In 1890 four Salvation Army officers (who initially didn’t speak a word of Spanish!) launched the work of The Salvation Army in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Later that same year the Army opened fire in Uruguay and, in 1910, Paraguay joined the fold. The three countries now comprise the Salvation Army’s South America East Territory, which is headquartered in Buenos Aires. The languages in which the gospel is preached include Spanish, Guarani and, for the last few years, Korean!
More than 130 officers serve in the territory’s 44 corps, 11 outposts and 28 institutions, supported by nearly 1,800 senior soldiers, more than 400 junior soldiers and over 200 adherents.
The territory is divided into three divisions (Buenos Aires, Central Argentina and Uruguay) and three districts (Central West Argentina, Southern Argentina and Paraguay/ North East Argentina). Ministries include children’s homes in Uruguay and Paraguay, homes for older adults in Argentina and Uruguay, a primary school and two youth camps in Argentina and a health center in Argentina and a medical clinic in Paraguay.
Nearly 200 children throughout the territory are served by three daycare centers in Argentina, four in Paraguay and three in Uruguay. And, seven student homes in Argentina house more than 100 young people, two in Paraguay house 22 people and one in Uruguay houses eight. Also offered by the Army in Argentina are a women’s residence, night shelters for men and women/children, a counseling and labor exchange and a dozen recycling operations.
