has been a pillar of support for numerous pastors, regional church leaders said. His work has been very important at the time of organizing evangelistic series in tents and in planting new churches in Payet, Tahuantinsuyo A, Tahuantinsuyo B, Víctor Raúl, José Olaya, and Cahuide, among other locations.

Marchena stands out for his faithfulness, regional church leaders emphasized. Since last year, he has also taken on the role of leader of a small group. On one occasion, his local church pastor asked him how he felt about visiting rehabilitation centers in the area. “I know several of them where we could start serving young people in need,” Marchena answered. “After all, they have a lot of time available to get to know God.”

And so it was that Marchena chose the Renacer Rehabilitation Center, an addiction treatment center, and began to visit it periodically. Now, together with district pastor David Sanca and another church member, Marchena visits the center every Friday morning. There, Marchena gives Bible studies to 90 young people who are using the services of the center.

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A group of 22 young people from the Renacer Rehabilitation Center made the important decision of being baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 2023. [Photo: MICOP]

Local church elder Ananías Marchena Huamán (third from left) poses with some of the members of his team that is reaching out with the gospel to a rehabilitation center in Lima, Peru. [Photo: MICOP]

Ananías Marchena Huamán (lower left) with some of the candidates of the Renacer Rehabilitation Center ready for baptism. [Photo: MICOP]

The impact of Marchena’s work is evident, regional church leaders said. In 2023, 22 people were baptized as a direct result of his work. Now, as of May 25, 18 more people have been welcomed into the Adventist Church through baptism.

During a recent meeting between the district pastor and Marchena, they discussed the possibility of finding interests for an upcoming evangelistic series. The pastor asked Marchena what he thought about it. “Of course, pastor,” Marchena answered with conviction. “There must be people interested [in the series], because this work is not ours but God’s.”

One of the phrases that resonates most among the young people of the center is something that Marchena has shared with them repeatedly. “God has brought you here so that you can know Him,” Marchena tells them. “Behind everything that happens to you, there is a plan for your lives.” The young people at the rehabilitation center feel encouraged and motivated, even though most of the results of Marchena’s hard work will be probably be seen only in the future, regional church leaders said. “Marchena’s dedication and effort are already bearing fruits for God’s kingdom,” they said.

Regional church leaders also explained that they appreciate the fact that Marchena is not only a spiritual and administrative leader, but also a mentor and guide. “With his dedication, faith, and the power of the Holy Spirit as an instrument of God, Marchena has transformed lives and strengthened the Adventist community close to where he lives,” they said.

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Spanish-language news site.